Neil with great-niece Eden 2008

 "Uncle Neil"

 

Neil Fullagar

Neil with baby) Molly 2006 

Neil with great-nephew Jacob in NICU 2006 

 

 

What parents say: 

Molly 

 

 "Neil is the most wonderful caregiver for our daughter Molly. He is kind, gentle and yet quite firm about limits. She has thrived under his care, as he has a keen sense of her developmental stages and how to give her lots of scope for growth. He develops routines without rigidity and is willing to sing endless lullabies at nap time. We are delighted with his work."
- mother of Molly 

 

Molly and Josie

 

Update, May 26, 2010:

Some family is about to strike gold in the nanny department: our Nanny Neil will be available full time when our 3 ½ year old daughter starts pre-school in mid-July. I can't say enough good things about Neil, but I am willing to try:

Neil is amazing, and particularly amazing with babies/young toddlers. He has been with Molly for almost 3 years, administering his own blend of gentle, kind & firm about limits. From the beginning he struck the right balance of guiding us, the first time parents, and letting us set priorities. 

It gives us great comfort to know that in addition to his experience, he is a credentialed early childhood expert (you know how you want someone who's Child CPR certified? He used to teach the course). Our daughter has thrived under his care, as he has a keen sense of her developmental stages and how to give her lots of scope for growth. 

He develops routines without rigidity and preps her (and us) for the stage coming up. Often we work out a plan for transitions, like weaning her from a bottle before bed, or potty training and now, how to guide her in sharing and interactions with other children. His particular expertise is with babies, but as she cleared 2 ½ he was superb at teaching good conflict resolution skills and sharing strategies. 

He is meticulous about safety and hygiene (lots of hand washing built into the ritual) and is great about setting up regular and healthy sleep habits, not crowding her days with over-stimulation. Their routine includes both downtown and local library story hours, playgrounds, farmers' markets and the occasional cafe. 

As a bonus, he has a gorgeous voice and is willing to sing endless lullabies at nap time. He is practically family and we are lucky to have him.

As Neil has been our only Nanny, it took me a while to realize how special our relationship is with him. We speak as peers who adore and want the best for this child, as opposed to employer/employee. His top priority is our child's development. 

Sometimes I go out on weekends with Molly and run into parents who know her but have not met me- they always inquire about her uncle/father/grandfather and I always say, that would be Neil, her caregiver. Invariably, the response is "Oh I just assumed they were related, he treats her like his own." That's the way Neil is. 

He also happens to be unbelievably reliable- he is never late (always early, in fact), and never sick. For 3 years, I just have not had to worry or scramble for back up. Guess how great that has been?

I used to think I was biased because he and I have been friends far longer than he has been our Nanny (10 years now), but every single time someone else's child is share-cared by Neil, I get amazing feedback. Generally, parents have never been given the information that Neil gives them at the end of the day, referencing specific incidents, describing his response to it and why, putting it into context of their developmental stage and adding guidance on what to look for. It really is fabulous to be in the hands of a professional and I invite you to share in the feeling. 

I am happy to rave at greater length- you should feel free to call or write me, and definitely peruse his website & contact him directly as well. Here are our details:

Amy Baker, four one five 216-6766 
amydbaker AT yahoo DOT com

Neil Fullagar, five one zero 593-5990
neil AT unclenei DOT com
www.uncleneil.com

neil@uncleneil.com
www.uncleneil.com             510-865-8058               

All photos used with knowledge and consent of children's parents and of the respective photographer.
Web page copyright 2009 Neil Fullagar. Photos by Neil Fullagar, Joanne Clapp Fullagar, Cathy McIntosh, children, and children's parents.
Rights to photos retained by individual photographers.