Rita

Why did you decide to work as a care professional abroad?

I wanted to combine my work with my passion for travel. I love being active and getting to know new people and a new culture. The life in America has always been particularly appealing to me as I am a big fan of the English language and definitely want to improve my English skills through the year with you. Also I want to broaden my horizons and make new experiences, e.g. with regard to other parenting styles. It's very interesting for me to see how children grow up in other countries and which (other) values are important there. During my time here in America, I have noticed that I have a passion for teaching people about my culture. I would like to teach German and Russian to you if you?re interested, cook with you and show you european recipes and celebrate common German traditions. I love getting new perspectives on things and sharing that with people. I want to find a great family with whom we can enjoy the little things in life together and celebrate the big things too!

Why are you the best fit for a family and what are your specials skills when working with children?

There are many reasons for why you should choose me as your professional au pair. First of all, I am a very loving, open, responsible and adventurous person. I can adapt well to new situations and act spontaneously. That's why I had no problems to master every challange. Also I would describe myself as a perfect combination of a very active, funny, sporty and trustfully person. My colleagues at work describe me as a reliable, courteous, punctual and organized person. They also said that I have a very pleasant voice and seem to stay relaxed in stressful situations, which is especially a big plus when working with children. Also one advantage of me is that I have worked with children with special needs. I was not only able to get to know their needs from a professional point of view, but also to gain everyday experience, since my brother has ADHD and the son of a good friend of the family is autistic. I take my job very seriously and always do my best. I'm willing to support you with all my means in everyday life. For your children it is important to me to create an atmosphere, in which we can have fun together and learn from each other. I also bring the necessary specialist knowledge with me to accompany your children pedagogically. I'm very motivated to carry out several offers with your children and plan them according to their interests, which is very important for me. However, I see my special abilities especially in the musical and creative field. That's why I would like to draw, sing, dance, play, laugh and of course have a wonderful time with your children! :)

How do you like to spend your free time?

I have a wide variety of hobbies and interests. I would like to give you an impression of this and therefore I will list a few in the following: - play the guitar and sing - do 'flow arts' (hula hoop) - cook vegan food - sport, e.g. yoga, home workouts or hike - upcycling old things into new - spend time in nature, especially on the beach - read books - organize trips for me and my friends (visit museum and new places) -swimming, I took a lifeguard test a year and a half ago but need to brush up on it again In general, I'm a person who loves to learn new things and is always open to trying new things! Soon I want to learn in my spare time how to tailor with a sewing machine.

How would you describe your driving skills?

I would describe my driving skills as good. I have been driving for 3 years. I haven't had any accidents, but I only drove a car with several children once (apart from driving with my brother). I drove with automatic and with clutch. I have made experiences driving on highways, country roads and roads abroad, e.g. in France, Bosnia, Switzerland, Holland. Usually I use my bike to get to work every day, that's why I don't have my own car. I have already driven in different weather conditions. I have experience in snow, in rain and once I drove on black ice.

What would you like to tell your host children and their parents?

In the following I wrote a short letter for the hostchildren, so they can get to know me a bit better. Hello dear future Hostchildren, My name is Rita and I am 22 years old. I work in the kindergarten, where I always have lot's of fun with the kids. My surname Kirsch means Cherry in English, so I have had the nickname Cherry in school, which I thought was really funny haha. A fun fact of mine is that I always wanted to become a garbage woman as a child, because I found it sad that the forest and our streets are dirty. That's why I think it's very important that we take care of our nature and keep it clean. Do you already know what you want to become later? If I am with you soon, I want to be like a big sister and friend for you. I want to paint, play games, experiment, dance and just do funny things together with you. I am curious what hobbies and interests you have! I also love to cook. Have you ever tried a 'pretzel'? This is a typical meal in my home country. If you like, we can prepare it together and then give it to your mom and dad to try. I also love animals. My favorite animals are dogs, cats, birds and baby bills. Maybe there is a zoo near your home that we can visit together. I wish you a wonderful time, see you very soon! Your Rita I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to read my letter and I would be very happy to become a part of your family!

What else should a family know about you?

Some more informations about me: My circle of friends consists of many people with different cultures. For example, I grew up mainly with Turks, Russians and Poles. I am half Ukrainian and half German. My mother comes from Ukraine and my father is German. I don't see my two families very often, but I can tell you that my family in Germany is very typical German. They come from Saxony (and I live in Bavaria), which means they are loud, love the company and are very warm. The family of my boyfriend comes from Bosnia. So I am already very familiar with the Bosnian culture and traditions. In general I am very tolerant and respectful because of my many experiences with different origins. Since I am already writing about my boyfriend, during my year abroad with you in America, he will also be abroad studying international management. He will probably be in South Korea for half a year and then in England. For both of us this is a dream come true, to live abroad. We therefore support each other in our plans and are happy for the other. Also I try to give my best to follow a healthy vegan lifestyle, which means I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and try to exercise a lot. (But I?m not too strict with myself) Maybe you can profit a little from this. Most of the time I eat vegetarian, because my whole family lives vegetarian. I simply noticed for myself that this way of life does me good and is the best for me. For your information, I have no problem living in a household where meat is eaten and I also have no problem preparing meat for the children. I really love to cook, so I would prepare my own food and cook for us, if you want to. As far as childcare is concerned, I am open to all age groups, as I have been able to gain experience with all of them. I have the most experience with children aged 1.5-8 years. I am very open to work with toddlers as I also worked in a crib for one year. I am a person who definitely needs privacy and time for myself. Also it is very important to me to be not only a worker for you but rather a family member. I want to feel that I can talk to you about everything and that we support each other. I hope that is also important to you. As you already read I love to travel and meet new people. I fully understand that the current situation is very tense because of Covid-19. However, I still want to make the best of it and take every opportunity to have new experiences and grow from them. You can trust me that I am a very conscientious and responsible person and wouldn't do anything that could harm you and your family. I wan't to spend lot's of time outside and get to see the country, so that it becomes an unforgettable time for me. I hope you can understand that.