Hello :=)

My name is Arisa or (Arisa Sonrisa). I was born in Thailand but now reside in Spain. At the moment, I am moving back to Spain after completing my project in Greece, funded by the EU Commission, in a Youth NGO, Roes Cooperativa.

For the last 2 years, I immersed myself fully in non-formal education as a mentor, facilitator, and trainer focusing on well-being, social skills, and environmental care for children and young adults. I was lucky to be trained and craft activities such as mindfulness and meditation, facilitation, environmental care for kids, and kinesthetic learning for people from different backgrounds. These experiences exposed me to working in an international environment and developing cultural sensitivity and empathy. Also, I collected many tools and stories in my teeny life backpack: storytelling from multiple cultures, embodiment, dance (Thai, African, Blues & Swing, and Buto, a Japanese contemporary dance).

During summers, I work in the English immersion and eco-conscious summer camp called NewPa Inmersiones Inglés. I love working with them because of their philosophies focusing on Education in Values, Experiential learning, Sustainability, and language immersion. I was responsible for children from 6 - 18 years old (depending on each week) 24 hours. The challenge I faced is to make children understand the concept behind the setting and activities: compost toilet, building from recycled materials, responsible eating and healthy diet, and community living.

My work principal follows the quote of Winnicott (1973): "Nothing takes place in emotional growth except in relation to the environmental provision, which must be good enough." I give importance to creating a safe space for children where they are encouraged to nourish and attempt trial and error without fear of judgment. I also value working as a team with parents and children. When I was a nanny for two girls, we teamed up with parents to decide the home agreement together, as well as consulted with one another to plan their development.

Now, I will tell you about my background. (Perhaps you want a sip of water :))

I grew up with four siblings; I am the oldest sister. We lived together with our single dad. Since I was six years old, I started to take care of my siblings on a daily basis. I was fortunate to learn what good caring is and what it's not by growing up with my siblings. My comprehension of children's development and parenting got strengthened during my university study on a Bachelor of Science (clinical psychology). After my Bachelor's degree, I worked as a dedicated aide for a student with autism and an educator in an alternative school for children with special needs. These works provided me with great insight into children's minds and behavior, which made me believe that every child will live a meaningful life if we support them in the right way, disregarding the conditions.

In 2019, I moved to Madrid and worked as an English-speaking nanny for two Spanish families while improving my Spanish. Thanks to the families, during the Covid lockdown, I was allowed to take care of the children, mainly providing English-based activities every day. I had so much fun during the crisis; we played, crafted, sang, and danced together. My meaningful achievement is when the girls could negotiate and solve a conflict by themselves. Six months ago, I left Spain for a temporary job as a divemaster. During employment, I was lucky to teach children to scuba dive in Djibouti, Africa, where I planted the seed of love and care toward the ocean!

In my free time. I love contemplating about life and meditate, and I am moved by music. I like outdoor activities, cycling and hiking are my favorite. However, I also love being in silence and observe the small beauty of the "ordinary" moment: a leaf rustling, the wind howling, and a kettle boiling. I am also a fan of poetry, especially David Whyte.

What can I contribute to your family?
Being with children brightens my day, changes my perspective on life, and allows me to reflect upon my life. Each family has a unique dynamic; I would adapt and adjust my role to fit into each family. Apart from recreation, I will be more than happy to collaborate in parenting and child development through daily activities: house chores and duties (definitely, it should contain a fun element). However, I am capable of learning and improving myself. I firmly believe that through interaction with other humans, we will learn from each other and grow together. If you think I suit your family or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Oh, I also have references from my previous jobs.

Hope you hear from you,
Arisa :)