Juliana Tokumo
Why did I choose this profession?
Since the first grade, I have enjoyed helping my classmates with their school work. When I was 9 years old, I taught math to my uncle because he wasn't well-educated in the subject. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, even at a young age. It's always made me happy.
After finishing high school, I decided to go to college right away. At first, I applied for Physical Therapy, but soon found out it wasn't for me. Shortly after, I switched to Pedagogy and got into the world of teaching and caring for children. I always loved to be with kids and whenever I was in a "blue" mood, I saw a child's smile and everything changed like magic. I started working at a day care while attending college and it was one of the best experiences I ever had. I came home each day exhausted from playing in the sand box, making arts and crafts, and playing games. It was such an amazing experience.
My little brother was born in 1999 when I was 9 years-old and I loved to take care of him. I would walk him around the neighborhood in the stroller to help him fall asleep. I washed and ironed his clothes, boiled all the bottles, and took care of all his baby essentials. He had a nanny, but we found out through the neighbors that she was negligent in her duties. This is where my older brother and I stepped up and took over as my brother's care keeper.
Work experience
Families in Manhattan
2015 - 2017
Part-time sitter in the morning for a 2 year old boy and a new born in Tribeca. Duties include: walking the 2 year old in a stroller to the park and classes, giving a snack and lunch, reading books, and walking him until he sleeps. Household chores are doing the dishes, organizing toys, and laundry. Stayed with him for a week while his parents were traveling.
Part-time in the afternoon in West Village for 2 girls ages 6 and 4. Responsiblities are walking with the girls to the park, playing, cooking dinner, and helping organize their room. The 4 year old has a syndrome and I take her to speech therapy. I no longer work with this family in the afternoon.
Full Time Nanny/Mother's Helper
2013 - 2015
Care for 3 boys - ages 2 and 3 (twins). 12 hours a day. Cook organic meals from scratch, always including fruits and vegetables. Drop kids off at school each day. Fun activites like going to the park, library, and museum. Other responsibiles include grocery shopping, tidying up the house, reading, laundry, and taking the kids to the doctor, physical & occupational therapy.
Fun Fact: One of the twins was curious about planets, so I got him a book and starting to teach him – he soon memorized the order of the planets at only 3 years old.
Full Time Nanny
2013
Took care of 2 boys - ages 2 and 4. 9 hours a day. Made lunch and snacks, played, danced, homeschooling activities, computer activities, went to the park, kite flying, and drove them around.
Fun Fact: Their family got together for Thanksgiving and the grandmother noticed the kids saying "please" and "thank you", their mom said "It was all Juliana's work". When she told me that, I felt like I was doing my job right.
Full Time Nanny in Brooklyn
2012
2 boys - 4 months and 3 years. 8 hours a day. Took care of the new born all day. Fed, play, nap (bounce him), read books, took for a walk twice a day, music, bath, and diaper changing. No television so used a lot of imagination in coming up with fun activities. Gluten free diet.
Fun Fact: I made a paper airplane for the 3 year old and he asked me who taught me how to make it so well, I told him that my grandpa taught me when I was a little kid. The little boy asked if my grandpa had learned how to make it on YouTube. I was laughing so hard that it took me a while to explain that the internet didn't exist back then.
Live-in Nanny and Housekeeper in Mahattan
2012
4 children (2, 5, 6 and 8). 12 hours a day. Kosher family. Play, walk to the park, cook, bathe, help study, organize play dates, diaper changing, feeding, housecleaning, and laundry. Traveled together for one week in CT doing a lot of activities with the children, including swimming. The 5 years old has down syndrome
Live-in Au Pair
2011 - 2012
2 children - 3 and 5. 12 hours a day. Help get ready for school, breakfast, play dates, play with trains, watch movies, bathe, art projects, diaper changing, and putting the kids to bed. Potty trained the 3 year old. Hosted children's partieis, life-guard while kids swam.
Diet: eggs and nuts/seeds free. Nebulizer twice a day.
Fun Fact: At a birthday party at their house, the kids were swimming while the parents were around but doing their own things. I was watching the 3 year old while he was in the pool with a floating vest, for some reason he started to get desperate in the water, I tried to pull him out of the pool but couldn't reach him, so I jumped in the water with my dress on and took him out to calm him down.
Volunteer Work (Brazil)
2010 - 2011
My mother started a volunteering project to bring quality education to children of low income families. These children do not have access to good schools and I was set on helping them. I was the Activities Director for children under 5 years-old.
Bilingual Nursery School (Brazil)
2009
16 children/3 Teachers in class
7 months-old - 2 years-old: feed, play time, prepare different activities, songs, story, diaper changing.
Everyday before class, I played with the 3 to 9 year-old kids. I made up a fun game called "Corn - Popcorn", when I say "corn" the kids have to sit on the floor and when I say "Popcorn" they have to stand up and shout "POP!" with their arms up. They just loved it!
I babysat some children after school in their homes, as well.
Experience with 7 year old Autistic child (he had an assistant at all times, but I wanted to learn more so I would help by changing his diaper, reading to him, and playing fun games. Diet; gluten and sugar free.
In order to help develop language skills with the children, I came up with an innovate way to storytell. I would not only speak the words, but also act them out using body gestures. Because most of the kids were not able to speak yet, this was very helpful for them. As an example, I would tell the "Three Little Pigs" story and make guestures like knocking on the door (closing my hand and knocking hard on an invisible door) or the wolf blowing down the houses (exhaling very hard). The kids understood the story much quicker and learned vocubulary through body gestures.
Municipal Nursery School (Brazil)
2007-2008
18 children/3 Teachers in class
1 - 2 years-old: planed activities, sand box, playground, brushing teeth.
They had nurses to change the children's diaper and others assistants to feed them.
10 children/2 Teachers in class
3 years-old: prepare activities and teach them how to write, coloring, reading, play time.
Languages
Portuguese - Native Language
English - Fluent
Spanish - Intermediate
Sign Language - Basic
2010 - present
2010 - present