Episode 57- Miss Leslie the Virtual Nanny

Disclaimer: Transcripts were generated automatically and may contain inaccuracies and errors.

Welcome to the kids sleep show, where we help tired parents from around the world to get their children to fall asleep independently, sleep through the night and build healthy sleep habits for life. I’m your host, Courtney Zentz. Now let’s sleep together.
Hey, everyone,
thank you so much for joining the kids sleep show today, I’m excited to welcome Miss Leslie, our virtual nanny here, as a guest on the show. Leslie, would you mind just taking a few minutes to introduce yourself the virtual nanny company that you started and tell us a little bit more about what you do as a virtual nanny. Absolutely. Thank
you, Courtney, for having me. Um, so basically, pre COVID, I was a nanny with an early childhood education background. I’ve worked with kids for over 10 years. So you know, in daycares, and private homes, whatever you want, like, call it, I’ve worked with them. And because of the pandemic, you know, I really saw a need for something other than screentime. And as a virtual nanny, I am offering socialization in small groups with others in semi private one. So you know, the maximum amount of kids you’ll see is probably six, depending on the age group, and then it even goes, I even offer one on one on demand so that if you have a call for 30 minutes, you know, let me know, and then I can occupy your kids for that time, giving them the tension that you’re not able to do during that time, instead of throwing them the screen and getting them to watch something on the couch. So I’ll get them to move, but you don’t have to worry about what they’re doing. Because it’s in a supervised environment, where not even a lot of materials are needed, right? So you don’t have to set them up to like the whole table arts and crafts, and then lead them and worry, you know, what are they doing with the arts and crafts. My programs are more like discussion based so that it they encourage the participation, and encourage communication, especially during these times when they can’t meet their friends as much, or talk to a lot of their classmates or play with them even right. And with so many closures happening, especially in schools, there, the previous experience that they had in schools is completely different now. So that is what I’m focusing on making new friendships, or even seeing their old ones, even if it’s on the screen for 40 minutes, but it’s still you know, something where they can enjoy a different program and a different screen time.
That’s great. And so tell me a little bit about I saw on the website, obviously, things like virtual dance parties or even roundtables with show Intel’s and such like, you know, can you set it up where there’s a cadence for children every day, where Hey, at 10 o’clock, you’re on today with Miss Leslie, and you start to make to your point new friendships with kids in different parts who are also on every day, for example, at 10 o’clock, like, how does it work as a parent? What’s the ideal, like the ideal child that you work with? Right? I think, you know, I have nieces and nephews who are kind of 10 and 12. And they’re sort of self sufficient, if you will, but I have a four year old who, you know, right now, if she’s home from school, at three o’clock, she’s up here picking me like a chicken to do something with her. And I’m like, I got calls go on the tablet. Right. And I think as parents, you know, we’re all trying to balance the what the reality of this world’s gonna be for probably at least the next six months, like, what does it look like? You know, as far as the way somebody does this, like they get the tablet or the computer? They connected with you via zoom? I presuming and then, you know, you basically run a directed activity for them for a specific amount of time, right?
Yeah. So right now, everything is still new to me, because I just launched probably like a month and a half ago. So you know, I’m still like, trying to get the audience coming on board. So currently, you know, if you see a program that you want to try at 3pm, every day, I will create that program for you. And then I will try to get other kids to join at that time. If you want it in a small group, if you want it in a semi private group, it doesn’t matter. But the one on ones, those are just for you. So if you’re like I just need this time, and I just want my own kids in it. That’s fine. I’ll reserve that time just for you. But if you’re like, you know, what can I get like Other kids join, or is there a way for other kids to be there that I can make class for it, and then I’ll try to put the word out so that other kids can join as well. And the first one is free. So anybody can try it and see if it works for them. Because there are so many different programs, you know, maybe your kid doesn’t want to do circle time, and sing songs, maybe they want to show their toys off and do something else with it, or do some drawing, you know, that’s definitely a different program that we can try for them. So that you can see what works, right. Because I know a lot of parents, they’re like, thinking, or not sure, right about these kinds of programs, especially because it’s online. And they’re like, well, they can use the screen, and YouTube or something. But this is a sense where they are being spoken with and having conversation with and playing with. And especially if you don’t want them to be unsupervised This is even if it’s online, it’s a supervised environment. So I’m trying to really push that, where it’s not them in with 20 other kids. And there, they have like zero attention, because there’s so many kids, and they’re all on mute, right. That’s another thing I’m really pushing is that you’re there, your kids are not coming on unit. And that’s what a lot of programs that are right, they come on muted, and then they get lost, and then they get bored, and then they lose interest. Because there’s no attention for them. Since there’s so many kids. So, you know, I’m really trying to make it so that the kids no matter who they are, no matter what they’re there for, they’re going to get that attention. And that means that your one on ones will get the most attention. But even at five, six kids my maximum, they’re still going to have a chance to get attention, whether it’s on spotlight, whether it’s spoken by name, but they will get more attention than they would with a group of 2030 kids.
And I think what’s also interesting too, is you could probably, you know, do something like a pod, that’s virtual, right? So if there’s like, I’m a working mom, right, and I may have five or six friends that also have kids that, you know, maybe don’t live in my neighborhood, but you all want to do it together, you know, at the same time, I feel like it could be at least like a virtual pot in some capacity. Yeah. You know, again, to balance like, they have cares at my children’s school. So in theory, like they could stay after school and do that, but I’m like, you know, you’re four and six, like, you come home and play in the yard, you can come home and play play doh, like, I don’t need to be watching you. But, you know, I also don’t need you bothering me 450 times. So I think there’s a balance to that, you know, and I feel like offering something different from an activity standpoint could be fun, like, what are some examples of things that you do? You know, obviously, we talked a little bit about circle time, we talked about show Intel, right? Like, what are some other fun activities that, you know, parents who are kind of looking at this going, Hey, I never really thought to do this. Just let them know, like, what are some things that you offer that you could do? Right?
Yeah, so you know, um, with Plato, I, instead of just making Plato or like playing with Plato, you know, I’ll offer a story and be like, let’s create a story with Plato and like, have like real characters and, like, tell the story with words. And with the Plato. And even like, you know, I love exploring imagination. And there’s just like, not as much a bit like, there’s not as many opportunities right? where they can explore that, because it’s all you know, strict, here’s your schoolwork. Here’s this, here’s this, you’re set to go especially because you’re doing schooling all the time. And, you know, a lot of drop ins and places where they do a lot of imaginative play with other kids are no longer available. So for me, you know, I want them to explore and create worlds that they’ve never thought about. So like a candy world, like what kind of candies are there? They’re Twizzlers, like tree twizzler made of Twizzlers. Or there’s there’s Skittles that are raining down. And I want them to build that. Like whether it’s my picture, whether it’s by just imagination, or even a world of magic that they want to explore with me and you know, think about the spells that they can cast or the abilities that they can have. Right I know there’s a lot of interest in Minecraft and fortnight. And those are virtual worlds, which is fine for video gamers and gamers. But you know, building it by drawing like I’ve done some of those sessions and the kids are like as soon as you come up with one idea, it just goes on and on and on. They can just talk about it so much, or even have a discussion group about Paw Patrol, like I’m sure, you know, even Thomas, the Tank Engine, like a lot of parents are probably sick and tired of hearing the show that their kids are watching, right. And they, the kids can go on and on and on about it. So you know, by finding a group of kids who have one interest about Paw Patrol, I’ll be there to listen and guide them in that discussion. You know, who’s your favorite patrol?
Chase, I love Chase,
Oh, my gosh, blah, blah, blah, and go let them go on for it. Like, it’s just basically getting them to talk about something that they’re really passionate about. And giving them that chance, because you know, they might not have that chance anywhere else. So that’s like more for the older kids who are able to express themselves, but I do have other programs, where they can also I can take them to different locations and like share the screen. And we can do like spelling and a little bit of math with an adventure. So there’s like an adventure, we go to the island, what do we see we see five coconuts, coconuts, let’s, what does a coconut start with the letter C. So you know, it can be Accademia based. If you know your child wants that type of program where we go to a certain location, and then we learn about that location. So it can be learning based, but through virtual, like play.
That’s great. And I know you said timing wise, like you’re not replacing full in home, you know, nanny services for eight hours, right? What’s the typical time parents would hire you for kind of the cover of meeting for 15 minutes or, you know, an hour seems to be a good enough duration or time that kids can keep their attention? What does it look like? timing wise.
So like for the younger kids, you know, I don’t want them spending too much time on the screen. But one on ones I would say is probably 30 minutes maximum. But you know, if a parent is just like, I just need a shout out for 15 minutes, I just need to do something for 15 minutes, that’s probably the minimum amount of time that they can have one on one. But then as the child gets older, and they’re like, I just need something to do for one hour in the house, do some chores, do some thing with another child do some like tutoring with the other child, and they have younger one who needs to be occupied. Like for an up can probably handle an hour. Now, in that hour, you know, I will offer those movement breaks so that they don’t they’re not sitting the whole time. So I will create a customized program because I do send out forms if you want a one on one where I’m like, What are their interests? What do they like to do? How old are they? What do they do outside of school? And like, right, so I want to get that going where I can understand what you’re looking for and what your child will be good with? Sitting? Exactly, exactly.
That’s great. I love this. I think it’s great. Especially because like I said, I you know, there’s days where I come home and I’m like, ah, I don’t like I have a call and I didn’t know, you know, or something. Um, what I guess from a booking standpoint, like, is it online? Is it through email? Can people go in just quickly on the fly and go, I need availability for emergency coverage? Like how does that work? What’s the typical? You know, if somebody wanted to book your services, like what is the typical, I don’t wanna say like turnaround, you’re not sitting there, like on demand waiting all day, but at the same time, if there’s like a quick need, like what does that look like?
So I do have times posted in my on my website, where you know, you can book The one on one and I do have my hours of operation. So if you like the thing is my main call to action, my main point of contact is email just because nothing is really set up on the website because I don’t know what you want, right? Like if I put something for 3pm and there’s not a lot of odd like there’s not a lot of people who want it but they want something at 245 on demand. Then I want to make sure I’m able to get that one going if I have nobody booked for 3pm so I don’t want to like jump the gun right and be like I’m going to put it so I did try like I do have things for 10am and everything. But if the one on demand comes I’d go with that one because I know for sure that one is needed if I don’t have anybody booked for the times I set up. So everything is just visual on the website until I’m able to get you know this time is really popular and that seems like a time a lot of people want I will make a clock For that time, once there’s more traffic, and once I see a demand for those times, right, because then that way I can get more people in there without just taking, which without just doing a one on one, if it’s if it can be changed, or if they can also come in, because then that way, you know, there’s more people involved. And there’s more. So socialization.
That’s great. Awesome. I love this. I think that this is such a super cool idea. So Mr. Jose, tell folks where they can find you how they can reach you what’s the best place is to reach you so that if they’re interested in setting some things up, we can get them to you?
Yeah, so basically, everything is on my website, Miss leslie.ca. And so you know, my new YouTube channel, my Instagram, my Twitter, my Facebook, everything is on that website. The easiest way to contact me is Hello at Miss leslie.ca. And you can even check out you know what I do on YouTube and that circle time. So circle time with Miss Leslie is the easiest way to find me and my videos for kids what
I what I’ll do is in the show notes, I’ll put all of the different links to your website and stuff. So we have those. And then folks can reach out and like I said, you know, connect and make sure they’re setting up some time with you. Because I think this is a super cool idea. definitely needed right now in this crazy world that is not changing anytime soon. So I appreciate you jumping on today and 10 minutes through this. And like I said, I’ll make sure that I put all the notes and the links in for your stuff. But what other Final Thoughts? If anything, do you want to share with the audience who’s listening about you know, reaching out and connecting and and really what you do if there’s anything else that you want to let our audience know about?
Yeah, actually, I have huge plans for December. I am hosting party Saturdays, all of December. So that there’s dance parties, there’s caroling, there’s, you know, dress the party’s New Year’s celebration. So there’s like so many things going on in December and half the proceeds will be going to an organization. That’s to be determined. And yeah, so like, I have it on Eventbrite. So anything you check on Eventbrite. If you want to see Miss lessons, events, it’s all there. And I do you have also storytime Fridays, for those who want to do something or try something. And there are codes everywhere. So all you have to do or all they have to do is just let me know. And everything is free to try.
Awesome. I love it. Thank you so much. This is great. I will definitely make sure we let our audience know all about you and appreciate you jumping on today. So thank you so much. Hold on one more thing before you go. As a valued listener of the kids sleep show, I want to help you build a great sleeper not just in the times you’re listening to the show. But all day every day. Every week of the year. I have a new Facebook group called slumber Made Simple. It’s a place together with other parents looking for sleep support, laughs and the latest in sleep research, to build a family that is rested and at their best day in and day out. If you want to be part of the community where you can get free sleep support, weekly training sessions, unbelievable content and so much more. Head on over to tiny transitions.com forward slash community. That’s tiny transitions.com forward slash community or head over to Facebook and search slumber Made Simple. drop me a note and let me know when you join. I can’t wait to see you there.