Endorsements

Anna

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Our daughter has been going to Cheerful Beginnings for over two years—since she was three months old—and Julia is an invaluable part of our lives. She has been so in tune with the kids at every age, and truly knows and respects them as individuals. Julia is multitasker extraordinaire, which the job requires, but yet is still extremely attentive to each child. She fosters the kids' independence, resilience, and socioemotional skills while teaching them about the world and having lots of fun. Julia is upbeat and has endless energy—in the early days when she had four babies in her care she would walk around the (hilly!) neighborhood with all four of them—one on her front, one on her back, and two in the stroller. The environment at Cheerful Beginnings is calm and consistent—she's created a warm and enriching space and we've never seen her get even a little frustrated. She is supremely dedicated to the kids in her care, and even in the face of significant personal change for her (having a new baby and moving right around the same time) she was unflappable and continued to be present for all the kids. She's also very communicative about any issues that come up and has gone above and beyond to accommodate our scheduling needs. Our daughter is so loved and supported at Cheerful Beginnings that we sometimes refer to Julia as her third parent—any family would be supremely lucky to have their child in her care. 

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Preeti and Kaushik

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Julia and I got originally acquainted during pre-natal Yoga classes and next thing you know, we bumped into each other at the local Del Mar Birth Center where we were both planning deliveries barely weeks apart. In fact, I distinctly remember our mid-wife showing us Julia’s little baby’s picture after I had delivered our second son. Fast forward one year, when looking for nanny/daycare options and after what seemed to be an eternity spent doing interviews and visits, we remembered ‘Julia’ all over again and the fact that she was looking to open a home daycare after her own little one had arrived. We wasted no time getting in touch with her and were so happy to know that she would consider our son, Mithran to join her aptly named ‘Cheerful Beginnings’ home setting after a couple of weeks of test run! We are coming up on two years here and may not quite ever be ready to bid adieu to what has been nothing short of an epic journey at Julia’s. Whether it be her calm demeanor with the kids (and their parents alike) or her complete attention to detail in the daily menu plan, she is one of the most meticulous and organized people we have come across. When we dropped Mithu off, we left knowing he was in the best and safest of environments along with his little buddies and always found them all in a great mood during pick-up. She is extremely responsive via text, email and phone and was quick to put us at ease on any concerns we had with Mithu’s behavior at home or outside. She maintains a great log on the child’s everyday activities including special mentions that may require consistent action at the home front as well. Her home is neat and clean and it is such a delight to see that every member of her family has been through the daycare licensing process so as to be ready to pitch in, when necessary. One of my personal highlights has been witnessing her and her assistant teaching the kids Spanish using simple songs, rhymes, words etc. As we have seen Julia’s family grow both personally and professionally, we would love to advocate her daycare to anyone looking for a wonderful balance of personalized attention in an organized setting.

WE LOVE YOU, JULIA!

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Christina

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Julia came into our lives through a stroke of good luck, and we have been fortunate enough to have her care for our baby girl at Cheerful Beginnings.  Starting daycare as a new parent can definitely be stressful, and after visiting several daycare facilities and interviewing nannies, Julia was a breath of fresh air.  From the beginning, we immediately felt both comfortable and confident in her abilities and the environment we would be leaving our daughter in.  Julia is caring, knowledgeable, responsible, and very easy to communicate with.  She makes helpful recommendations & readily answers questions, without making us feel pressured or uncomfortable, which has been very helpful to us as new parents.  Julia helped us to establish a routine that worked for our daughter, all while letting her explore her new world in a comforting environment with friendly peers.  Watching our little one flourish under Julia's care, has been a joy.  We truly feel that she has enriched our baby girl's life for the better, and helped us grow into better parents. 

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Ellie and Cotter

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We were lucky enough to have Julia care for our infant son when we needed daycare in a pinch.  Our son loved his time at Cheerful Beginnings; we could tell that he felt happy and safe there; and we can't say enough good things about Julia!  She is a natural and a consummate professional when it comes to caring for babies--warm, reliable, competent, knowledgeable, trustworthy--and it's easy to see that she loves her work.  Julia was always positive and flexible, and she worked hard to accommodate our son's schedule of feedings, naps, drop-offs, and pick-ups.  She took detailed notes, sent frequent photos and updates, and regularly took the babies on little adventures like stroller rides around the neighborhood or trips to the park.  Julia is a treasure, and Cheerful Beginnings is a wonderful place for babies!

 

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Valerie

Going back to work as first time parents was difficult and Julia helped make this transition as painless as possible.  She went above and beyond to make us and him comfortable and happy.  Each morning when we dropped him off, we knew we were leaving him in not only a safe environment, but also a loving one.  

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Keri and Dan

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I will write about Julia and all of the great things she has done for our daughter but for those who are reading this and would like a quick description of Julia, here it is:

 

AMAZING!

 

Julia has been with our family for 8 months and is sadly moving to CA.  She began watching our daughter when she was 5 months old.  We were so lucky to have her for the period of time that we did.  When we set out to find someone to care for our first born, we couldn’t imagine that someone like Julia actually existed.  She was the perfect complement to our family. 

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Julia is energetic, extremely knowledgeable, patient, resourceful and responsible.  One of the skills Julia taught our daughter was sign language.  Each week, Julia would teach her a new sign or two and the way that our daughter was able to communicate was just amazing.  Before she was able to say anything more than Momma, she was able to tell us through sign language that she wanted more of something, milk, shoes, swing, please and thank you.  Also, Julia brought her to the library, singing groups and other play groups near our home.  In addition to teaching our daughter new skills, we also learned many things about parenting through Julia such as, napping, what to feed her and when to feed her.

 

If we could clone Julia or move our family to CA, we would.  Anyone who has the opportunity to have Julia care for their children will be truly lucky and blessed. 

 

 

Jordan and Doug

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Julia has taken care of our twin daughters from the time they were just 2.5 months old.  She has an amazingly calm, loving manner with our girls and quickly felt like a part of our family.  She is always on time and usually early.  She frequently stays late when needed and helps out with our 2½ year-old son too. Early on, Julia was instrumental in establishing a nap schedule and routine.  She worked closely with us to ensure that we were being consistent in our approach.  Both of our daughters have struggled with acid reflux and Julia administered medication, tracked formula intake, and helped us manage their discomfort.  During the day, she takes very detailed notes to keep us informed.  Julia consistently gets our girls outside for fresh air, reads them stories, gives them baths, teaches sign language, and works on developmentally appropriate skills.  She frequents the public library and finds different playgroups to attend.  Julia can be found wearing both babies (almost 40lbs) on her walks around town. We knew when we hired Julia that she would be moving in June. Now that we have gotten to know Julia and have seen how incredible she is with our kids, it’s going to be really hard to say goodbye.  She has far exceeded our expectations for a nanny and we have been so lucky to have her with us this year.

 

 

Elise and Haris

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Julia was our nanny from when our triplets were six months old until they started preschool at three and half years old. She is an amazing teacher and caregiver with a seemingly endless supply of patience. Throughout our three years with her, we really felt that we were partnering with Julia in raising our children. She has a depth of knowledge about child development that was frequently of great help to my husband and myself, we learned so much from her, and felt so secure knowing that our children were spending their days with her. Julia made a huge positive impact on our family during our children's' baby and toddler years for which we will always be grateful.

 

 

Laura

 

I am a psychology specialist with Early Intervention and have known Julia for the past 2 ½ half years in her work as a nanny for a set of triplets. As a weekly home visitor to the triplet’s house beginning when they were 6 months old, my visits with the girls often included Julia. I was impressed with Julia’s knowledge and commitment to the girls right from the start. Julia is a warm, caring, kind and knowledgeable young woman. She consistently demonstrated a great deal of compassion and patience in caring for the girls. She has a gift for working with young children and often intuitively knew the right thing to do to encourage each of the girls’ social, emotional and cognitive development. When she did have questions, they were often thoughtful and insightful, and reflected her knowledge of each of the girls as individuals. I have also been impressed with the relationship that Julia has developed with the parents of the triplets. She is truly part of their team and a member of their family. Julia also brings the girls to a weekly Early Intervention playgroup for twins and triplets that I help to facilitate. In that group she not only cares for her charges, but also interacts with all of the children and parents. She has developed relationships with the other children and during circle time they often seek her out to sit on her lap. My colleague and I who run the group often comment on how Julia could do it for us!

I cannot say enough as an endorsement of Julia as a nanny. She is truly a special young woman with a unique gift for working with children. I recommend her without reservation.

 

Laura Imperatore, MS, CAGS

Psychology Specialist

Thom Charles River Early Intervention

Waltham, MA

 

 

Marti

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I am happy to endorse Julia Pong as a baby nurse.  I was working with Julia for a family who has twins.  She is such a good team player, always cheerful, happy, problem solver, so good at what she's doing and she has a great personality which makes it fun for anybody to be around her.  I would be happy to work with her again anytime in the future. 

 

Marti Varga 

Newborn Care Specialist

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Emily

 

I am a Music Together (early childhood music development) teacher and have known Julia Pong, as nanny to triplets, through one and a half years of her attendance in my classes. I am very impressed by this thoroughly skilled and deeply warm person. She is reliable in every sense: punctual, communicative, safety-conscious, and emotionally- steady for the children. I have never known her to not be organized and prepared taking care of the triplets with all their clothing, stroller, drinking and potty needs before and after class. The girls clearly trust her and listen to her directions, which is so important when they need to cross the parking lots, get into and out of the car etc.

 

Clearly someone who is comfortable being in charge of kids, I have however never seen Julia express harshness or impatience with the kids. Magically, she finds fun ways to carry out routines and take care of business with them. For example, they seem to have a habit of making up little songs for daily accomplishments. And this positive attitude Julia has developed in herself is given in her care of the kids; she really encourages pro-social behavior. The girls are taught to be polite and aware of others’ feelings and needs. Fairness, so important with multiples, is not neglected and Julia has appealed to me a few times in class to make sure each girl doesn’t feel left out of a lap or hug or adult attention. I’m happy to oblige of course.

 

Another thing that has stood out is Julia’s fostering of the girls’ emotional intelligence about their own needs. On one occasion, one of the triplets was distraught about not being able to hold my hand during an activity. I heard then that Julia had lovingly suggested to the girls that sometimes ‘we can hold our own hands’ as an alternative. The next week the girls skipped in happily showing off ‘holding their own hand’. This is obvious evidence that Julia is teaching self-soothing techniques, which is so important to children’s well being. It also points out that she is highly observant of the children’s state of mind and constantly engaging in creative problem solving. I am also grateful that she offers me observations of the girls at home and their musical development. She is a real advocate for the girls, even in difficult circumstances.

I really appreciate having Julia in my class because of her willingness to throw her whole self into the playful spirit, a great model to all the kids and parents. A couple weeks past she offered to help me out in class. Self-avowing that she ‘couldn’t sing very well’ she brought in her ukelele (she has been teaching herself to play) and sang the lullaby to the whole class that she sings to the girls at home, a very sweet re-write of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ about resting and all the things they do together.

 

With pleasure I recommend Julia Pong to any family lucky enough to work with her. Her attentive and fun-loving presence would be an absolute asset to any child’s life.

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Paul and Carrie

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Julia was our summer nanny last year and she was fantastic with our three kids, ages 7, 3 and 1 at the time. She was incredibly organized and loved taking them out for daily adventures, both around town and on longer excursions using our minivan. Our kids also enjoyed playing with her around the house and at the local park.

 

While all our kids loved spending time with her, she was particularly good with our eldest. Recognizing his interest in computers, she taught him how to use Excel and PowerPoint. She also worked with him to practice speaking Spanish. 

 

Julia is reliable, trustworthy and very easy to work with. Any family would be lucky to have her.

 

 

Matt & Taylor

 

Julia has it all: kindness, intelligence, energy, attention to detail, and compassion. It's a rare combination that makes her the perfect nanny! We have seen first-hand the love and focus she brings to her job with the triplets. Julia spends lots of time outside of the workplace thinking about what is best for the triplets, including buying them enriching games or props for "circle time". She has an impressive resume with a strong background in psychology and education, and she approaches her job with a focus on early childhood development. At the same time, Julia is tons of fun and is constantly planning outings like music class, ice skating, or hiking with her wonderful dog Einstein. She is 100% devoted to helping children grow into loving, curious, intelligent young people.

 

 

Colleen

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I have had the absolute privilege of getting to know Julia through my children's play group in which the triplets that she nannies for also attend. Watching her interact with all the children in group is amazing. She exhibits such a calming manner and I can tell how much she truly cares for children. My twins were instantly drawn to her after their first meeting. We will be sad to see her go once the triplets "graduate" from group. I wish her all the best. She would be an excellent addition to anyones family and I wish I was in a position to have her care for my twins.

 

 

Mallory

 

I could not be more confident that Julia has all of the qualities required to be an exceptional nanny. Her extensive experience in the field of education as well as the three years she has spent serving as a nanny for triplets make her a highly competitive candidate for any position that involves working with children. But more important than her credentials and professional background is her endlessly warm nature. She is caring and other-oriented, a good friend who is always ready to help out wherever needed. Julia is devoted to the people in her life. She is patient and not easily rattled. She has lots of energy and exudes enthusiasm for outdoor activities, animals, and above all - child care. She has quality values which she holds to firmly, many of which revolve around child-rearing practices and what it takes to be an outstanding caregiver. She is playful and has a great love of life. Any family would be fortunate to have her!

 

 

Nicole

 

I have only known Julia for a short time, but she has made a strong impression on both myself and my 14 month old daughter. We attend a music class with Julia and the triplets that are in her care. It is amazing to watch how the children gravitate toward her. She exudes warmth and even the most shy of the children will go and sit on her lap. My daughter often stops in for a hug. Julia was kind enough to share a song she wrote for the triplets during our class snuggle time. Her creativity clearly shines through. She is always conscientious about teaching the triplets to cover their coughs and how to be considerate when they have the sniffles. She is clearly watching out for the welfare of the other children, while teaching valuable lessons to the triplets. I have observed her handling the occasional meltdown with complete grace and gentleness. I believe any parents would be lucky to have her caring for their children.

 

 

Kathleen

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I've had the pleasure of attending music class with Julia and the triplets for almost a year. During that time, I've seen her interacting with the girls as well as all of the children in the class. She is an absolute natural with children. They are all drawn to her fun, energetic, warm and gentle manner. I've seen her calmly and successfully deal with common challenges such as sharing, listening and potty training.  And I've seen lots of laughs and hugs between her, the triplets and all of the children in the class. I would enthusiastically recommend her to any family without hesitation.

 

 

Amanda

 

Julia has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know. She is endlessly caring, energetic, positive, creative, and supportive. Her ability to truly see the best in ever situation truly makes her stand out from the crowd. She is also extremely organized, prepared, and continuously eager to learn. She puts her "all" into everything that she does!

 

 

Laurie

 

Julia is a warm friendly person that all kids and parents are drawn to. I have been in a music class with Julia and the triplet children she has been caring for for a couple of years and her outgoing and enthusiastic personality encompass the room and all the children gravitate to her. She is always very patient and wonderful with all age children and I think any family would be lucky to have her.

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