Personal introduction

My name is İrem. I was born in Manisa, Türkiye. I'm 26 years old. I live with my family in Manisa/Salihli. I graduated from North Cyprus Eastern Mediterranean University department of Psychology in 2020. Later I graduated from North Cyprus Near East University Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with thesis in 2022. I lived away from my family nearly for four years alone. Now I work as a clinical psychologist in a special education and rehabilitation center. About my family My mother's name is Fatma. My mother is 49 years old. She is a housewife. My father's name is Hasan. My father is 54 years old. He is a retired. My relationship with my family is very good and I love spending time with them. They are the most valuable people in my life. My family always supports and encourages me to follow my dreams. About my childcare experiences I had my first childcare experience by taking care of my neighbor's children. They are identical twins. They were 11 years old when I was providing care to them. After I graduated from Bachelor’s degree, the pandemic started and at that time, I volunteered to help my neighbor and took care of the twins. We did many activities with them. For example: we played games together, went to the park, did handcrafts, helped them do their homework, and drew pictures. While I was at university, I volunteered as a babysitter. Since I was in my master's thesis period that year, I had free time. Since she was working, I took care of her newborn baby for a while to help her. He was 5 months old when I started taking care of him. I was preparing his food, feeding him, changing his diaper, and bathing him. I also played games with him and took him outside to explore nature. When I started living with my family some time after graduation, I volunteered as a babysitter for our neighbor's children. There were 2 of them. When I started taking care of them, one was 1 year old and the other was 5 years old. I prepared healthy meals for both of them, gave them a bath, played educational games appropriate to their age, did outdoor activities together, drew pictures, played dough, and did science experiments. I also helped their housework (laundry, vacuuming, dishes, etc.). Why do I want to be an au pair? I want to be an au pair because I love children. I love spending time with them. I am very happy when children are around me. They make me energetic and peaceful. I love teaching them new things. . When I graduated from my college, I knew very well that I wanted to have the experience of a lifetime and do something that would help me grow as a person outside of my comfort zone. That's why I think the Aupair program is a very good encouragement for me. I want to improve my English, progress academically and also get to know new and different cultures. About my educational and professional goals When I return to Turkey, I want to do a PHD in developmental psychology and advance in the academic field. About my hobbies I love walking, reading books, doing sports, riding a horse, swimming, going to the movies, cycling, listening to music, dancing, cooking and theatre. During my high school and university years, I participated in musical and theater clubs and performed in shows. About my driving experiences I got my driver's license in 2016. I always wear my seat belt, pay attention to traffic signs, and care about my safety and the safety of those in the car. Safety Safety is an important issue, especially when it comes to children. Babysitting is a serious, important and responsible job. I know from my past experiences with children that I should not let the child out of my sight. When I am with the children, I am constantly monitoring their environment to ensure that they are safe and I always make sure that they are supervised when playing outside or near water. I would also like to point out about the health and safety of the child: I don’t smoke or drink alcohol. Personality I am responsible, helpful, outgoing, empathetic, talkative, social, reliable, creative and hard-working. I attach great importance to family and family relationships. I can also adapt to new environments quickly. Why should a family choose me as their au pair? Because I am a psychologist who works mostly with children. I am a professional in this field. Therefore, I can understand children's behaviors, feelings and thoughts and establish quality communication with them better. For example, I can help them and their families when there is a problem. I have cared for and worked with children of many age groups. For this reason, I have a lot of experience with children. What activities would I like to do with my host sisters and brothers ? I can do many activities that make children enjoy. We can swim, ride horses, do sports, ride bicycles, go camping, go to the movie and theatre, have a picnic, go to exhibitions, museums, go to the library, grow plants, and explore nature. Playing educational games makes it easier for children to learn new things. We can play these educational games by making them fun, cook together, do handcrafts, science experiments, and puzzles. I also help them with their homework and we can read books, listen to music and dance together. I am very excited to meet your family. I am looking forward to hearing you very soon. Sincerely/ Best regards