Come and help me around my house and looking after my daughter in El Escorial, Spain

Details

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  Description

  Hello, my name is Tania and I live in a very special village called El Escorial, 60km from Madrid, Spain. I live with my 12 years old daughter and two beautiful cats in a nice house in a residential development surrounded by nature. We have a tennis and basketball court, a swimming pool (only summer) and we are close by a lot of facilities. I'm looking for a kind, friendly and responsible person (preferably a girl), who can speak a good level of English that would help me with my daughter and around the house.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I love to travel and I have travelled quite a lot. I think that taking time abroad really opens your mind and grows empathy. This is an excellent opportunity to know how real families live their real lives here in Madrid and a good chance to learn the language and some of our idiosyncrasy. I can teach you to cook tortilla de patata and we can both learn how to make good paella!! If you are interested on working with kids (or being around them) here you have a great opportunity! My daughter is really nice and easygoing, she talks a lot and she will be excited to show you her favorite games. The village here is an historical place. San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a beautiful and cultural place to hang around. It has the big and famous monastery, considered the eight wonder of the world, built by Felipe II and where all the Spanish kings are buried. It is surrounded by mountains which make it a perfect place for trekking and bike riding or any other nature sports. There are places for horseback riding too. The bus to Madrid stops very near of the house and there are a lot of them. In Madrid you can find an exciting cultural life, it is full of museums like Prado or Reina Sofia, and a lot of things to go and see. I´m sure you won´t be bored and that you will enjoy your visit!!

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  I´m a dance/theater artist and my schedule varies a lot depending on how much work I have, there are weeks that I have nothing and you could be free, others are full for me. So I'm looking for someone that can handle flexibility and a changing schedule ;) My daughter goes to high school from 8.20 to 14.20. Sometimes you would be taking her from school to her afternoon classes, others you could help her with her homework, sometimes just playing and speaking to her in English... or you both can read in Spanish!, sometimes a bit of cooking if I'm not there for lunch or dinner... Every so often I go out of the city for a couple of days to perform abroad so in that case you will be in charge of the house and of taking her to school. But for sure you are very free from 8.30 to 2 on weekdays and we will arrange the week schedule beforehand so you can have enough free time as well because I´m at home a lot. So as you see I would need a bit of flexibility.... Don´t panic! It will be very even and easy going, everything I mentioned doesn't happen every week, we can talk about your needs and wishes for your stay and we can have an agreement on the schedules so you can have a wonderful time here. For sure you will have your days off but I'm looking for someone that doesn't mind to have those days off only during the weekend cause sometimes I work on those days and not during the week. For sure never working more than the maximum 25 hours help a week, as it is a must in workaway. My parents are around and they also help me with my child. Her dad lives in Barcelona and he comes to see her once in a while. Everything around here is in a walking distance and there are tons of buses coming&going to Madrid everyday.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  You will have a single room for your own with a window, the bathroom is next room with a single shower. Meal times are typical spanish: lunch around 2.30 pm, dinner around 8.30 . My daughter goes to bed around 9.30 and we wake up at 7. She starts school at 8.20, the school is in a 8 minutes walk.

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  What else ...

  Check out the village (San Lorenzo de El Escorial) on the internet and you can have a better view on it. It is a village yes, but not any village ;) The monastery is gorgeous!! We have street market on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Near the house (walking distance) there is gym, several grocery stores, a swimming pool and the beautiful mountain. Also the bus stop to Madrid!! It takes 50 minutes to get to there. Madrid is a mayor city with all of there is in a big city, it has several neighborhoods (one is Lavapies which was chosen as the coolest neighborhood in europe 2018). It is full of museums, theater venues, concerts and a lot of fun things to do. We are also very close to Segovia, which is a very beautiful city that has a roman aqueduct and it is a quite touristic place. Also near Madrid you have other interesting cities like Toledo or Avila. There are many things to do here!!
  
  I am a very easy going person. I try to have the house clean, and I will expect that you will help me on that, but I'm not a cleaning freak. I'm learning how to be more and more organized and, when I share the house with other people, I like to leave the kitchen organized and tidy. I´m a very respectful woman and I believe in communication so we can solve anything that comes up. I´m a loving mother and I have a very nice relationship with my daughter. Yes sometimes I get mad at her, sometimes we argue but I try to solve the problems with a lot of listening and understanding. I would never hit my child and I don't believe in random punishment. (I haven't punish her still because she has not given me a reason yet). I do believe in clear limits and I try to do the best I can to set them. I expect from you to treat her with love and respect. She is very easy and friendly.
  
  Around the house I would expect from you to be organize in the common areas, to clean what you use and to help me maintain the house clean. We sometimes like to listen to music, Uda, my daughter likes to sing and dance, other times I like to be quiet. We rarely watch TV, but she will beg for it!! We have the agreement on one day yes, one day not and always in english and not more that one hour. I try that is less time though ;)
  
  I've been speaking to her in English, on and off, since she was 3... so she understands it and she has a good level of communication nowadays.
  
  I work at home quite a lot and I practice yoga there too.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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