Looking For A Sitter

After years working as a nanny have I figured out the secret of how to get kids to eat nutritious foods?  I think I have and it really isn’t a secret….offer them nutritious foods and only give sweets and junk food occasionally.  A baby or toddler does not feed themselves snacks filled with sugar or fat. Unless you introduce the sweets or fatty foods they will be completely unaware of their existence!  As a parent you are in complete control of what your child eats for the first several years of their lives.  So it is your responsibility to instill healthy eating habits so that when they are making the decisions for themselves they will make the right ones.

I imagine many people might argue that the junk is the only food their kids will eat, but again I would repeat that a child is unaware of the junk unless you make it an option.  So from the beginning offer healthy food.  As children get older, make healthy versions of “kid” foods.   It is true kids can be picky eaters.  In my house that amounts to my daughter having decided there are certain foods she likes and certain ones she doesn’t, but because the foods she is exposed to regularly are all healthy choices, it is not an issue that those are the only ones she wants to eat.

In fact, as I am sitting here writing this my 2 year old daughter is sitting next to me eating her dinner.  As she is eating she is asking for dessert….chocolate chips.  For dinner she is eating a homemade pizza that she enjoyed making herself, avocado and a cup of milk.  If she eats all her dinner she will be allowed a dessert of about 5-10 chocolate chips.   You might be thinking pizza isn’t healthy, but it is when you make it our way!  It is a whole wheat pita topped with an organic jarred pasta sauce, organic baby spinach, some grated zucchini and mozarella cheese.  Am I sneaking in veggies?  Not really…she knows they are there, she made the pizza herself, but she loves it!

Here are some of the foods she regularly eats and requests:

1.  Quesadilla:  Whole wheat tortilla spread with mashed organic black beans and topped with organic canned or frozen corn, shredded zucchini and cheddar cheese

2.  Tofu:  A great kid friendly food, I simply buy organic soft tofu, cut it into bit-sized pieces and serve with just a dash of soy sauce.

3. Pizza:  see above for recipe, but also add what you want or your child likes.  My daughter also loved mushrooms and olives on hers!

4.  Mac and Cheese:  Whole wheat pasta mixed with finely grated organic cheddar cheese and a splash of milk and peas  (works best if you heat and melt the cheese with the milk first, then stir in the pasta and peas).

5.  Organic yogurt mixed with organic baby cereal, organic, unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon.

6.  Banana Blobs: A cookie made with a mixture of mashed banana, oats, and baby cereal.  Totally sugar free and pretty yummy!  Designed to be a teething biscuit or first food, but also a great cookie for toddlers, we’ve been thinking of experimenting by adding dried cranberries or even chocolate chips or nuts. For the complete recipe go to

http://beachbumsdiapers.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/marleys-banana-blobs/

You can make anything healthy…use whole wheat flour and oat bran or wheat germ when making pancakes, waffles, cookies or breads.  Use mashed bananas or unsweetened applesauce to sweeten.  Buy organic or unprocessed foods as much as possible.  And always read labels, just because something is organic or “natural”  doesn’t mean it is healthy.  Stay away from refined sugar and bleached flour.  If you don’t know what an ingredient is, chances are it is not good for you or your child.

As a side note, my daughter was very proud of herself when she finished her dinner.  She did promptly ask for chocolate chips and was given approximately 10, ate them and asked for more, to which my husband replied, “How about some watermelon?”  She excitedly said, “I want watermelon!”

Tags: Avocado, Baby Spinach, Black Beans, Cheddar Cheese, Chocolate Chips, Complete Control, Dessert, Fatty Foods, Frozen Corn, Grated Zucchini, Healthy Choices, Healthy Eating Habits, Healthy Food, Homemade Pizza, Junk Food, Mozarella Cheese, Nanny, Nutritious Foods, Organic Baby, Pasta Sauce, Picky Eaters, Responsibilty, Sweets, True Kids, Veggies, Whole Wheat

Want to be an outstanding babysitter?  The babysitter all the neighborhood parents want to hire?  The one all the children ask for?  There are several ways to stand out to the parents of course, some of which we mentioned in the previous blog, be responsible, CPR/First Aid certified, mature, etc.  But, lots of people will be those things and what it really may come down to is being the babysitter that kids love!  So here’s a simple way to stand out:  put together a Babysitting Activity Kit.  Buy a big bag that you can keep stocked with kid-friendly activities and bring it along to all your babysitting jobs.  Parents will greatly appreciate the added effort and kids will enjoy digging through and finding fun things to do.  These suggestions are pretty basic, and you may say, “Most kids already have this stuff.”  That may be true, but believe me, it will be exciting because it is your stuff, not theirs and that is cool to a kid!

Moms, you could consider having these things on hand too.  I have a cabinet in my kitchen devoted to craft things for my daughter.  It’s great to be able to just give her some glue and paper or play dough and have her be happy playing at the kitchen table while I cook dinner or get laundry folded.  Since your not packing them in a bag to have on the go, you could also purchase more items like glitter, paint and brushes, dot paints, beads and string, etc.

What to put in the bag (or cabinet):

1. Crayons, colored pencils, markers or a combination of all three.

2. Assorted papers including blank white, construction and colored tissue.

3.  A couple coloring books

4. Child Scissors

5. A mini stapler

6. Glue

7. Bubbles (a good idea is to buy a huge thing of bubbles for about $3-$6 and a few of the very small ones to keep in the bag.  You can refill them as needed and have light, small bottles for each child.)

8.  Play-dough (Homemade play-dough is so much better than store bought—recipe follows.  If you don’t want to make it beforehand, jut bring the recipe, it can be made with items most people will have on hand in their kitchen and the kids would love helping!)

9. Sidewalk Chalk

Simple Activities:

1.  Crowns:

If kids are old enough to cut, let them do all of this. If not,  you do the cutting and let them decorate.

Cut a piece of construction paper into 2 or 3 strips.  Embellish one side to  look like a crown.   Staple the pieces together to make one strip long enough to circle the child’s head.  Let the child decorate it with crayons, markers or by gluing tissue paper on.  When dry, fit to the child’s head and have fun pretending to be princes or princesses!  Don’t forget to make one for yourself too!

2.  Tissue Paper Collage

Cut or have child cut a piece of construction paper into a nice shape.  A butterfly, flower, heart, or just leave paper rectangular.  Have the child help tear pieces of tissue paper and glue them onto the construction paper to make a collage.  You can also get different things from around the house to add to the collage such as, dry rice or beans, pasta, cheerios or other cereal.

**Another idea is to do an outdoor collage.  Take the kids out in the yard or for a walk and collect things they can glue to paper to make a collage or picture.  Leaves, flowers, grass, sand, small pebbles or sticks.**

3. Paper Towel Butterfly

Take a paper towel and wet it, but ring it out so it is not completely saturated.  Have the kids press dots with markers onto the towels.  Because they are wet, the color will spread out and look nice.  Let the paper towels dry then take a strip of tissue paper and glue or staple it around the center (like the body of the butterfly).  Then the kids have a beautiful butterfly creation!

4.  Masks

Cut construction paper into the shape of an animal.  Have kids draw the faces and decorate.  Cut out the eyes and staple a strip of paper around the back to hold it on.  Let kids run around like animals!

5.  Tissue Paper Flowers

Layer several pieces of tissue paper together then

fold or have children fold like a fan (fold one way, then the other, back the other way, etc.)  Once it is in a strip fold in half and twist the folded end, or hold together with a paper clip or pipe cleaner.  Pull the layers apart to form a beautiful flower.

Play Dough Recipe:

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
1 c. water
1 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir.  Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms.

2. Add food coloring and mix thoroughly until desired color.

3. Cool and store in covered container.  Play dough can be temperamental, but if it is a good batch it will keep in an airtight container for several months.

Have fun, be creative and the kids and parents will love you!!

Tags: babysitter, Babysitting Activities, tips

I worked as a nanny for 11 years and before that as a babysitter for about the same length of time.  I have now been a mom for 2 1/2 years.  It’s a unique perspective to have been on the employee side and now to be on the hiring side.  As a nanny or babysitter (or potential one)  I will be honest, the kids are the easy part.  It is easy to fall in love with the kids.  The parents are the hard part. A nanny wants parents that are easy to communicate with, that show them respect as a professional in their field and appreciate the role they play in their children’s lives.  I think most nanny’s will tell you one thing they absolutely hate is being called a babysitter!  So what is the difference between a nanny and a babysitter?  This is something every parent should understand before they begin the hiring process.

DEFINITIONS:

Babysitter: A person you hire to occasionally mind your children when you are away.  This person is there only to ensure your children are safe and entertained in your absence.

Nanny: A person who nurtures, educates, clothes,feeds, disciplines and loves your child on a daily basis.  A nanny’s role is vital in assisting you in raising your child(ren).

In hiring either a nanny or babysitter of course you want someone responsible and mature.  A person that will know how to handle an emergency, should there be one and a person who will make responsible decisions while in your home or with your children to ensure safety. What else is important?

3 Qualities of a GREAT babysitter:

1.  Lots of energy

2. Plans fun activities to do with your kids

3.  CPR/First Aid Certification

A nanny should also possess those 3 qualities, and more!

3 more qualities of a GREAT nanny:

1. Experience in child care (whether it is as a nanny, teacher, parent, babysitter or daycare worker–experience with children is a must!)

2.  An understanding of child development, different learning styles and an understanding of how to include education in everyday fun activities.

3.  An open communicator.  You want someone who is comfortable giving you feedback about your children and working with you to educate and nurture them in a way that is best for them.

So on the other side, what is a babysitter or nanny looking for in an employer?  In one word, I would say, thoughtfulness.

3 Things that make a GREAT babysitting experience:

1.  Money for take out or a meal already prepared for kids and sitter.

2.  A cool activity to do or movie to watch (especially if it’s a late night job) with the kids.

3.  A blanket and some snacks.  I remember as a babysitter, the kids go to bed and you sit to watch tv and it is always cold!  Leave a blanket and some snacks where she doesn’t have to search for them.

3 things that make a GREAT nanny experience:

1. Appreciation and occasional praise or thanks for all that your nanny does.

2.  An occasional, unexpected hour or 2 off.  This is especially important for the nannies out there that regularly work over 40 hours per week!

3.  Paid vacations, sick days and some kind of contribution to medical insurance (which you can likely offer tax free–more in a future blog).

Hiring a nanny or babysitter is complex for many reasons.  In future blogs I will touch on some of these topics from both points of view and hopefully give you all perspective on the others feelings and needs.  As a parent you are sometimes blinded by your vision of what you need, your fears of hiring someone to care for your children, your guilt about leaving them, or even your busy schedule.  As a nanny you are sometimes blinded by your education and experience, making it difficult to empathize with the parents.  I hope this blog will give both sides of the story and make it easier for each to understand the needs of the other…making for better communication and better sitter or nanny/family relationships…which make for happy, healthy kids!

Tags: babysitter, babysitter checklist, babysitter safety, mother's helper, Nanny, online babysitters, tips

There are many hidden dangers inside the home. On the surface there are many items in a house that appear to be safe but are not. It is important to minimize these dangers when children are around. It is also very important that babysitters are aware of the same dangers. These danger areas should be talked about with your sitter before you go out for date night.

Some of the more obvious household dangers are open cupboards and cabinets, outlets, and poisons. These dangers are typically the first addressed because they are relatively obvious. However, anything a small child can reach they will grab which opens up an another list of danger items.

Cords for blinds and shades present one of the biggest hidden dangers in the house. Raising and lowering the shades happens on a daily basis and it is easily overlooked as being a danger. However, the cords on raised shades or blinds pose a deadly threat. An infant crawling around can easily reach up and pull on the cord or worse yet get the cord stuck around their neck. The easiest way to avoid an accident with the cords are to tie them up high. Seems simple but parents often forget about this danger.

Power cords are also another danger item that often get overlooked. A child can pull on a power cord causing the appliance to fall on top of them. In addition to having an appliance topple on them a child is also susceptible to electric shock and burns.

These are just a couple of dangers that lurk in the house which may not be so obvious to some parents. It is important that you look over your house and identify potential trouble spots with your babysitter and talk about how to keep your child safe from the not so obvious dangers.

Tags: babysitter safety, household dangers

Interviewing a potential babysitter is extremely important, in fact it is probably the most important step in finding a potential babysitter. Doing your due diligence now can help you avoid many headaches in the future. You may want to have this checklist available to help you determine if you have the right babysitter for you and your child. The following questions should be helpful in determining if this is your sitter.

1. Do you have any prior experience babysitting?
2. Do you have any certifications or additional education pertaining to childcare (CPR/Babysitting Course)?
3. Do you have any health issues we should know about? Any possible issues that could affect your ability to care for our child? (Allergies, Physical disabilities)
4. Please tell me why you are interested in child care?
5. Do you have a license to drive? Do you have reliable transportation?
6. What age children do you most enjoy? Why?
7. Do you know how to care for a child as far as preparing a meal or administering medicine?
8. What do you charge per hour?
9. Why should I hire you?
10. What was your worst babysitting experience and why? How did you deal with the situation?

This checklist is meant to provide a rough outline of what types of questions you need to be asking. Remember if you do a little heavy lifting now, it will save you more work in the end. Having the right babysitter for you and your family can make all the difference in the world.

Tags: babysitter checklist, Babysitter Interview

What’s the difference between a mother’s helper and a babysitter?

A Mother’s Helper essentially helps out a stay-at-home parent or a family needing extra help while they are home. A Mother’s Helper usually works under some supervision to handle all aspects of child care, errands, easy meal preparation and light house work. Because of the varied duties and because an adult is often in the home as well, the role is different than that of a babysitter, nanny or in-home provider.

Day-to-day duties may vary with a Mother’s Helper, as the more accurate job description will be do “perform duties as per the family’s needs.” This job is very flexible, may be either part-time or full-time, live in or live out, may include babysitting on occasion (when the helper is in sole charge), and may be an hourly or salaried position.

Typically, the role of a Mother’s Helper is held by young women who may aspire to move into other child care positions in the future. A growing use of a Mother’s Helper is for parents who telecommute (work from home), home-school children, or have a home-based business. While a Mother’s Helper usually has babysitting experience, no qualifications are required to perform the job. CPR and first aid training are recommended.

Tags: babysitter, mother's helper

People have welcomed the internet for shopping for books, cds, buying groceries, finding life partners, researching doctors, so why not find a babysitter. The use of online babysitter is more common every day.

Finding a babysitter online is similar to shopping for most items and services. There are pictures, descriptions, testimonials, ratings, references, and sometimes videos. After you narrowed down your search to your neighborhood, the next step is finding a sitter with a background check. From there it is time to start calling sitters and interview.

The process varies, but typically parents pay a membership fee for access to wide variety of sitters. You can start here by entering your ZIP code in the search box to the right of this article for a list of sitters in your area.

Tags: background check, online babysitters, sitter search

Tips for trying out a new sitter

It happens to every family: the always reliable, loved-by-the-children babysitter isn’t so reliable anymore. Maybe it’s school, maybe it’s age, maybe it’s a boyfriend or a new job, but for whatever reason, “old reliable” has become “not available” and you need another sitter… fast!

There are a few tips sure to make everyone a little more comfortable with the idea of a new babysitter, so before you invite a stranger into your house and head out for the night, take these measures into consideration:

Make the first visit a short, casual stay.

Ideally, this would be a middle of the day meeting at your house, possibly without you even leaving or maybe just for a walk around the block. Your children are the important thing here, so you want to see if they connect with the new sitter and how the sitter reacts to your children’s personalities. Make it no longer than an hour or two, and overpay a few bucks if you’re happy. The sitter will immediately respect you and put you high on her list when you make that last second phone call for help down the road.

Make a surprise “drop-in” shortly after leaving the next time.

A well placed forgotten wallet or purse will give you reason to find out if your sitter gets on the floor to play games with your children or just stares at her phone texting her friends the minute you leave. If this seems a little underhanded, remember: it’s your house, and you are welcome to come and go as you please. The sitter is being paid to watch your children, and you are simply checking on the situation.

Be upfront about the payment.

Don’t leave your sitter worrying if those six hours with your crazy kids is only going to net her a sawbuck. Let her know your hourly rate, and if it’s a special situation (an overnight), give her a total amount upfront. For example, if you pay $8/hour but need a sitter from 7pm to 7am when the job will be primarily housesitting, you might offer a lower total. Whatever the case, make the offer on the phone so your sitter can reserve the right to politely refuse. Your sitter has a life too, and just because you want to go out doesn’t mean she must accept if she’s not busy.

Overpay a good babysitter.

Are you happy with your sitter? Did you come home to find your kids happily sleeping, well fed,with all of their homework done? Skip that latte tomorrow and give a few extra bucks to the person watching your children. Rates vary based on neighborhood, number of children, financial situation, etc., so naturally only give what you can afford. Just remember, though: the cost to find another good babysitter because your old one doesn’t come around as much could be a lot more expensive than rewarding a good sitter an extra dollar an hour. Be smart: round up, occasionally give a few extra bucks if you know it was a difficult night, etc. She’ll appreciate it and you’ll be happy when she answers her phone on the first ring the next time you need her.

Get home on time.

Just like you don’t want your sitter showing up late, you shouldn’t get home much later than you specified. Your sitter might have plans afterward, so getting home two hours later than expected on a Saturday night might earn your sitter more money but it might also earn you some dirty looks. If you’re going to be late, call.

Maintain the relationship.

The relationship with your babysitter is one of the most important relationships you have because it involves your children’s care. Keep it friendly but professional. Don’t be afraid to ask for her services, but also don’t be offended if she can’t always make it.

These tips should help the transition with a new sitter. If you find one that isn’t a good fit, the tips will help you know immediately, and when you find a “winner,” the tips will help you keep her around until your own kids are ready to babysit. Either way, now you’ll be prepared.

Tags: babysitter, child care, paying, sitter, tips