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Choosing a Babysitter
Finding a care giver you can trust and leaving your baby in the hands of someone else is difficult. There are several things to be taken into account before you plan to hire a babysitter. Questions like whether your baby would be safe in the hands of the babysitter or if he or she would be happy with the babysitter would bother you. To find the perfect answer to these questions you need to do a bit of homework to zero in on the perfect babysitter. The first and foremost, while searching for a babysitter think about how long you want to leave your children with the babysitter. The best references generally come from your friends and relatives. Your office colleagues can also be of good help while you are searching for a babysitter. Funny enough, I remember babysitting at 14 years old, but I do not find many parents now willing to leave their baby to a 14 year old – myself included. I much prefer that I have someone capable of driving in case there is an emergency; yes, I know there is 911, but it makes me as a mom feel better that my babysitter has a license. However, if you are in a situation where none of your family, friends and neighbors do not have good suggestions for babysitters, consider looking into the following websites Care.com, SitterCity.com and/or CareNovate to help navigate through the world of babysitters. Provided below are key benefits for Care.com and SitterCity, but unfortunately I have nothing yet on CareNovate because they were just launched in October 2011. Care.com Key Benefits Secure sitter service but smaller database which can affect more remote towns. Background checks and references available Instant access to sitter profiles Reviews from other parents available onsite Free basic membership but $30 monthly premium to hire SitterCity Benefits Secure sitter service using national database & registry checks (Family Watchdog) Conduct your own background checks using Lexis Nexis Instant Access to Sitter Profiles On-site reviews available from other parents 1 week full access free trial Sitter Compare compares both Care.com and SitterCity.com; I would check out this review before deciding which service would be best for you. When you narrowed down the candidates you would like to interview, here are some questions to ask. Interview Questions for Potential Candidates Safety Do you know first aide? Do you know CPR? Do you know how to swim? (Very important for summer care and you expect the care giver to take your child/children to the pool) Driving Do you have a car? Are you comfortable driving children in the car? May I see your driver’s license? How many years have you been driving? Do you have any marks against your driving record (speeding or accidents)? Working with Infants How long have you worked with children/infants? Do you know what Shaken Baby Syndrome is? Are you OK if a job runs later than planned? Do you know what SIDS is? Pets Do you have any allergies to cats, dogs or other pets? Are you uncomfortable around or scared of any particular pets? Handling the Children What would you do with the kids on a day like today? What do you do when a child refuses to go to sleep? What do you think is the best...
read moreDedication To All Moms
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to share this awesome commercial from Procter & Gamble (P&G) honoring everything that all moms do to help their children succeed by showcasing the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world. “Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it’s also the best.”...
read moreChild Care Emergency Checklist
With our new Au pair starting last week, I knew it was time to update our Child Care Emergency Checklist. You might not use a babysitter, care giver, family or friends to watch your children often, but there will be a time when your child is left in the care of someone else; therefore, have the emergency checklist prepared before you need it. Here are some items to include in an emergency checklist. Keep the list on your refrigerator or close to the phone and give a copy to your care giver. Child Care Emergency Checklist Your children’s full names correctly spelled. Your children’s address, ZIP code, and phone numbers. List two addresses if parents live at separate homes. Contact information for each parent, including work and cell phones, name of employers, work addresses, and hours they will normally be there. Please provide the best number to reach the parent at, for my family it is always our mobile phones. The pediatrician’s name and contact information (including address) and the same information for any specialists your children see, along with a notation on what their specialties are. Contact information for the dentist and orthodontist. Drug and food allergies your children have. Local Poison control number. Fire Extinguisher status. If you have one in the home, let the care giver know where it is located. Fire Escape Emergency Route. Medical conditions your children have, medications taken, and danger signs to be aware of for each of those conditions. Your children’s health insurance policy number, the subscriber’s name, and the address and phone number of the insurance company (there’s usually an 800 # or member service number listed on the back of the insurance card). According to Care.com, some insurance companies will allow you to order duplicate cards, which can be extremely useful for your babysitter or nanny. This is often the very first item asked for in the emergency room. Family and friends to call, plus their contact information, in case the parents can’t be reached. Here are a couple of resources that provide you with Child Care Emergency Checklist that you can print out and fill in. Care.com Child Care Safety Checklist Sittercity.com Babysitter Cheat Sheet If you are interested in finding a nanny and au pair or other child care alternatives, check out my Child Care series. Disclaimer: I don’t work in child care services at all. I am a mom that likes to share my experiences and those of others in hopes it makes your child care decision making process more...
read moreChoosing an Au Pair
As I mention in my last three posts about child care, this is one of the biggest decision a parent makes when it comes to the wealth fare of their child/children. I have outlined a table of alternative child care if staying at home is not option, including nannies, Au Pairs and day care. As the term Au Pair and nanny are often used interchangeably, it is worth pointing out that, in fact, Au Pairs provide very different childcare support from nannies. When deciding on child care options, I often mixed the two up, so it is common and most likely have to explain to people the difference. Au Pair is a French phrase for “as an equal” – the idea is that an Au Pair becomes a temporary member of the family. When you are choosing an Au Pair, it is recommended that you adopt a similar approach to the one you would use if you were selecting other types of in home (e.g., nannies, babysitters and/or family). Au Pairs are entrusted with the well-being and safety of your children, so it is up to you as a parent to ensure they are capable of performing the tasks involved. It is also up to you as an employer to ensure that you treat them in a fair and professional manner and that they are abiding by the local immigration laws. You can decide on the level of childcare experience and training you would like your Au Pair to have. Similar to the post about choosing a nanny, you and your family need to assess your needs before moving forward with the Au Pair process. How many hours a week will you need the Au Pair to work (from 30 hours to 45 hours)? Are you willing to accept a male Au Pair? Are you willing to accept an Au Pair who smokes? What about one who has special dietary requirements (e.g., vegetarian, kosher, etc. (remember, you usually provide meals for them)? Do you need an Au Pair who drives? Will your Au Pair be required to look after pets? What about special interests or skills (e.g., swimming or infant care)? You will need to consider the level of English you would like your Au Pair to have. Depending on their age and personalities, your children may not be able to communicate with a person who has a limited vocabulary and may find it frustrating. Also well worth considering at interview stage is how well you think you and your children will get on with the Au Pair. What is her/his personality like? Is she/he outgoing? Specifically in the United States – where I am from and the process I plan to describe in this post – the Au Pair are young travelers (between the ages of 18-26 years old) who enter the country under a specific, government-endorsed program which regulates their working conditions and the experience required to take on a job. Au Pair Agencies There are 14 major Au Pair agencies in the United States. The 14 sponsoring agencies in the U.S. have the responsibility to administer the Au Pair programs according to the regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of State (US-DOS). U.S. Au Pair Placement Agency List in Alphabetical Order Agent Au Pair American...
read moreChoosing a Nanny
As a parent, child care is undoubtedly one of your biggest concerns. This can be especially true if you are a two-income family, a single parent family, or in a situation in which you feel you need a little extra help. The typical advice is to start looking for a nanny eight weeks before you need someone. Between now and then, start talking to people you know with nannies and ask where they found them, what they like/don’t like, etc. and to assess what your family’s needs are as well. Do you want a live-in nanny or live-out nanny? A live-in nanny is someone who lives in your home full time. A live-out nanny comes to your home during certain times, and may accompany when you go on vacation. How many hours a week you will need a nanny (anymore than 50 generally is too much)? What benefits you want to give and how much vacation time? Is it important to you to have an American nanny, or will a foreigner be OK with you? What will be your parenting philosophies and how important that your nanny believe the same way? What other duties will you want the nanny to perform? Do you want someone with lots of experience and are you willing to pay for that experience? It is also important to consider this in your screening process, since live-in and live-out nannies require some slightly different arrangements. With a live-in nanny, you will need to consider the following issues: 1) Privacy: Your nanny will need her own living space, including bedroom and probably a dedicated bathroom; 2) Time Off: Even if your nanny is living with you, you will need to provide a couple of days off for the nanny, and certain times for your nanny to be “off” and have some free time each day (often after the children are in bed or when you return home from work or during the day while they are at school); and 3) Car: Will you be providing your nanny with a car during the day and what about personal use? If you do not think that you will need round the clock help, or if you don’t feel comfortable with a nanny living in your home, you can hire a live out nanny for those times that you are most in need. WHEN CHOOSING A NANNY There are many ways to find a nanny, but the two most common ways are through an agency or Do It Yourself (DIY). If you use a nanny placement agency, you want to research the agency and find out how background checks are conducted, and talk to others who have used the agency. Also, find out about fees, and what is covered by the fees. Nanny Agency Pros and Cons Pros All the nannies are pre-screened (screen services) All the nannies have background checks All U.S. citizens Availability Option of Live-In or Live-Out Nanny Emergency Services A variety of nationality, ages, religious nannies Part-time nanny to fill in during unique situations Trained professionals Cons Pay an agency registration fee Pay a percentage of the nannies gross salary to the agency (generally 10% – 15%) Most nannies require healthcare Pay overtime DIY Pros and Cons If you choose to find nanny...
read moreChild Care Alternatives If Staying Home Is Not An Option
In my prior post about Child Care Can Be Controversial, I mentioned several alternatives if staying home with your baby is not a feasible option. To follow-up on that post, I provided a table below that compares the benefits vs. disadvantages of three (Nanny, Au Pair and Day Care) options side-by-side. Good luck with choosing your child care. Please stay tune for follow-up post on How to Find a Nanny and/or an Au Pair and the cost analysis between the two. [ws_table id=”1″] Disclaimer: I don’t work in child care services at all. I am a mom that likes to share my experiences and those of others in hopes it makes your child care decision making process more...
read moreGreat Baby Shower Gift
With baby shower seasons just around the corner it is only appropriate to talk about one of the best baby shower gift a new mom could receive. Yes, generally speaking the expecting couple registers at stores that are specific for babies or have a large baby selection (Buy Buy Baby, Babies R’Us, Target, etc.) or online retailers (Amazon, Diapers.com, etc.) and friends and families usually purchase their gifts off the couple’s registries. However, one of the best gifts I received at my baby shower was a basket full of everyday items that mom and baby need after the baby is born; usually items that mom and dad are not thinking about until the baby arrives. To help prepare the new family for their arrival, consider putting a gift basket together of the following items with a note that says, “All the things you need, but don’t know yet.” The new mom and baby will greatly appreciate the gift. Butt Paste – Awesome diaper rash cream. Price is approximately $7.19 for a 4 oz. tube. Gripe Water – Completely natural product which is great for curing hiccups and relieving gas pains in newborns. C2 had hiccups starting at one week old. Price is approximately $7.00 per bottle. Baby hair brush and/or comb – Price is approximately $4.99 per set. Baby Nail clippers – Babies nails grow so quickly, we were cutting C2 nails once a week, so he would not scratch up his face. Price is approximately $2.29 per set. Baby Wipes – Always in need of these. Boogie Wipes – Developed by moms tired of chasing runny noses, Boogie Wipes® are the latest innovation in a moist wipe product. Price is approximately $3.79 per box. Aquaphor – Fragrance-free, preservative-free formula for baby skin care needs. I have been using this forever both on me and on C2. It is great for chapped lips and for active moms it is great in preventing chaffing. Price is approximately $6.99 for a 3 oz. tube. California Baby Natural Bug Blend Bug Repellent Spray – An all-natural, chemical-free insect repellent. California Baby Citronella Bug Blend Spray Non-sticky, non-toxic spray Blends lemon, eucalyptus and citronella essential oils You’ll love the smell – and bugs’ll hate it! Safe to use on skin of all ages Soothes existing bites and hydrates the skin. Price is approximately $10.00 per bottle. Lansinoh Breast Cream, 2-Ounce Bottle – A must have for all moms planning to breastfeed or at least try. Despite the assurances of lactation consultants that breastfeeding shouldn’t be painful if done correctly, it’s excruciating for most women at first – especially if your skin is prone to drying or bruising. Getting through the initial frustration is tough, but this product can make a HUGE difference. Price is approximately $10.00 per 2 oz. tube. Medela Disposable Breast pads – Necessarily for all moms who just give birth. Regardless if the woman is planning to breastfeed these are essential for women. Price is approximately $10.00 per box of 60 pads. One thing to note is although it is a “gift basket” and that usually denotes cheaper than a buying a “normal” gift, the gift basket items above cost approximately $60, but if you add the purchase of the actual basket itself, the price of the overall gift could...
read moreChild Care Can Be Controversial
With the summer right around the corner, parents are starting to think about summer child care options especially for parents of young babies and toddlers. There are so many options available, but they all come with a price. Although, child care is truly a decision between two parents, it is amazing to me what a hot and controversial topic child care is. People from all walks of life like to chime in and tell you what are the best child care option for you and your family. Some people say, “Be a stay at home mom and it will solve your child care issues.” I can go on and on about why this is not feasible for all; in addition to, pros and cons to almost every child care option (family care, day care, nanny, nanny shares, Au Pair, in home day care, and etc). But this is not what the post is about; it is just a few of my thoughts on child care options and what we found works best for our family. Being a stay at home mom/dad is not necessarily financially feasible option for every family or is not the best for “you” as the parent mentally. I use the word “mentally” meaning that some people (both mom’s and dad’s) are better parents if they work or have another purpose other than being “mom” and or “wife” (whether that be in the home or not). People might disagree, but I believe a lot of women do not take this into account or factor this into their decision of being a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM); therefore – for some – their self worth tends to suffer and overspills into other areas (e.g., relationship with your spouse). I did extensive research on child care – like most moms – before deciding what was best for us. What I discovered is day care where I live ranges any where between $400-$600 a week per child. A nanny cost approximately $50-$65K a year not including health care benefits. We do live near family, but everyone has day jobs and are not in the position to watch our son. For us an Au Pair was the most financially feasible option and most flexible. This was not an easy decision and of course before endeavoring into the world of Au Pairs, we did have several long discussions with other families that have Au Pairs. Yes, like any other day care situation, you will get good au pairs and bad. To me the argument does not hold water than “you should stay home” because I seen horrible, irresponsible parents from all economic classes. Who is to say that you will be a well adjusted adult/parent if you stay home? No one! However, my advice to anyone if your decision is to go the Au Pair route, be prepared to hear a lot of remarks from friends, family, neighbors, nosy coworkers, etc. “wow, you must make a lot of money” or “that must be really expensive, wish we could afford it” or have people imply that you must be “above” everyone else. I think this is completely normal response and try not to get defensive. I found before becoming a mom and having to look at daycare options, I had similar thoughts...
read moreCoolest and Cutest Humidifier on the Block
The Crane Frog Humidifier is not only cute, but extremely quite. It does not require filter replacement or daily cleaning. You can find this humidifier from anywhere from $31.99 – $43.99 all depending on the store you purchase it from. The only down fall is you still need to purchase distilled water, which we now purchase gallon jugs. This humidifier comes in other cute animals, so if you are not into frogs you have other options. Here are some of the Crane collection. Why a humidifier? Are they necessary for a new born? No, I don’t think that they are necessary, but boy they can help when your child gets a cold. When C2 got his first head cold, we were told by our advice nurse to purchase a cool mist humidifier. Apparently a cool mist humidifier helps relieve congestion, which it did for C2. Of course, like any parent would after work I headed over to Buy Buy Baby to purchase one. There are so many different brands of humidifier, plus you can choose between a cool or hot humidifier. I thought I made a great purchase; I walked out with a Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier. I never had a humidifier before, so I was not quite sure what to expect. It cost about $30, which I thought was reasonable. We used it for about 6 months before purchasing the Crane Frog Humidifier. The reason we switched is four fold. 1) It required filters that are $15 a piece and they need to be replaced every three months. 2) The humidifier needs to be cleaned out daily or else pink bacteria would grow, which defeats the purpose of purified air. Cleaning out the filter was not easy because it has nooks and crannies that were difficult to clean, so I felt like it never got clean enough. 3) A white dust film started to develop in my son’s room; I was dusting almost every other day and the film would just come back. Apparently, these machines are quite efficient at dispersing the minerals, which was causing the white dust to coat my son’s room. So, distilled water should have been used, but the instructions did not relay this information. 4) The Vick’s Humidifier was extremely loud, which did not really bother me because we used it as white noise in my son’s room. Six months later even though my son no longer had a head cold, we continued to use it every night, and I needed something quieter and cleaner humidifier. That is when we got the cool Crane Frog Humidifier. My son is nearly 2 and still sleeps with it and he loves it. No, it hasn’t prevented head colds, but in my opinion, it helps him sleep more comfortably when they do occur. Please note, I am not a medical professional, I am just a mom who likes to share. While humidifiers can often give nice relief to a child who is stopped up from a cold, from what I have read the humidity in the air can allow for mold growth within the carpeting or other areas of the house. For children with asthma, this increased exposure to mold can often actually make matters worse. So, if your child has asthma or other chronic respiratory...
read moreValentine’s Day, Is It over Emphasized?
I am wondering if I am the only one; as I have gotten older Valentine’s Day has become increasing less important to me. When I was a teenager and in college, I had expectations like most girls that it would be great to receive something from my boyfriend like red roses and be taken out for a “romantic” dinner. Unfortunately for most guys and sometimes girls, Valentine’s Day is an unfortunate holiday. Of course, the stores and commercial enterprises don’t do anything to help the situation. We are barraged with Valentines decorations, red hearts, and Valentine’s candy soon after the Christmas decorations come down. The holiday in my opinion is one specifically designed to set up men for failure. Most girls/women hope and hint that they want a “romantic” surprised filled night. But, the problem is those women don’t verbally discuss this with their guy and unfortunately, the majority of the time someone in the relationship ends up extremely disappointed on the coveted day of February 14th. Yes, I have been on both sides of the fence the disappointed and the disappointee. As I have matured – and perhaps comfortable and confident in my relationship – my view on Valentine’s Day is; it is only one day of the year. Don’t get me wrong my husband is extremely romantic and he has sent me flowers at work on Valentine’s Day and we have on occasion gone to dinner on or around Valentine’s Day and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. But, what is most important to me is that he is able to express his love daily and not just on one special day of the year. With all that being said, my advice to any young couple, don’t put too much pressure on your “significant” other to make this day magical for you. Remember the year has 364 more days left and he/she can express their love so many other times, in so many other surprising manners. It is always nice to receive a surprise on a day you least expect it. P.S. No, Babe there is no encrypted message in this blog post; we got our wonderful Valentine present nearly two years ago and that is more than enough for...
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