Regarding Nannies

Financial Free Friday: News For Regarding Nannies

2010-07-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

Financial Free Friday: News For Regarding Nannies
by: Alice Shaffer

As we head into a long holiday weekend for 4th of July, we at Regarding Nannies also enter into our 2nd year. Last year for 4th of July I was in Virginia Beach putting together our Regarding Nannies blog and sending off things for Glenda and Kellie to proof and look at. This year we are all working hard again for some fantastic things! We can hardly wait till Monday for things to be shared!

Please join us on Monday July 5, 2010 at Regarding Nannies as we start the week long birthday celebration of Regarding Nannies as we turn 1.

We will have our own version of colorful fireworks, party excitement, gathering of friends, memories to share and new news. You will want to be there daily to see what we have in store. Could you be a winner? Could you be featured on the blog? How will you share in our excitement as we turn 1?

As we are doing some change overs from Blogger to Wordpress, your email subscriptions possibly might be lost, so your email subscriptions should be fine, but if you don't get the email on Monday, please stop by the blog and re-sign up for email subscriptions. We shouldn't lose anyone, but want to make to sure you know what is going on in case it happens. If you have any questions don't forget you can email us at regardingnannies (at) gmail (dot) com or find us on Twitter at bloggingnannies and facebook!

Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone on Monday at 8am!

Table Talk Thursday: Where You Can Find A Nannypalooza: Nannies Across America Event

2010-07-01T01:00:00.003-04:00

Table Talk Thursday: Where You Can Find A Nannypalooza: Nannies Across America Event
by Alice Shaffer

On Monday, Regarding Nannies featured "Monday Moxie: Nannies Across America" in which Sue Downey shared with us what the 2010 Nannypalooza will be all about. Many cities are in the works already of planning a wonderful day of learning for professional nannies. These events will be held during the weekend of Sept 18th and 19th, 2010.

I am sharing with you today, some of the fun events planned already. Many cities are still planning their "Nannies Across America" event. To find out who is planning things please visit the listings of cities.

Florida:

Name of Group/Person hosting NAA: Central Florida Nannies

contact name: Marcia Van de Kieft

contact email: centralfloridanannies@yahoo.com

website: http://www.centralfloridanannies.com/

Date: Saturday, September 18th, 2010 8am-4:30pm

Location: Hampton Inn North Orlando 151 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, FL

Cost: $20

How to register and deadline: Details can be found on our website under the "Nannypalooza Orlando" tab. Or, you may email us at CentralFloridaNannies@yahoo.com for more info. We accept Credit, Debit, Check & Money Order. (All Credit & Debit transactions will be charged an additional $2 service fee.)

Workshops being held:

We are still working on finalizing our workshop schedule,

We are having the following workshops:

Presenting Yourself to Families
Taking Care of Nanny
Sign Language to increase communication & literacy
Potty Training Basics
Redirecting Children's Behaviors

Anything else you want to add:

Our event includes 8 workshops, Breakfast, Lunch and a Social Networking Event for just $20!!! You can't get that kind of fun for so cheap anywhere... and learn at the same time! :) Since our event is being held at a Hampton Inn, we also have a room block (under Nannypalooza Orlando/Central Florida Nannies) for $69/night (includes hot breakfast). So, attendee's can make a weekend get-away out of it. It's going to be a lot of fun!!

Michigan:

Name of Group/Person hosting NAA: Michigan Professional Nanny Association

contact name: Tara Lindsay

contact email: Tara@michiganpronannies.org

website: http://www.michiganpronannies.org/

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010 8:30am-4:30pm

Location: Lahser High School, Bloomfield Hills

Cost: $25

How to register and deadline: Registration opens August 9, 2010 through September 15. Pre-registration before August 9 to training@michiganpronannies.org

Workshops being held:

*Michigan Mandated Reporter Training

*Arts and Crafts for the non-artsy nanny

*Professional Communication Skills: How to successfully navigate problems and troubles with your employers

*Stop the Meanness, Spread the Kindness: Family conflicts, Sibling rivalry, and social bullying

*Behavior and Nutrition: How what they eat affects how they act

*Self Defense for Caregivers

*Sticky Subjects: Talking to kids of all ages about drugs

*Ask Another Nanny: Roundtable style solution session

Anything else you want to add:
If your industry related business would like to sponsor Nannypalooza Detroit and/or donate items for goodie bags, please contact tara@michiganpronannies.org

Wisconsin:

Name of Group/Person hosting NAA: Northshore Professional Nanny Agency & Northshore Professional Nanny Alliance

contact name: Mary Boyle

contact email: northshorenanny@gmail.com

website: http://www.northshorenanny.org/ or www.nannyalliance.blogspot.com

Date: Saturday, September 18th

Location: Schlitz Audobon Nature Center (SANC) Bayside, WI

Cost: $0

How to register and deadline: RSVP by Aug. 18th to northshorenanny@gmail.com

Workshops being held: We will be having several speakers, including: Patti Bailey, Director of the SANC Preschool will be speaking about the importance of nature in child development. Patti's workshop will include a tour of the preschool and outdoor play areas, as well as take-home materials for each participant. Marcia Hall, INA 2x NOTY nominee CPN and Parent Coach will be speaking about Children's Personal Style. Dr. Amy Leventhal, Child Psychologist, will be speaking about Cognitive Discoveries - and more TBA!!

Anything else you want to add: We will be having a raffle, gift bags for each participant, a round-table problem-solving session and an optional dinner in the evening. Also, lunch will be provided and each participant will receive a certificate of participation. We are looking forward to a great conference!!

Fun with Nature from the Creative Nanny

2010-06-30T04:00:00.002-04:00

Summer is in full swing and the little ones are looking for things to do. Get outside and connect with nature. Here are some ideas for learning and appreciating all that nature has to offer - many in your own back yard!

Baking with seeds

Discuss how plants come from seeds. Open a bean seed and show the tiny plant inside. Explain that there are some seeds that we plant to grow food and other seeds that can be eaten just as they are (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and caraway seeds).

Make some muffins and top them with seeds.

(Sample recipe – Mix one package of dried yeast with 1 cup warm water. Mix 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar together. Add yeast mixture. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Break into balls and put into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with poppy and sesame seeds on top and let the dough rise. Then bake at 350F for twenty minutes).

Sweet Potato Plant

Fill a small jar 2/3 with water and place a sweet potato (narrow end down) into jar. Secure the potato in place with toothpicks. Place jar in a warm, dark place and add water when necessary. When a stem appears, place the jar in a sunny window and observe the growth occurring each day. Can record the growth in a small book by drawing pictures, pasting cutouts, or colouring in the number of leaves on a sweet potato picture.

For all the fun filled summer nature ideas, read the entire article at Creative Nanny.

Summer Reading for Grown Ups

2010-06-29T02:05:00.003-04:00

Last week we featured books for kids, this week we will feature the grown up books.

Special thanks to

Angela Jackson, Kristen Kanoski, Andrea Flagg,Becky Kavanagh, Tara Lindsay, Jennifer Gay,April Krause, Beth Taylor and Donna Saunders for the enthusiastic and prompt response to these questions.

We have included links so you can click and buy at Amazon.com

What is your favorite grown up book that you can read over and over again and never get tired of it.

Angela Jackson:The Thorn Birds
Kristen Kanoski:Standing in the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg.

Andrea Flagg:I love books about anyone overcoming hardships especially surviors of the Holocaust-
So-All but my life- by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust

by~ Livia Bitton-Jackson

Becky Kavanagh: Anything written by Jane Austin . . . I just love her writing! And on that same not anything written by Fannie Flagg - again she's amazing!

Tara Lindsay: I can read Wuthering Heights forever. I also love Laurie Notaro's non-fiction books (they always crack me up!). "P.S. I love you" by Cecilia Ahern (which is far, far, far better than the movie could have ever hoped to be), and "Introduction to the Devout Life" by St. Francis de Sales.

Jennifer Gay: Grown up books I can read over and over. The Twilight series and anything by Nicholas Sparks

April Krause: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Diary of Anne Frank

Beth Taylor: Probably the Babysitters Club series..LOL.

Donna Saunders:anything by Julie Garwood

What are you reading right now?

Angela Jackson: Nora Roberts-The Stanilaski series(this is not available on Amazon right now but we gave you a link to Nora Roberts books)
Kristen Kanoski:Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke, a super easy read and no thinking required.
Andrea Flagg: Killing Willis by Todd Bridges

Becky Kavanagh:Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg

Tara Lindsay: Right now I am rereading "To Kill a Mockingbird" with some friends.

April Krause: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Beth Taylor: The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets down

Donna Saunders: Bishop series by Kay Hooper

What do you plan to read this summer?

Angela Jackson: Nora Roberts, The Help, Percy and the Olympians

Kristen Kanoski: The Help, Lovely Bones and The Shack, again

Andrea Flagg: The new Kendra Wilkenson book

I love Biographies- and can only read non-fiction.
Becky Kavanagh: Summer is my time to reread all my favorites - Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Fried Green Tomatoes . . . you see my obsession?! I indulge in it during the summer. I also try to include a few mysteries just to bring in some variety. HA!!

Tara Lindsay: I don't plan ahead much in my reading...I pretty much just go with whatever appeals to me at the moment. I read 4-5 books a week as it is.

April Krause: The Help,The Red Tent Biography of Anne Frank’s step-sister

Beth Taylor: Pick up the rest of the Yada Yada prayer group series at the library and continue and complete that series

Donna Saunders:whatever catches my eye

One final note : April Krause shared this website with us,
http://www.shelfari.com/
She says it's a great site to keep track of books that you read or want to read.

We hope you enjoyed this feature and that you discovered some books you want to read this summer too.

Please share with us, what your favorites are and what you plan to read this summer.

Several of our contributors mentions "The Help" I just finished this book and highly recommend it. I absolutely loved it.

Happy Reading!
Don't forget to share your favorite books with us in the comment section!
Glenda

Monday Moxie: Nannies Across America

2010-06-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

Nannies Across America
By Sue Downey

Professional conferences are a great way to sharpen skills, network with others in your profession and rejuvenate yourself in your current job. Conferences can be particularly beneficial for nannies as we work unconnected to our peers and often with little professional support. It is important to recognize that while many nannies have the earning power or supportive families to attend conferences there are still many working nannies who struggle to make ends meet or who do not have families willing to give them funds or time off to develop professionally. These nannies are exactly the people who need this training the most, as they are often just starting out in the profession or are unconnected to resources and professional mentoring. Thus we founded Nannypalooza on the principal that learning and networking can be low cost, high quality and fun!

Nannypalooza has been quite successful in many ways bringing hundreds of nannies together and sharing loads of information. Our cost has always been rock bottom but the conference has always gotten high marks from most of our attendees. However, many nannies still have problems getting to Nannypalooza. There are travel costs, hotel costs, time off work etc.. that pose challenges to working nannies. SO this year we decided to take all that we have learned about putting together the conference and empower local nannies and agencies to put together their own mini conference. Thus the idea of Nannies Across America was born. We decided to partner with National Nanny Recognition Week in order to bring some positive attention to the great work we do. Therefore all the events will take place the weekend of Sept 18th and 19th.

This event promises to be the largest nanny training event ever! And the excitement is growing. We ask coordinators to plan an event that meets the basic Nannypalooza criteria: that it has at least 2 workshops (one professional development, one childcare), that it provide nannies with the opportunity to network and get some personal support, and that it be low cost, inclusive and fun. After meeting these initial requirements, the coordinators can get creative adding additional social components, more workshops and themes to the mix. Some events will be large attracting more than 75 nannies while other events will be smaller depending on the event planner and the nanny community in that particular city.

Our goal is to have events in 25 cities and we are well on our way! Events are already planned in Orlando, Detroit, Seattle, Cincinnati, and many more locations. Just think of it- if only 20 nannies in 25 cities participate then we will have more than 600 nannies gathered virtually together learning, making friends, growing and having fun. What a great thing for our profession.

More importantly these local events give nannies who are “unconnected” a chance to see what a conference is all about. They can plug into the world of the professional nanny and develop skills and gather resources that will open a new world to them. Gathering like these will provide the first steps for many nannies to gain confidence and skills that will put them on the path to professionalism. And we hope that they will see the benefits of attending conferences and classes and start to look for more opportunities to grow.

And did I mention it will be fun!! How great it will be to take a few hours off and enjoy the company of your local nanny community. How fantastic to share your expertise and ideas with others who really understand!

If you are interested in planning an event in your area, or helping out with an event in the works we are looking for you!! It doesn’t take any special skills, just a passion to help out and a sense of adventure. We have plenty of resources and can assist you along the way. And it important to remember that any gathering of any size can make a difference!! There are nannies out there who need these events, whether it be something casual for 20 people, or something more elaborate at a hotel for 100. The important part of Nannies Across America is that everyone is welcome and will come away with some new ideas and new friends!

We are currently looking for planners in the following areas-

any California cities

Chicago

Las Vegas

New York, New Jersey metro area

Phoenix

Houston

Miami

St Louis

Or many more locations!!!

For more info check out the website at Nannies Across America!
www.nannycredential.com

or the listing of currently planned events-

Please check back on July 1 for Table Talk Thursday when we share some more in depth information on the Nannies Across America events already in the works.

Weekend Round Up

2010-06-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

Weekend Round UP

Here are the links to this weeks articles in case you missed something:

Monday Moxie: The sixth article in Kellie's series: Taking your support group to the next level

Tuesday Tips: Some of our friends favorite children's books and great books you might not have heard about.

Wednesday Creative Nanny: Glenda reminds you of some Simple Car Games you might have forgotten.

Thursday Table Talk Christy Ochs shares her experience with learning about "Love and Logic"

Friday Financial Nanny: Alice shares tips on affordable organics.

We are coming up on our one year anniversary for Regarding Nannies. We will have lots of excitement the week of July 5th so stay tuned. Be sure to share with us your favorite articles and features from the past year or what you would like to see in the future. We LOVE to hear from you.
Next week we will feature the grown up books that our readers recommend, Kellie will share more themes with us on Creative Nanny Wednesday and on Financial Friday Alice will tell us about Swagbucks!

Financial Friday: More On Eating Healthy Organics & Affording Them

2010-06-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: More On Eating Healthy Organics & Affording Them
by Alice Shaffer

Regarding Nannies covered National Food Allergy week back in the beginning of May. I am embarking on a more natural and less processed eating lifestyle. There are so many "organics/gluten free" items on the market, but what really is true "organic/gluten free" items. While researching this I found an awesome blog post addressing buying organic foods and eating healthier for less. We all know that eating healthy can cost more than eating processed foods and fast food. It comes from the blog, The Digerati Life. The Digerati Life is a great blog about various finance issues. Make sure to go check it for the other helpful posts on the site.

How to Buy Organic Food and Eat Well for Less Money

by Guest Blogger on June 18, 2010 | edited by SVB

Great tips on buying organic food at a lower cost.
The organic food market has become huge in the past five years. However, some consumers are still very skeptical about the whole “organic” craze because at times it seems like many foods are getting slapped with the organic label only to be charged at a higher price.
“Organic food” can mean a variety of different things depending on what the item is. For instance, it can mean that there are no preservatives or artificial junk in packaged food. It can also mean that dairy products are processed differently. For vegetables and fruits, it can mean that no pesticides or genetic altering is used.

Image from BuyOrganic.com.au

After watching the documentary “Food Inc”, I decided to take a closer look at what I am eating including how’s it’s being prepared, how it’s being raised, and where it’s coming from. Meats were my biggest concern, and I now try to buy only organic beef that comes from cows that are naturally raised and grass-fed, chicken that’s raised ethically and with no hormones, and fish that are caught from the wild.

All of that comes at a premium price and I’m willing to pay it. However, I’ve learned that there are some key ways to save money when buying organic food and I’d like to share some of those tips to help you eat organically and save money at the same time:

How to Buy Organic Food and Eat Well for Less Money

1. Look for options at your regular supermarket first.
Whole Foods and other premium supermarkets that are strictly organic are notorious for being about 20% to 30% more expensive than other supermarkets. Many of the other supermarkets stock organic alternatives that may be cheaper than the brands Whole Foods carries. Make sure to check these items out as you may be able to get great deals on organic food.
Even at Whole Foods, there have been a ton of sales lately that make their products a lot more affordable. Make sure to get the coupon booklet when you enter the store. On a side note, Whole Foods also runs some great dinner deals (e.g. in Chicago, every Wednesday they have $8.99 16 inch pizzas including 1 topping made to order).

2. Try your local farmer’s market.
I always check out my local farmer’s market for produce, especially for fruits and vegetables that are in season. This is a great option because you’ll get extremely fresh product at great prices. Not only that but you’ll be helping to stimulate your local economy by buying from local farmers and you get to interact with them too.

3. Grow your own vegetables in your backyard home garden.
You may not want a full-blown home vegetable garden in your backyard but certain spices and vegetables can be grown for relatively cheap and without much daily maintenance. The greatest benefit of growing your own produce is that after the upfront cost of buying the seeds, the rewards are endless as long as you water and take care of the plants. It’s also a fun side project or hobby especially when Springtime rolls around. Learn more about the benefits of a home garden and how you can save money.

4. Join a food co-op.
Joining a food co-op can really help you to save money on meats. Buy in bulk and if you have an extra freezer, freeze the meat and use it for the next month or two. Check out what kind of co-ops are available in your area by a doing a search online. This is a pretty neat concept and works well.

5. Choose to buy only organic foods that are most important to you.
My wife and I frequently shop at Whole Foods but only purchase meats and dairy. These foods are most important to us in terms of being ethically raised, farmed, and processed. If you do ALL of your shopping at an organic supermarket, you’ll spend about double on food unless you shop during the right sales and stay disciplined. In our case, we weren’t all that concerned about getting organic granola or organic tortilla chips. So for foods other than meat and dairy, we shop at Publix, a big discount supermarket chain in the Southeast.

6. Rethink your meals
Finally, try coming up with meals that use fresh ingredients but can be prepared in large batches. That way you can easily reheat and eat again. Also, try cutting out frozen ready made meals and TV dinners like pizzas and other frozen organic foods. These can cost nearly double the price of regular frozen foods, and you wanted to go organic for the health benefits too, right?
My wife and I weren’t perfect when we first started buying organic foods. We started spending about $100 more per month on groceries, and we wrote this off as just the cost of eating better. However, we’ve slowly refined our strategy and started buying at various different vendors which has then allowed us to bring our grocery costs back down to about the same when we were just buying from the local, big supermarket. If you follow some of the tips mentioned in this article and work your own strategy when buying organic, you’ll find that you will start eating better at less cost.
What are your thoughts on going organic? Have you found any effective strategies for spending less while still being able to buy organic?

Erik Folgate is an editor and blogger for the Money Crashers personal finance blog. Visit the site for more guidance and tips on saving money, investing, credit and debt, and more.

Thursday Table Talk: A brief overview of "Love and Logic" by Christy Ochs

2010-06-24T02:48:00.001-04:00

Why I LOVE Love and Logic

Christy Ochs

Last weekend I attended a Love and Logic Seminar, presented by Jim and Charles Fey, and I left there feeling empowered, ready to take on anything that my 3 charges could throw at me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Love and Logic was founded in 1977 by nationally known psychiatrist Foster Cline, M.D. and Charles Fey, a Teacher and parent himself.

It is a philosophy of raising and teaching kids which uses “humor, hope and empathy” to build on our relationships with the children we are helping to raise.

The reason that I, as a nanny choose Love and Logic over all of the many techniques I’ve learned over the years is because of two things.

Number One: It’s SO easy. Many of the other methods can get so complicated, that I am lost before I even begin. I don’t have time for charts, lists and journals and I have even less faith that they will provide the desired results. Love and Logic teaches words that work right off the tip of your tongue. It teaches parents and caregivers how to hold their kids accountable. In a very simple way it teaches the child to see the adult as the “good guy” and the child’s poor decision as the “bad guy”. It teaches what we, as nannies have always known: the more words we use, the quicker they zone us out. That’s why phrases like “My car leaves at 8:00. Will you be going to school with your clothes on your body, or your clothes in a bag?” always said with a smile, will be much more effective than “You need to get dressed NOW! We can’t be late again. I woke you up in plenty of time, and you have been dawdling over breakfast and now, look at the time…etc…etc…” I’ve actually used the first one, bag in hand ready to put his clothes in, and he really did get this wide eyed look and said “I can’t go to school in my PJ’s!” to which I replied with great empathy “Oh, that’s true. It might be pretty embarrassing. I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.” He hasn’t gone to school in his pj’s yet, but I am perfectly willing to follow through should he make the wrong choice, and he knows it!

Number Two: It puts the responsibility back on the child, teaching him that we trust him to make the right choices. Each time we do for the child those things which he is capable of doing himself, or protect a child from the consequences of his choices, we are saying “I don’t think you are capable of handling this yourself.” We can turn our children’s mistakes into powerful learning opportunities. For example, give them a reasonable deadline to get their chores done: “Just have the bathroom cleaned up by tomorrow at 3:00.” Avoid lectures or reminders. If they don’t do the chore, do it yourself. This is an opportunity for learning. Then let empathy and consequence do the teaching. “This is such a bummer. I did your chores. Now I don’t have the energy to drive you to your friend’s house.” This is a technique called “The Energy Drain” and it’s very effective. While they are learning, there will almost always be an argument, but don’t participate. “I love you too much to argue.”

Empathy is hard to argue with. Kids respond to empathy. A toddler who is having a meltdown is quickly derailed with very few words: “So sad. Looks like a little bedroom time. You can come out when you can be sweet”. Love and Logic can begin when they are babies. The 10 month old who keeps tossing his bottle off the high chair: “Uh oh! Bottle gone.” And put it away. He will quickly learn that when he hears the words “Uh oh” (which is called the uh-oh song because you say it in a sing-song voice) the consequence will follow quickly. I’ve seen the hand stop in mid-air as I sang Uh oh.

Love and Logic teaches us that we should ‘lock in’ our empathy, love and understanding prior to telling kids what the consequences of their actions will be.

I feel that with any technique, including Love and Logic, we should take from it what we can use. Not every solution will work for every child, but it is so empowering to have the tools ready when I need them.

You can find out more about Love and Logic at www.loveandlogic.com . There are downloadable resources and webinars, FAQ’s and books and tapes you can order which will address almost any issue you may be facing. I also recommend that you attend a Love and Logic workshop if there is one in your area. Hopefully, you will feel like I do – secure in the knowledge that you have the tools and techniques to set real limits, in a loving way by teaching consequences and healthy decision making.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Simple Things to do on a Road Trip

2010-06-23T02:16:00.000-04:00

Car Games

It’s that time of year when families load up the kids and head for the beach or the mountains or the lake.

Entertaining children on a road trip requires a little planning ahead, a little organization on your end but the end result provides a happier vacation for everyone.

Now I could just tell you to buy a DVD player hook it into the back of your car (one per child) sign up for Redbox and be on your merry way but if I did that it would be too easy and this article would be too short, plus……….in my opinion…..that isn’t fair to your children.

To read the rest of this article, visit the Creative Nanny.

Tuesday Tips: Great books for kids by Glenda Propst with the help of our Facebook friends.

2010-06-22T02:44:00.002-04:00

Summer is here and it’s a great time to instill in children the joy of reading.

With that in mind I asked a random group of our Facebook friends the following questions:
What is your favorite childrens book?
What is your favorite childrens book that not many people know about?
What is your favorite grown up book that you can read over and over again and never get tired of it?

What are you reading right now?
What do you plan to read this summer?

This week we will feature the answers about childrens books and next week we will feature the grown up books.

Special thanks to

Angela Jackson, Kristen Kanoski, Andrea Flagg,Becky Kavanagh, Tara Lindsay, Jennifer Gay,April Krause, Beth Taylor and Donna Saunders for the enthusiastic and prompt response to these questions.

We have included links so you can click and buy at Amazon.com

What is your favorite children's book?

Angela Jackson: Green Eggs and Ham

Kristen Kanoski: My favorite children's book is a toss up between The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein , The Little House, and of course, Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.

Andrea Flagg:It’s a tie between:
Island of the Skog by Stephen Kellog

Chrysanthemum by:~ Kevin Henkes

Both have very colorful illustrations and expressive text mixed together with the exciting story and the good message of not judging others before you get to know them/standing up for yourself all make these two books my favorite.

Becky Kavanagh:This is one of those impossible questions - any one of the If You Give A Mouse A Cookie books, any of the Sheep in a Shop books, the Little House on the Prairie series, Caddie Woodlawn, and so many others I could mention but I'll spare you.

Tara Lindsay: I love to read books with my charges that are written as if being told by the main character...so the Eloise books, Fancy Nancy books, Alexander books (by Judith Viorst), etc. The voices and characters are fun to do! For quieter times or "lesson" oriented books, I love the children's books by Max Lucado.

Jennifer Gay: My favorite kids kids book is anything by Kevin Henkes! I love him and his books. I love Lily's Plastic Purse that one is truly great.

April Krause: The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Any Beezus and Ramona books by Beverly Cleary

(as a reference book I love the book called "Great Books about Things Kids Love by Kathleen ODean)

Beth Taylor: I'd have to say Brown Bear, Brown Bea r by Eric Carle, what do you see!

Donna Saunders: The Stranger in the Woods series by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick - lovely photography and story about nature and the wild animals in our own back yards

What is one of your favorite kids books that not many people know about?

Angela Jackson: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (but now everyone knows of it because of the movie)

Kristen Kanoski: The Quiltmaker's Gift and God Gave Us You.

Andrea Flagg Anything by Julia Donaldson
but specifically~ Room on the Broom and Gruffalos Child

Becky Kavanagh Hugh Pine by Janwillem van de Wetering - - -(Our link is to the used copies on Amazon) It's a little search to find a copy but totally worth it! It's a delightful and powerful story about a very unique porcupine with some interesting ideas. A chapter book that's sweet, funny and touching.

Tara Lindsay: We read a new book the other day...people may or may not have heard of it... "The Barefooted Bad Tempered Baby Brigade" by Deborah Diesen. It's a really cute story of babies staging a protest, but ends very sweetly.

Jennifer Gay: One of my favorite books people might not know about is this book called I Love you Through and Through by Bernadette Roselli Shushak. It is a really sweet short picture book.

April Krause:The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate The Wash by Steven Kellogg
(I can recite it in my sleep)

Beth Taylor: Grover Sleeps Over (my favorite childhood book!)

Donna Saunders: The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell tells a story about just how special friendship is, and A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley & Jim LaMarche - a story about a bear who learns to love books.

Glenda Propst: Stand Back Said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level - part 6

2010-06-21T04:00:00.002-04:00

by Kellie Geres, Regarding Nannies Development Team
President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies

Promoting Your Group

There are many effective ways to promote your group. My favorite by far is VistaPrint. By using their designs or uploading your own you can create an endless array of exposure for your group.

Design postcards to mail out announcing special events and meetings.

Design postcards to give to members to have handy with your group information while at the park as they may run into other nannies on outings.

Design tote bags with your logo or group name.

Put your name on pens

Design business cards to hand out to anyone and everyone – get your name out there.

Design a banner to hang at meetings and events. Get noticed!

Design key chains for members to have as a thank you!

Design mugs, mouse pads, hats, t-shirts, and more and have handy as a giveaway during special events, meetings or as a thank you.

Another venue to check out for promotional items is CafePress. Offering many of the above and more options not on VistaPrint, let your creative juices flow.

Always be looking for ways to cut costs. Here are some of my tips:

Email your newsletter vs. printing it. Offer printing to those who don’t have email, but consider adding an additional fee if you feel extra costs will be involved not covered by membership fee.

Email renewal notices.

Utilize VistaPrint for business cards, postcards, etc.

Use Evite for events

Consider business membership, outside advertising.

By cutting costs you are able to put more money back into the organization and meet the needs of your membership.

Finally, I’ve mentioned many resources throughout these six parts. Here is a handy listing for you to refer to as you take your group to the next level.

If you have any questions on any of these parts or would like to discuss ways to improve your group, feel free to contact me at allthingsnanny (at) gmail (dot) com.

VistaPrint

PDF995

Constant Contact

Google

Yahoo!

Amazon Associate Program

EFundraising

CafePress

Survey Monkey

Best Nanny Newsletter

Crayola Affiliate Program

GoDaddy

Craigslist

Evite

Blogger

WordPress

I See Me

Weekend RoundUp

2010-06-19T09:58:00.000-04:00

In case you missed something this week on Regarding Nannies, here are links to our features for the week.

Monday Moxie :Kellie continued her series on taking your support group to the next level with fundraising.

Tuesday Tips: Alice reviewed the online food journal called Fitday.

Wednesday Creative Nanny: We featured an article from the Michigan Professional Nanny Association about the recipe for a Play date party.

Thursday Table Talk: Kellie's 5th article in her series of taking your support group to the next level discussing dues and supporting members.

Financial Friday: Breedlove and Associates will be writing for us on a regular basis. They approached us at INA and offered to do this. Their first article is information that every new nanny needs to know and every seasoned nanny should already know. What is an independent contractor?

If you have not signed up to follow our blog, we would love to have you do that!
You can also follow us on Twitter (We are blogging nannies)

As we approach our 1 year anniversary, we would love to hear from you!
What were your favorite articles this year, and what you would like to see more of next year.

Next week on Regarding Nannies we will have a list of books for kids and adults that you might want to add to your summer reading list.

Car Games for kids, and tell you about Natures Simple Blends owned by the mother of 4 who just launched her own organic baby food company.

Financial Friday: Independent Contractor Law

2010-06-18T02:00:00.005-04:00

Independent Contractor Law
Compliments of Breedlove & Associates, written specially for Regarding Nannies

This time of year, we frequently receive questions from both families and nannies about payroll and tax reporting requirements for a summer position. Many families assume that because the position is temporary, they can classify the nanny as an independent contractor and issue her a Form 1099. This assumption is incorrect and can land the family in a lot of trouble. Here’s why:

To read the rest of the article please visit :

The Financial Nanny

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level - Part 5

2010-06-17T04:00:00.001-04:00

by Kellie Geres, Regarding Nannies Development Team
President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies

Two questions I hear often from nanny group leaders are … One, should we charge membership dues and Two, should nanny agencies be permitted to be supporting members?

Charging membership dues will provide you with an income to help cover some of your costs – printing, postage, special events. However, they do not cover all your costs, depending on the size and scope of your group. Ranges of amounts charged by groups across the country are $15-$35 annually. You will need a checking account for your group and you can accept checks, cash and PayPal.

So what does membership include?

• Newsletter

• Membership directory

• Access to members only events/services

• Member discounts

• Voting on membership issues

• Area benefits – discounts at area stores

Dues can be determined January – December and pro-rated for new members, but I recommend starting in the month they join and ending one year later.

You also need to determine levels of membership for nannies. I will use ADCAN as example here.

Active (Yearly Dues $35)

Requirements:

1. Currently employed as a professional nanny.

2. Currently employed as an au pair, in-home child care provider and/or mother's helper.

Associate (Yearly Dues of $35)

Requirements:

1. Professional nanny not currently employed as such, or who may be living outside the DC Metro area.

Agency * (Yearly Dues based upon ads submitted to Newsletter. Available at levels of $75 and $125)

Requirements:

1. Any agency or industry related businesses that are involved with nannies in the DC metro area.

Spousal *(Yearly Dues of $15)

Requirements:

1. Any spouse of any current member.

Temporary * (Dues of $15)

Requirements:

1. A nanny/child care provider in the DC area for four (4) months or less.

Newsletter Only * (Yearly Dues of $15)

Requirements:

1. Any person wishing to receive only the bi-monthly newsletter.

Business Memberships / Sponsorships

Reaching out to the agencies in your area and the industry services will help you reach a broader audience of nannies and interest in your group.

By offering businesses an opportunity to support your organization you are generating additional funds for operating your group, and in return you can offer the following to businesses:

• Advertising in newsletter

• Listing on your website and/or blog

• Participation in area events – for example, ADCAN will be taking part in a local child care vendor fair, and we will offer to display our business members’ material on our table, as part of their membership with us.

• Display of their material at meetings on a resource table

ADCAN also offers to agencies that if they pay for their nannies to be members of the organization, we reduce the annual fee for the nanny membership.

Businesses are non-voting memberships, are invited to our meetings and ADCAN offers additional sponsorship opportunities such as NNRW brunch and Holiday Party.

One final consideration, offer advertising to area businesses that caters to children and families.

The final installation in this series will focus on promotional items, ways to cut costs and a listing of resources to keep you going as you take your group to the next level.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Recipe For A Playdate Party!

2010-06-16T02:00:00.002-04:00

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Recipe for a Playdate Party!

Today we are sharing a wonderful blog post by the Michigan Professional Nanny Association on the Recipe for a Playdate Party!

Are your charges counting down the days until summer break begins? Or perhaps they are too little for school and you are gearing up for lots of sun soaked summer fun!

For the past few summers, our group has had a tradition of summer "playdate parties" that have been a roaring success...so much so that we've carried them into the rest of our year. This summer, we have three such playdate parties planned for our paid members. (as per MPNA policy, events held at private homes are open only to paid MPNA members and specific guests of the hostess).

to read more please visit:

Creative Nanny

Recipe For A Playdate Party!

Tuesday Tips: Food Journaling: FitDay.Com

2010-06-15T02:00:00.001-04:00

Tuesday Tips: Food Journaling: FitDay.Com
by Alice Shaffer

As professional nannies we often keep journals on our charges' day for their parents. These journals include such things as food intake, their moods and activities for the day amongst other things. Have you ever kept a journal about you and your daily food intake, mood and activities?

For several months, I have been on a journey of healthier eating and exercising. I have been working with a personal trainer and a nutritionist in this journey. The main hurdle in healthier eating is to figure out what exactly you are eating and how much. I was told I would need to keep a food journal. I was not super happy about this request. I have always had issues with keeping a journal in the past. The nutritionist recommended a website called FitDay. This is such an awesome site that I wanted to share it with everyone.

FitDay is a great FREE resource for your food journaling, exercising, measurement tracking and feelings/moods. These are just the tip of the iceberg in which FitDay can do.

The Pros I have found with FitDay:

It is a free program
You can enter any food label nutrients and it will calculate your intake-no matter how many servings you have
It compares your nutritional intakes with suggested dietary guidelines
You can input your measurements and it gives you a visual graph/chart of your progress
You can print off your charts to take with you to the doctor etc
Journal about your moods and feelings in general
Various charts that can be configured to show your fat intakes, calorie averages, weight loss and activity levels, calorie intake planned vs actual etc

The Cons I have found with FitDay:

I had to do some initial adding of foods into the database. This wasn't bad because it took less than 2 minutes per food. This was then in a category called "my customs foods"
Some may find the ads distracting and if so you can pay for a premium account for $5.49 a month (this doesn't bother me at all though)

I have found that this is a great for when I have plateaued in my weight loss, had sleepless nights or experience mood changes. I can go back and look at the past few days, weeks or month to see what was going on.

I encourage you to try out FitDay and track your nutritional, physical and mental activities for the coming month. Let us know how you are doing.

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level - Part 4

2010-06-14T04:00:00.003-04:00

by Kellie Geres, Regarding Nannies Development Team
President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies.

Fundraising!

Your group cannot survive on membership fees alone, and if you don’t charge membership fees you’ll be paying out your own pocket.

At some point you will want to consider a fundraiser. These can be large or small, one-time or ongoing. Discuss with your members what they are interested in participating in, what they are willing to spend, how often they want to be solicited for funds and if they have any special interests in certain products that you could sell.

There are pluses and minuses to all fundraisers. Be in tune with your membership as to their commitment level. Make sure to have one person who will oversee the event and be prepared for limited involvement from members.

Fundraising Options
One-Time / Periodic
Bake Sale
Garage Sale
Pampered Chef, Usborne Books or other direct sales

Ongoing – all of the options listed below are free to sign up and simple to implement. These are just a few of the nanny group friendly sites that have affiliate programs.

• Amazon.com Affiliate Program – one of my favorite and most convenient. Sign up for their affiliate/associate program and funds are directly deposited into your account. ADCAN had special business cards made up via VistaPrint reminding members to utilize Amazon when shopping. This offer can be shared with general public and on your website. Portion of purchase proceeds go directly back to your group.
• EFundraising.com – another favorite. Simply place the link on your site and members and visitors can buy new or renew magazine subscriptions and portion of proceeds go directly back to your group.
• Commission Junction.com – for this site, you sign up for an account, and then sign up for vendor opportunities that you want to participate in. Examples are VistaPrint, and Crayola. These companies then provide you with your own personalized link and when orders are made through your site/link, you get a portion of the purchase price.
• CafePress.com offers you the opportunity to market your group on merchandise and earn money when sales are made from that site. From t-shirts to bumper stickers, buttons and mugs the possibilities are endless.
• I See Me offer personalized books and children’s products and gives nanny groups an opportunity to earn funds with their affiliate program.

The ongoing options above allow for easy accessibility, no organizing or overhead and ongoing promotion of your fundraiser.

Many of these programs require an EIN number and a website to participate and a checking account for funds to be deposited into.

Next up in part 5 – Membership Dues and Business Sponsorships.

Weekend Roundup

2010-06-12T07:34:00.000-04:00

In case you missed something on Regarding Nannies this week:
Here is our weekend Round Up

Monday Moxie: Kellie shares information on setting up a website for your Support Group.

Tuesday Tips: Five Quick Tips from the Cincy Nanny Blog

Wednesdays Creative Nanny: Nanny Gael Ann and her "creative assistant" shared with us another idea for a Fathers' Day Gift.

Thursday Table Talk: Kellie continued her series on "Taking your support group to the next level"

Friday Financial Nanny: Alice updated us on the latest information regarding Smartphones and Iphones.

Next week on Regarding Nannies: We will have more on "Taking your support group to the next level" plus a website review from Alice and more ideas for Summer theme days.

Regarding Nannies will be one year old in July and we will have giveaways, updates, changes and big news!
Stay tuned!!!!

Financial Friday: Smartphones & Iphones

2010-06-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: Smartphones & Iphones

I confess I am a true Verizon Wireless customer. I have had my service since 1999 or earlier with them. I love their LG phones. I have the eNv3 now and love it. I have not gone to the touchscreen lifestyle yet. As many of you know AT&T announced they are getting rid of their unlimited data plans to new customers and adapting the plans for existing customers.

To read the rest of the article and to find out what kind of savings you can get on a 4g Iphone please visit:

The Financial Nanny: Financial Friday: Smartphones & Iphones

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level - part 3

2010-06-10T04:00:00.002-04:00

by Kellie Geres

Regarding Nannies Development Team
President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies

Newsletters!

A great tool for any group or business to serve its members or customers. It can consist of a simple one page, double sided mailed out version to multiple pages sent online via PDF. You might even consider an electronic version using a service like Constant Contact.

Keep in mind …
If doing a print version, you will have printing, postage, envelope, label costs.

An email version can be done using a free PDF converter which you can Google and find online, or you can purchase one. You can use a word document format or publisher format and these programs have easy templates for you to choose from.

Constant Contact offers numerous templates, minimal costs but is limited to those with email. Sending to a list of 500 emails can cost $15 a month.

A successful newsletter should include:
President / Vice President / Owner message. Greet your members or clients. Keep them up to date on what you are doing, something meaningful going on in your group and plans for the coming months.

Main Article(s) – something timely or professionally related. There are many resources available out there on the internet, find them and make sure to get permission to reprint anything you copy from another source. Have members write articles, guest contributors, industry professional and more. Connect with other nanny groups, newsletters, and bloggers and ask them for permission to reprint. I’ve yet to have someone say no to a request. Always provide a link to their site and give full credit to the author and website.

A Calendar of Events can include birthdays, groups events, holidays, meeting reminders. Calendar formats can be found online as well.

Featured Nanny is very popular amongst nanny groups. Pick a nanny in your group that you’d like others to know. Don’t let it be just a few sentences of who this person is – this is your opportunity to really get to know this person and introduce her to your group. Ask in depth questions, candid and thought provoking questions to get your subject talking.

Include photos from events. Let your members know that photos are taken at events and will be used in publications. If anyone does not want to be included, they can opt out of photo opportunities. Be respectful of members’ wishes on this matter.

What is your group up to? Include committee updates. Have events in the planning? Need help planning a party or event? Get your members involved and publish details in the newsletter.

Ask Nanny? Offer a question and answer section that members / readers can write in and ask a question and have it answered. You can set up a simple Gmail account so that people can anonymously send in questions and have answered in future issues.

Don’t forget a disclaimer. You can search Google for simple newsletter disclaimers for the wording, but the will protect you should any matter arise.

You may also want to consider advertising. I will go into further detail on this in part 5, but advertising will help defer your costs, offer added benefits to businesses and resources to your members and clients.

Here is a complimentary look at the newsletter of ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies.

A newsletter is a great communication tool, and communication is key in a successful group. Some other forms of communication you might consider for your group are:

Members Only Yahoo Group – this allows for membership only communications and can help with planning, organizing and implementing events.

Have dedicated emails for your group. Gmail is a great tool for this. Free and as many as you like. Offer one for newsletter, one for membership, one for events. This way you keep everything organized and only those persons who need access to certain information have access to those emails, and not the entire groups email.
Phone trees are a great tool as well. We all get caught up in emails and facebook and twitter. A phone call does wonder when reaching out to your membership. New members should receive a welcome call.

Something special going on in the group? Call and let everyone know. Is there a member who isn’t coming to meetings? Call and touch base and see if everything is OK. That personal touch goes a long way in creating relationships with your members and potential members.

Evite is an awesome tool for groups. Manage your events by creating, inviting, RSVP, directions and even refreshments. Simple and free.

Postcards are one of my favorite tools in communicating with groups. For this, I LOVE VistaPrint. 100 FREE postcards and all you pay is shipping. How can you go wrong? Do Save the Dates; group information to pass out at parks, playgrounds, businesses; membership receipts for payment, National Nanny Recognition Week reminders, and much, much more!

If you don’t have a blog, consider doing one in conjunction with your website. A blog is a great communication tool. You can post articles and findings from other sites (make sure to give credit), post articles that appear in your newsletter, and much more.

Have a group page on Facebook. Make it public so that people in the industry and the public can learn about you. Post when you have a meeting, area events and attractions, industry news, national news and points of interest for your members and readers.

So many opportunities, so many choices. Do your research and see what you are comfortable doing. Two pages or 20, it’s all up to you and what you want to provide.

Next up … Fundraising!

Creative Nanny Wednesday:Stamped Paper Cube: Great idea for Fathers Day from Nanny Gael Ann and her "creative assistant"

2010-06-09T03:11:00.003-04:00

This stamped Paper Cube is a fun and easy project for Fathers Day.

For directions on how to make your own go to www.thecreativenanny.com

Tuesday Tips: 5 Tuesday Quick Tips from the Cincy Nanny: Greta Schraer

2010-06-08T02:23:00.000-04:00

As you probably know by now we love the Cincy Nanny blog. Greta always has wonderful words of wisdom and great tips!
On todays Tuesday tips we are featuring 5 of our favorite
"Quick Tip Tuesdays" from the Cincy Nanny blog

Ready Plates

What to pack in your Sand bag

Get Loopy

Sunscreen

The UN Messy Paint

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level - part 2

2010-06-07T04:00:00.000-04:00

by Kellie Geres, Regarding Nannies Development Team
President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies

Websites!

If your group does not have a website, you are at a disadvantage. People turn to the internet to find everything. I can’t remember the last time I let my fingers do the walking in the yellow pages. Having a website will make your group more visible and allow for more opportunities to reach nannies and make your group succeed. An alternative to a website is a blog, which can serve the same purpose.

So what should you include on your website?
As I work with ADCAN – Association of DC Area Nannies, I am going to use their site for reference, but in no way do you have to do ALL that I discuss, for your site.
• A history of your group to give visitors an idea of who, what, why your group exists. Who are your key players, what some of your initial events were and what is the goal of your group is good to include introducing them to your site.
• How to become a member and what, if any, levels of membership you have and what they include.
• Do you offer a newsletter? Offer a sample and an email they can request a complimentary copy of your next issue.
• A Calendar of Events gives readers an opportunity to see what events you do, but where and details. Include address if you can, costs, special instructions, and how to RSVP.
• Include a message board that nannies and visitors can participate in and send out requests for play dates, seeking information, ask questions. I would discourage placing job postings on the message boards.
• Links are a great way to provide resources to your members and readers, and draw a larger audience to your site. If you find a site that offers great content and serves your community – contact them about doing a reciprocal link. You place their link on your site, they place your link on their site. It’s a win-win for all.
• Paid supporters are industry related business and outside advertisers. We will go in-depth on these in part 5.
• Contact info should include at minimum an email but can also include a phone and/or mailing address.
• If you offer products, memberships, etc., you need to have payment options. PayPal is a great source for this, free to sign up and low cost – they take a small percentage of each purchase price.
• Job postings can attract readers to your site as well. You can offer them to your paid business supporters as a benefit of membership, and to families in hopes they refer a nanny to you, once they find a caregiver.
• Make sure original content stays original. Consider Copywrite protection at http://creativecommons.org/

A blog offers some of the above options so do your homework to see what works best for you.

Whether website or blog, keep in mind the following …
• Keep it simple. Less is more. Don’t get too wordy, too much information so that visitors get lost or lose interest in your site.
• Use graphics, photos, clip art to make it appealing.
• Keep it user friendly. Make links accessible, make sure links work.
• Keep content current so that members and readers keep coming back for more.
• Offer a Members Only area. This can include a membership directory accessible online.
• Always be looking for new links, resources and fundraising opportunities. I’ll discuss Fundraising in-depth in part 4.

A word of caution … Private does not always mean PRIVATE. When working with ADCAN we had a member only – password protected page of our membership directory. This included names, addresses, phone, etc. Doing a routine Google search, our entire directory showed up online. We promptly deleted all identifying information of our members, alerted them to this and changed how we publish our information.

Here are some of my favorite resources for websites/blogs:
GoDaddy.com
http://www.website-by-you.com/
http://www.vistaprint.com/
http://www.blogger.com/
http://www.wordpress.com/
http://www.homestead.com/
http://www.weebly.com/

Coming up next in part 3 will be newsletters and communications.

Weekend Round Up!

2010-06-05T09:45:00.007-04:00

Yee Ha! Finally I am home and can do a weekend round up.

Between the INA Conference, work and traveling, the weekend round up slipped away but

in case you missed a post this week on Regarding Nannies:
Here is the weekend Round Up:

Monday Moxie: Greta from CincyNanny shared her inspirations from INA

Tuesday Tips: Kellie shared some great ideas for travel with children.

Wednesdays Creative Nanny: Kellie shared a great idea for a Fathers Day Craft

Thursday Table Talk: Kellie started her series on "Taking your support group to the next level" If you have a group or you just want to start one, this is a don't miss series that will run for 6 articles!.

Financial Nanny Friday: Carli Litenmouth shared tips on saving money while shopping online.

Financial Friday: Mypoints & BZZAgent

2010-06-04T02:00:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: MyPoints & BzzAgent by Carli L

These days, everyone shops online. If you're going to be buying online, you may as well earn some rewards at the same time.

To find out how to get some awesome rewards please visit The Financial Nanny:
MyPoints & BzzAgent June 4, 2010

Taking Your Nanny Support Group to the Next Level

2010-06-03T04:00:00.001-04:00

This is the first in a six part series dedicated to Nanny Groups and leadership.

by Kellie Geres, Regarding Nannies Development Team

President, ADCAN ~ Association of DC Area Nannies

As Nanny Support Group leaders, you struggle with the day to day challenges of making your group succeed in today’s industry. Whether you have an online group or meet in person, you want to reach as many nannies as possible in your area. What do you offer, what resources are available, how can you increase membership, operating funds, participation? I’ve worked with nanny groups for most of my 21 years as a nanny, and am the current president of ADCAN – Association of DC Area Nannies. ADCAN is the longest running nanny support group in the country and many of the examples I’ll use in this series, I use directly with ADCAN.

First, what type of group best fits you and your area?
If you already have a group or looking to start one, you need to determine what type of group best fits you and your area best.
• Online groups such as yahoo or Ning are great for keeping in touch, sharing ideas and events, and coordinating outings.
• In Person groups meet on a regular basis either as a playgroup, monthly meeting, and discussion groups.
• Social groups meet for dinner, activities, movies, playgroups
• Educational groups provide speakers, workshops and discussion on matters of personal and professional development.
• Or combine a bit of all types into your area group.

Now, how do you target the nannies in your area?
• The internet is your best friend. There are so many low cost / no cost resources out there you can take advantage of.
• Word of mouth – tell everyone you know about your group and to pass that information along to any nannies they know.
• Create a postcard, flier, brochure and /or business card with your group information. For these types of products, I LOVE VistaPrint. Most products are FREE; you just pay shipping and handling. More on VistaPrint will be in parts 3, 4 and 6.
• Buy a domain name of your group name. For this, I recommend GoDaddy.com.
• Create a website. There are free website services out there, low cost services and one that I have noticed many nanny groups doing, which are FREE is blogs. Blogger and WordPress are the two most popular. It can be as simple as who, what, where, when, and why, or include links, resources, calendar of events, members only, marketplace, etc. We’ll get into these items in more detail in part two of this series. I’ll go more in-depth on websites in part 2.
• Contact Nanny Agencies in your area and let them know about your group. Invite them to a meeting, include them in mailings, and ask them to share your information with their nannies. Get them involved! Invite them to sponsor a nanny night out, put out information at your meetings, and ask them to write an article for your newsletter (if you have one). Build relationships with the agencies so you stay on their radar and they continue to share your info with the nannies they place.
• Get noticed! Don’t have a logo? Create one. There are logo services out there or you can utilize online photo shops or clip art to create a look for your group. Even better if you know someone who can create a logo for you, take advantage of networking. Your logo should draw people to you, stand out, and when people see it, they associate it with your group. Once you have your logo, put it on your business card, postcard, flier, website/blog, etc. Go a step further and create some merchandise – journal, t-shirt, tote bag, etc., that you can wear or carry with you and get you noticed.
• Social Networking! Get your group out there on Facebook. Post events, industry news, area happenings, etc., and draw people to you. Again, tell all your friends, and have them tell their friends, and so on and so on. Before you know, you’ll have a loyal following that will help in getting your information to your community. More on social networking will be covered in part 3.

Other ways you can reach out to your nanny community:
• Post messages on local parent message boards and Nanny Group listings and Craigslist.
• Try Meetups.com. Connect with other nannies and area events and get your name out there as a contact for other nannies.
• If there are agencies in your area doing trainings, ask to come to the event and introduce your group. Bring information to pass share with others.
• Always have business cards, postcards or membership material handy to give out to nannies or parents you meet. You never know when you’ll run into potential members.
• Host an event in your area. It can be a play date at the park, brunch, cookie exchange during the holidays, meet and greet at a local restaurant.

So, much to think about, start planning and implementing. Over the course of the next few weeks we’ll continue to discuss Websites, Newsletters & Communication, Fundraising Options, Membership and Membership Options, Promotional Items and Ways to Cut Costs.

Find Nanny Groups in Your Area.

Happy Father's Day - Creative Gifts Dad will Love!

2010-06-02T04:00:00.001-04:00

This year, give dad a gift he’ll love to show off. Let kids be creative while making this Best Ever BBQ Apron.

Take the poem below, print it out for younger children, or have older children write it out, add a favorite photograph and frame it for dad to display on his desk for all to see.

Daddy, I Love You

Daddy, I love you
For all that you do.

I'll kiss you and hug you
'Cause you love me, too.

You feed me and need me
To teach you to play.

So smile 'cause I love you
On this Father's Day.

These cute printables can be personalized and customized by your little Picasso’s for a wonderful Father’s Day treat.

Need more ideas? Check out Enchanted Learning for great tips and creative ideas to make this Father’s Day the best!

Travel Tips for Families and Children

2010-06-01T04:00:00.001-04:00

Summer vacation is right around the corner. For many of us that means traveling with our families and traveling with our work ‘families’. Take some of the stress out of planning and traveling with these great tips for all types of travel. Most of all … be safe and have a wonderful summer!

Before heading to the airport, check out what the TSA recommends when traveling with children.

Tips for Flying with Kids and more tips!

Top 10 tips for children traveling alone

Travel tips for children age 5-11 years

Traveling by car?

Car travel games

Top 10 tips for taking children on road trips

Don't forget the audio books! Check out Tales2Go for fun children's books sure to keep kids entertained.

Traveling by Bus or Train?

Top 5 Family Travel Tips

Taking a cruise?

Top 5 tips - cruising with kids

Traveling with Pets?

Staying in a Hotel?

Traveling Abroad?

Additional travel tips and articles

Monday Moxie: Inspirations from INA by Greta Schraer

2010-05-31T02:11:00.000-04:00

Greta Schraer the 2010 INA Nanny of the Year shares with us her inspirations from the 2010 INA Conference.

On her High 5 Friday Cincy Nanny Blog, Greta writes:

Wheeew! I am a person that lives for purpose. I am not sure if it's just how I was born, if it's because of my faith or because I have seen those close to me make bad choices that in turn affect those around them. Whatever the reason is, I decided long ago, to live every day to the fullest. I am certain that no "reason for living" or "purpose" is better than another, all I know is that we have individual, unique and beautiful giftings to share with our circle of influence. Sometimes I do get off track, and I wonder, "should I be doing THIS thing like THAT person?" Then a voice inside me reminds me that all I have to be is what I was made to be.
What a relief!
What a challenge.
Have you felt that the deep knowing that if you don't accomplish the secret desire in your head... then it will never be? What could be a legendary, has the possibility of never happening.
{You: "I thought I was reading a Nanny Blog?" Me: Hang in there I hope to be going somewhere with what seems like pointless babble}.
I love to be challenged. I wish I had 3 Sundays a week to sit and read and ponder. To question. To Dream. That is why when an educational event comes along, I am psyched. When the workshops are about things my heart is passionate about, my spirit is enlightened and I smile a little bit wider. I love to learn. Go ahead and say it..."dork!"
This past week, I went to the annual International Nanny Association Conference in San Francisco! This was my 2nd conference and I was so excited to have 3 more Professional Nannies from Cincinnati joining me this year. When I attended last year, I was challenged by a keynote speaker and my peers, "What do you have to give?". I knew that I had the knowledge of this Nanny world, that so many in my city did not know of. I had the desire to go find the Nannies and give them them information, resources, and community that they didn't even know they needed. To have a few of these Nannies now join me at conference, feels like a full circle moment.

Read the rest of Greta's article on the Cincy Nanny blog.

Financial Friday: Car Rental Discounts & More

2010-05-28T02:12:00.002-04:00

Financial Friday: Car Rental Discounts & More
by Alice Shaffer

As I am still on vacation in San Francisco from the INA conference last weekend, I wanted to share with my readers some great summer car savings that Maximizing Money's Blog posted the other day.

Please visit the Financial Nanny: Car Rental Discounts & More

Thursday Table Talk:Two Angry Moms

2010-05-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

Amy Kalafa was stewing for years, packing her kids lunches from home and trying to get her community to pay attention to what kids are eating in school. When news of a national child health crisis began making headlines, Amy, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, decided to take the fight to film.

Two Angry Moms is Amy's quest to learn what she and other parents need to know and do to get better food in their kids' schools. Susan Rubin had been trying for a decade to work with her district on improving school food, earning herself a reputation as a rabble-rouser with a "macrobiotic agenda" (NOT!). She's even been banned from her children's' school cafeteria!

In the meantime, legions of kids continue to make a daily lunch out of neon green slushies, greasy fries and supersize cookies, imperiling not only their long-term health but also their ability to learn. Exasperated, Susan decided to reach beyond her school district, and founded Better School Food, her own grassroots organization.

Part exposé, part "how-to", Amy chronicles the efforts of Susan and other leaders in the fledgling better school food movement as they take on the system nationwide. From Chefs Alice Waters and Ann Cooper reinventing school food in Berkley California to Chef Tony Geraci's student designed meals in New Hampshire, Amy discovers programs that connect the cafeteria with the classroom and connect our kids with the earth.

Over the course of a school year, we see Susan's coalition drive dramatic changes in one Westchester, NY school district. Two Angry Moms shows not only on what is wrong with school food; it offers strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting healthy, good tasting, real food into school cafeterias. The movie explores the roles the federal government, corporate interests, school administration and parents play in feeding our country's school kids.

See what happens when fed-up moms start a grass-roots revolution!

You can find out more about them and what you can do to get involved with their quest to feed our kids healthier food in the public school by going to http://www.twoangrymoms.com/

Water, Water Everywhere!

2010-05-26T04:00:00.000-04:00

The Creative Nanny brings you an array of amazing Water activities you can do with many ages of children. From books to experiments - these ideas are sure to keep all the kids happy and busy!

Read the entire article on The Creative Nanny.

Tuesday Tips ... Your A-Z Guide to Getting Organized

2010-05-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

Originally posted Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

Your A to Z Guide to Getting Organized
By Melody Warnick
Womans Day Magazine January 2010
Intro by Alice Shaffer

After the holidays and vacation, I found myself with a large pile of mail and magazines. I love all the various magazines I get for free through various offers. I found the January 2010 issue of Womans Day. As I was thumbing through it I saw a two page spread with the first letter of alphabet in bold colored print. I continued reading....it was an A to Z Guide to Getting Organized. I read three of them and was hooked! I personally want to be more organized in 2010.

Read the entire article here.

INA Scholarship Essay Winner ... Heather McKinley

2010-05-24T04:00:00.001-04:00

The Regarding Nannies Development Team is enjoying a few days to recoup after the INA Conference in San Francisco. We met so many wonderful people and look forward to bringing you their stories and expertise in the days and weeks ahead.

While we're unpacking, recharging and getting organized, we bring you another one of our favorites ... meet Heather McKinley. She submitted the winning essay for the Regarding Nannies INA Conference Scholarship. We met Heather at conference and are pleased she had the opportunity to enjoy her first conference and become part of the Regarding Nannies 'family'.

INA Scholarship Essay
by Heather McKinley

For as long as I can remember children have been my passion in life. In the summer of 2007 I was given a wonderful opportunity that changed my path in life. I left my school and home in Indiana to live with a family in Maryland for the summer to be the nanny for two girls. By the end of the summer, not only did I want to stay, but I had changed my major from Elementary Education to Children’s Ministry.

As I got into my new classes I knew I had made the right decision and was already thinking ahead to my next summer. That summer I spent six weeks in California for a Children’s Ministry practicum. A week later I went back to Indiana to start my new nanny job for a little girl to finish out my summer.

While I finished my last semester at Indiana Wesleyan in December 2008 I knew I wanted to find another nanny position. I moved again to watch a little boy and fully enjoyed those seven months. I got married and again we moved; this time to Cincinnati, Ohio. This brought a new and wonderful beginning to where I am today.

When I became a nanny in 2007 I did not know there was such a thing as a Professional Nanny. However, when I moved to Cincinnati in late 2009 I found a wonderful group to be a part of called CincyNanny. I learned that I could be a Professional Nanny and be part of an even larger organization. I was then able to find that the International Nanny Association offers a conference to help nannies around the world be better employees and better individuals. On our own each one of us can do good things, but as a group we can learn from each other and do great things. This made me want to be a part of the puzzle.

The INA Conference to me is a way to complete the puzzle. I not only want to put my piece in, but be joined by the pieces (people) around me so I can grow and become a better nanny for my family. There are many skills I feel I would learn by attending this conference. The first one being that I would love to become a professional, credentialed nanny. I would do this by coming Thursday to take the INA Nanny Credential Exam Review and Exam. Second, many of the classes resonate with what I am doing in my job now. Four of these classes are: “Positive Discipline for Young Children”, “Working with Families in Stress”, “Learning Through Play”, and “Is Food Your Enemy—or Your Best Friend? How to Handle Your Food and Weight Issues”.

My time at this conference would not be wasted and my employers’ family and I would both benefit from this time in the long run.

Heather has been a nanny since the summer of 2007. She has been caring for two boys under the age of 3 since October. She nannies near the Blue Ash & Indian Hill area. She is a live out nanny. She is a proud member of the INA & CincyNanny

Congratulation to Greta!

2010-05-22T10:43:00.003-04:00

Greta Schraer was named the 2010 INA Nanny of the Year yesterday at the 25th Annual INA Conference. Greta is the founder of Cincy Nanny and does the http://www.cincynanny.com/ blog
We have featured Greta's wisdom a lot here on Regarding Nannies.
Greta, on behalf of the Regarding Nannies team we just want say
Congratulations on a job well done.
Glenda
Alice
Kellie
The Regarding Nannies Development Team

Financial Nanny: The Story Of Pigtopia & The Piggy Bank

2010-05-21T01:33:00.003-04:00

As the Financial Nanny is in San Francisco at the INA Conference, she has a great new story on Pigtopia & the Piggy Bank. A wonderful financial story and the beginning of the piggy bank

Please visit The Financial Nanny

Thursday Table Talk: One of our favorites

2010-05-20T02:59:00.004-04:00

This week Glenda, Alice and Kellie are attending the INA Conference in San Francisco, so today we will re run one of our favorite Thursday Table Talks.

This is the compelling story of Tara and her experience as a bone marrow donor. It is definitely worth repeating.

Tara Lindsay's story of being a bone marrow donor.

Camp Nanny

2010-05-19T04:00:00.001-04:00

by Kellie Geres

Regarding Nannies Development Team

One of the best times I had as a nanny was the time I spent with twins in Atlanta. An amazing group of nannies in the area that summer, put together Camp N.A.N.N.Y (Neat Activities planned by Nifty Nannies for You – catchy huh!)

The organizers of Camp N.A.N.N.Y created a summer of events and outings for participants to ensure a fun summer for all! For a small fee ($10 per family) you got access to their calendar of events, a custom designed t-shirt, contact list of participating nannies and children and the opportunity to attend any or all planned events.

Read the entire article at Creative Nanny

Summer Reading for ALL ages!

2010-05-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

When you think of summer you think … picnics, pool days, sunscreen, bike rides, beach vacation, right? What about reading? Kids do so much reading during the school year, WHY would they want to spend their summer reading? Reading helps maintain and build skills so they are prepared when the school year starts up again. Many schools even require summer reading. Reading can be enjoyable for all, and you will even be able to make a dent in that stack of books you’ve wanted to read since holiday break.

Summer Reading Programs
Check out your local public library for summer reading program. Many community libraries offer programs for children of all ages with incentives for reading the most books.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Fostering a love of reading and its rewards, the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is popular with students in the first through sixth grades and educators throughout America.
Participation is fun and an easy way for kids to earn free books. They simply read any eight books – library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part, and bring a completed tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children then choose their free book from a list of paperback titles.

Our 2010 program features Scholastic's best-selling multi-media adventure series 'The 39 Clues'. Authors Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, and Margaret Peterson Haddix will make appearances at select stores across the country, and will also participate in a Summer Reading blog at Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com/summerreading), where they will post about summer reading memories and children's literacy. The free program kicks off in Barnes & Noble stores across the country May 25 and continues through September 6. Teachers, parents and children can download the Summer Reading materials for free at www.bn.com/summerreading.

Borders offers their Double Dog Dare Summer Reading Program for kids 12 and under.

Scholastic is challenging young readers to join them and help break the world record.

Summer Reading Resources

Is your school requiring summer reading? Check out these great tips on Tackling School Reading Lists

Summer Reading Lists by Grade

Top 10 Summer Reading Lists

Recommended Reading Lists by Age

For fun in the car, train, traffic! Check out Tales2Go! Tales2Go is an innovative new subscription service for anyone who want instant access to over a thousand great kids’ audio stories to stream to their smart phones (iPhone to start), to play over the car speakers, pass back to kids, or listen to anywhere, at anytime. We feature the best in kids’ audio stories from leading audio publishers and award-winning storytellers.

Happy Reading!

Nanny Portfolio's A - Z / Regarding Nannies Favorite

2010-05-17T04:00:00.001-04:00

The Regarding Nannies Development Team is headed to San Francisco for the 25th Annual INA Conference. While we're away, we bring you some of our favorite posts to revisit or if you're just joining us, enjoy them for the first time.

Nanny Portfolios A to Z
by Myrna Alphonse
NAN Conference Phoenix Arizona
Copyright September 2004

In this tight economic period, I recently had the experience of putting to work my time tested portfolio skills. The content still proved positive results! This is your chance to put together a portfolio of your own or revamp a portfolio you already are using.

Read the entire article on here.

Week End Roundup

2010-05-15T11:53:00.003-04:00

This is Food Allergy Awareness Week and here at Regarding Nannies we thought this was an important topic for all professional nannies as well as parents.

Monday Moxie: Featured parents and nannies who shared with us how they discovered their child/charge had a food allergy

Tuesday Tips: Even if your child is not allergic to Peanut Butter, you need this list of Peanut free foods because food allergies effect us all.

Wednesdays Creative Nanny: Tonya Grell Sakowicz shared some great recipes for kids with specific food allergies.

Table Talk Thursday: Tonya Grell Sakowicz shared what it's like to have a child with food allergies and how to deal with it.

Financial Friday: Alice shared some tips on how to save $$ on foods for your allergic child with tips and websites.

Next week on Regarding Nannies the Regarding Nannies Development Team will be attending the Twenty Fifth Annual International Nanny Association Conference in San Francisco.

Glenda, Alice and Kellie will be recipients of the first INA Service Award Pins and Alice will be a new board member on the INA Board of Directors.

We will have some new articles at the beginning of the week and hopefully some updates from conference.

Financial Frday: Tips For Living With Food Allergies

2010-05-14T02:00:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: Tips For Living with Food Allergies

This is National Food Allergy Awareness week. Over at Regarding Nannies we have featured numerous views of living with food allergies, today I am going to share some financial tips from some of our readers on how to save money while being healthy and dealing with food allergies. I am providing numerous links to websites and tips on dealing with Food Allergies. They are indirectly helping you save money by giving you resources at your fingertips. There is no need to reinvent the wheel just because you have food allergies now, many people have established the wheel for you. Take their advice and their recipes and enjoy.

To read the rest of the article please visit: The Financial Nanny
Financial Friday: Tips With Living With Food Allergies

Thursday Table Talk: Living and Working with Children with Food Allergies

2010-05-13T02:30:00.003-04:00

Living and Working with Children with Food Allergies

By Tonya Sakowicz

Living and working with children with food allergies can be a challenging task, but also one that you can turn into something fun!

There is still a fair amount of misinformation circulating around the internet and even within the medical community about food allergies, so I am going to share the basics first, some tips, tricks and ‘rules’ about working with food allergic children and finally some easy substitutions for common allergy items.

Many doctors, midwives and lactation specialists will tell moms that allergens cannot pass through the breast milk (or, if a baby is having an allergic reaction, that they are allergic to breast milk itself which is actually quite rare), but that is not true. Allergens can and do pass through breast milk so moms do need to be aware of what they are eating to try and narrow down what is causing an allergic reaction if they notice one. One of the most common ones seen that passes through breast milk is dairy proteins and it is one of the first items I recommend moms eliminate from their diet if it appears their baby is having an allergic reaction. In my personal experience, my children also reacted to wheat, peanuts and fish/seafood in my diet.

Another common mistake often passed on, even by doctors, is that children do not/cannot have food allergies. This is also not true. This misconception comes from the fact that children often outgrow allergies as they get older so it is assumed that their reaction to the food (or even on an allergy test) must not have been a true allergy. It is also possible for children to test negative on an allergy test and yet still have an allergic reaction to certain foods. And in fact, it is most likely a true allergy but they simply outgrew it. My son was allergic to wheat, dairy and peanuts and by age 5, had outgrown all 3. His dairy allergy was considered a level 4 allergy (the most severe reaction on a test) and we were told it was likely he might never outgrow it, but we were vigilant and fortunately he did. The fact that he outgrew his peanut allergy is nearly miraculous as it is incredibly rare to outgrow a peanut allergy.

Although children can be allergic to anything, the most common allergens are often referred to as “the Big Eight” and are as follows: Dairy, Wheat, Peanuts, Soy, Eggs, Corn, Tree Nuts, Fish and Shellfish. The FDA now requires that all 8 of these are listed on packaging by food manufacturers (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergies/AA00057). This helps you identify which manufactured foods have the allergen you are trying to avoid and not avoid. Fresh foods such as meats, fruits and vegetables, etc… are not usually labeled in this manner, even if they are prepared or marinated in the store.

A common mistake many people make is assuming because a food was safe when purchased before, it still is safe. In fact, manufacturers often change their inert ingredients or the sourcing of their ingredients based on cost and so something that was allergen-free last time you purchased it may not be this time. You have to read labels every time to ensure the safety of the children in your care.

It is also important to know all the ‘hidden’ forms of the allergen you are trying to avoid. For example, if a child has a dairy allergy, there are many, many food items that need to be avoided that do not seem obvious: Coke and other dark colored sodas is a good example. Aside from the obvious negative health implications of these drinks, dark colored sodas contain ‘caramel coloring’. Caramel is dairy-based and while not all caramel colorings contain dairy, you have no way of knowing which does and does not, so all dark colored sodas need to be avoided. Another one is Vitamin Water and many other (not all) waters with electrolytes. Electrolytes are often made from dairy-based products (although Pedialyte is dairy-free) and so their labels need to be read carefully. Do your research, talk to the child’s doctor and make sure you keep a list of hidden allergens with you when you are shopping or choosing a food item for an allergic child.

Going out to eat can be a nightmare with children who have food allergies. Think those Mc Donald’s French fries are just potatoes cooked in vegetable oil with salt? Think again. Not only does Mc Donald’s ‘doctor’ up their oil to make it taste more like the lard they used to use to fry their foods, but they also use a special coating on their fries to make them taste so good. Mc Donald’s fries actually have both dairy and gluten (wheat protein) in them. And that chicken breast you bought because nuggets obviously have breading on them? Yep, that too! It is marinated in a solution that has dairy, gluten and soy. And don’t assume that because a restaurant makes their French fries from a fresh potato they are safe either. You have to know what else they cook in their oil (fish anyone?), what kind of oil they are frying with (Peanut oil?) what is in the seasoning they put on their fries (Red Robin uses their proprietary seasoning blend—dairy, soy and gluten at last check), if they coat them prior to frying (corn flour to crisp them up) and you have to request they use all new utensils, bowls, strainers, cutting boards, etc… when they are handling the food to prevent cross-contamination with allergens. Depending on the level of severity of the child’s allergies, going out to eat may just have to be crossed off your list unless you live in a large city where you can find a Vegan (different than Vegetarian!) restaurant, but even then you have to deal with corn, wheat, nut and soy possibilities. However, this at least minimizes the number of possibly allergens you will be exposed to and gives you a few more options. I have simply found it is easier to get the kids involved in finding and making their own foods and going out for picnics and as long as the kids are part of the process, they don’t seem to mind.

One thing I always do is carry Benadryl with me at all times for the milder but instant reactions such as itching and swelling and in cases where it has been deemed medically necessary (including for my daughter); I carry an Epi-pen. It is important to know the correct dosing based on weight for Benadryl, especially for smaller children since it will not have that information on the box. Ask the child’s pediatrician or allergist to be sure—what they will tell you is often different than a pharmacist because the medication is being used differently than the typically prescribed use. And if a child in your care requires an Epi-pen, it is important that you get a hold of an Epi-pen trainer and learn how to use it properly. Educate yourself on the signs of an anaphylactic reaction and how to care for it. I also always carry the phone number of the pediatrician and the child’s allergist.

As my son got older, we began to make a game out of finding foods that were safe for him to eat and exploring new recipes. It became our own personal scavenger hunt and he did not feel so ‘different’ from the other children. We made gluten-free pizza crusts together and put them in the freezer so when he was invited to a pizza party, we could make his pizza and take it with us. We experimented with gluten, nut and dairy-free cake and muffin recipes and once we found some he liked, we made those and put them in the freezer so he had treats to eat/share also when school had parties or when he was invited to a birthday party. We learned together that sunflower nut butter (not a nut at all) tastes JUST LIKE peanut butter and makes great cookies. We learned that not only does olive oil and garlic salt taste great on quinoa (gluten-free) pasta, but that it makes a super-healthy alternative to the traditional kids favorite of noodles and butter. We learned early-on that if you expose a child to healthy alternatives to ‘traditional’ foods, not only does that child develop a taste for them, but he/she actually becomes a healthier child and finding yummy foods to eat can actually be a lot of fun!

Some great allergen-free food items and ingredients are being made these days and more and more hit the market every year as the prevalence of food allergies becomes more obvious. It used to be that you could only find these items by mail order or through specialty stores. Now most mainstream grocery stores carry many, many items that are allergen-free.

Some commonly available substitutions:

For Dairy: Soy based products, Coconut (not an actual nut) based products, rice based products, hemp based products, nut based products and for those with mild dairy allergies or intolerances, goat’s milk based products. It is also being discovered that many people with dairy allergies can tolerate raw cow’s milk products, but do not give these to the children in your care without parental/doctor’s permission since they are not pasteurized. Many of these products are so good you cannot tell the difference in taste or texture.

For Peanuts: If the child is not also allergic to Tree nuts, then there are a multitude of options available that are almond and cashew based. There are also soy and sunflower based products for those who cannot have any nuts at all.

For Eggs: There are egg-free baking substitutes and in some cases, applesauce will work.

For Fish/Seafood: There are no great substitutes, but I have found canned chicken works quite well in some recipes.

For Soy: This is probably one of the hardest because in and of itself since soy is not often consumed in its natural state except for edamame, but it is a common ingredient in a huge number of foods, so it is important to find those which are soy-free.

For Corn: Like edamame, there is no real great substitute for the raw product, but most grains will substitute quite nicely for corn-based flours and meals for baking.

For Wheat: Quinoa, Amaranth, Rice, Soy and a multitude of other flours and baked products, pastas, etc… are available to substitute for wheat (important note: wheat-free and gluten-free are two different things. Gluten-free will always be wheat-free, but wheat-free is not always gluten-free.).

Life with a child who has food allergies is not always easy and can sometimes be downright scary, but if you try to take an attitude of it as an adventure and are willing to put in the time and effort, you can make it less difficult and even outright fun and tasty for the special child in your life.

Tonya Sakowicz is a INA credentialed nanny with over 20 years of nanny experience. During that time, she worked with several children with food intolerance or allergies. 5 1/2 years ago she became a mom to a little boy who had severe allergies to wheat and dairy and and a mild peanut allergy. Her little girl, now age 2, has dairy intolerance and severe fish and seafood allergies. Tonya has served on the board of NAN, as a special committee head for INA in their Nanny to Nanny Mentor Program for several years and has taught at many of their National Conferences. Tonya was voted the Professional Childcare Provider of the Year in 2003 and nominated for the International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year in 2004. In addition, that same year, she was deeply honored with a nomination by her peers for the National Association of Nannies Harriette Grant Memorial Award. Tonya currently works as a Newborn Care Specialist, primarly doing consultations on sleep issues, reflux and food allergies.

Tonya Sakowicz, Nanny Answers

http://www.babydreamteam.com/

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Recipes for kids with food allergies

2010-05-12T01:16:00.002-04:00

Since this is Food Allergy Awareness Week, today we are going to feature some recipes for kids with specific types of food allergies.

The recipes from Tonya Sakowicz can be found on The Creative Nanny blog.

Tuesday Tips: Peanut Free Foods

2010-05-11T07:15:00.003-04:00

Dealing with food allergies extends beyond the home and it effects you even if your child does not have a food allergy.
At many schools they have adopted a "Peanut Free" policy where no peanut products are allowed to be brought into the school.
Even if they don't have this policy most schools have a "Peanut Free' table in the lunch room.
The Stafford Conway School if Fredericksburg, VA provides their parents with a list of Peanut Free foods to ensure that they know what to bring.
It's a great resource.

PEANUT FREE / TREE NUT FREE SNACK LIST
Please avoid snacks that contain peanuts, peanut flour, peanut oil, or peanut butter or other nuts. This includessnacks with almonds, coconuts, filberts, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nut, pecans, pine nuts,pistachios, and walnuts.
Please note: Food labels/ingredients may change over time, so it is always recommended that you read thelabel before purchasing snacks. Please read labels carefully to make sure the products are nut free. This includeslabels that read “May contain traces of peanuts/nuts.”
Quick check brands: Kellogg’s, Keebler, General Mills, Betty Crocker, and Quaker Oats brands are excellent at calling out allergens in a box:
Example: CONTAINS PEANUT AND EGG INGREDIENTS
Thank you for your help and co operation
HEALTHY SNACKS
FRUITS/VEGETABLES
• Any fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pears, plums, clementines, strawberries, melons,
berries, etc.)
• Applesauce cups (and assorted variety fruit flavored applesauce)
• Raisins, Craisins, and other dried fruits
• Fruit cups (peaches, pears, oranges, pineapple, fruit cocktail, fruit blends, etc.)
• Fresh vegetables (baby carrots, celery sticks, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, broccoli, pepper strips,
etc.)
• Vegetable dips
CHEESE/DAIRY
• Yogurt in individual cups or tubes
• Pudding in individual cups, cans, or tubes
• String cheese or other cheeses (1 oz.)
• Drinkable yogurt or smoothies
• Cottage cheese
• Kraft Handi-snacks with cheese (with red sticks) **Be careful with any other type of pre-packaged
cheese & cracker sandwiches, most contain nuts/traces of nuts
CRACKERS/SNACK ITEMS
• Crackers
- Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Vegetable Thins (all flavors)
- Ritz crackers/dinosaurs/sticks (NOT Ritz bits or sandwiches)
- Town House, Club, Toasteds crackers
- Cheez-Its, Cheese Nips, Better Cheddars
- Saltines, Oyster crackers
- Wheatables, Air Crisps, Munch’ems, Keebler Snack Stix
- Kashi Tasty Little Crackers (TLC)
- Breton/Dare brand crackers
- Goldfish crackers
• Graham crackers, Graham cracker sticks
• Teddy Grahams or Teddy Graham character brands
• Bug Bites crackers
• Goldfish graham snacks
• Animal crackers (Austin Zoo, Barnum)
• Vanilla wafers
• Cereals
- Cheerios (NOT Honey Nut or Frosted)
- Chex (Rice, Corn, Wheat)
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Corn Flakes
- Crispix
Updated 5/28/07
- Frosted Mini-Wheats
- Kashi (Go Lean Crunch, Good Friends, Cinnamon Raisin Crunch, Heart to Heart) cereals
- Kix
- Life (NOT Vanilla Yogurt Crunch)
- Wheaties
- Other unsweetened cereal without nuts
• Small bagels (Lenders or Thomas brand) with cream cheese (no nut type)
• Popcorn
• Pretzels (most all brands, but some Snyder’s products not peanut/nut free)
• Nutrigrain cereal bars / yogurt bars
• Special K Bars (NOT Honey Nut)
• Special K Snack Bites
• Fig Newtons (all flavors)
• Rice cakes (NOT Quaker brand, not nut free)
• Quaker Quakes (mini rice cakes) / Mini Delights (all flavors safe)
• Potato Soy Crisps
• Cheez-It Party Mix / Munchie Party Mixes **Have not found any other brands of Chex type mixes to be
peanut/nut safe
SPECIAL TREATS
CAKES/CUPCAKES
• Hostess cupcakes
• Hostess Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs
COOKIES
• Kellogg’s brand Rice Krispie Treats (original)
• Oreos (regular, Golden, or Minis)
• Keebler Fudge Stripes, Fudge Grahams, Grasshopper Fudge Mint, E.L. Fudge sandwich cookies (original
and double stuffed)
• Gripz Chips Ahoy
• Any Dare Brand cookies (Hiller’s carries)
DONUTS/MUFFINS
• Krispy Kreme donuts/donut holes
• Mini Donuts/Donut holes – Kroger brand (powdered sugar, glazed, plain, cinnamon sugar)
• Hostess brand (powder, frosted)
• Muffins – mini or regular – Hostess and Kroger brands (any kind but banana nut)
CHIPS
• Bugels
• Cheetos
• Doritos
• Fritos
• Potato chips
• Pringles
• Sun Chips
• Tostitos
ICE CREAM/POPSICLES
• Popsicles
• Whole fruit bars
• Juice bars
• Fruit ice / Icee squeeze up tubes
• Orange push-ups
• Breyer’s Vanilla ice cream
• Kroger brand – ice cream sandwiches, strawberry shortcake bars, sundae cups
OTHER
• Fruit snacks (twists, gushers, roll-ups, etc.)
• Pop Tarts
• Pop Tart Snack Sticks
• Yogos / Yogos Rolls
**Most other brands of granola bars contain peanuts/nuts or
contain traces of peanuts/nuts
Updated 5/28/07
• Sweetened Cereals: Corn Pops, Froot Loops, Captain Crunch (regular), Apple Jacks
CANDY
• Air Heads
• Blow pops
• Dum-Dum suckers
• Gummy bears / worms
• Hersey Kisses – Milk Chocolate
• Hersey Kissables
• Jolly Ranchers
• Junior Mints
• Laffy Taffy
• Life Savers (hard and gummy)
• Mike & Ike’s
• Milk Duds
• Necco Sweethearts boxes (candy hearts)
• Nerds
• Pixie Sticks
• Ring Pops
• Rolos
• Runts
• Sixlets
• Skittles
• Smarties
• Spree
• Starburst
• Swedish Fish
• Sweet Tarts (regular and chewy)
• Tootsie Rolls
• Tootsie Roll Pops
• Twizzlers licorice
• Whoppers

Monday Moxie: Food Allergy Awareness Week & The Journey of 9 To Their Diagnosis

2010-05-10T01:24:00.007-04:00

Monday Moxie: Food Allergy Awareness Week
& The Journey of 9 To Their Diagnosis
by Alice Shaffer

( Please be sure to read the second comment in the comment section as Shannon shares her journey with her son's Celiac's disease)

Food Allergies are becoming more commonly diagnosed everyday. The week of May 9-15, 2010 is Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW). This week was created in 1997 to educate the public about the severity of food allergies as well as potentially life threatening.

Many states have officially recognized Food Allergy Awareness Week. If your state has not formally recognized FAAW, then you can speak with your state governor to get this changed.

The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network has developed some wonderful brochures, fliers and posters for FAAW week. There are also many activities, presentations, and PAL Hero awards that you can use with your children and their friends to teach them about food allergies.

PAL Hero Awards are used to help encourage children to be safe with their friends who have food allergies. You can read more about this on the FAAN Kids site.

Regarding Nannies will be bringing you a week of Food Allergy Awareness and today I share with you several people's account of how they have been diagnosed with an allergy from the time they suspected something was wrong. Some suffer from diary, milk & soy allergies, preservative allergies, Celiac's disease to a Red Dye Allergy. All their stories started with them realizing that something was wrong with their body. They all had to do their own research to help further their diagnoses of their food allergies. They have all been able to maintain a balance with their allergies in their daily life.

Preservative Allergy & Angioedema
This story of Christi T's allergy is of her battle to figure out why she went into anaphylaxis shock.

Well, for me, it's a preservative. For me, I suspected it after having asthma type reactions every time I ate certain foods. I had to read a lot of food labels and finally was able to put two and two together. I later got allergy tested (years later) and had my allergies for cats, dust, mold and cockroaches confirmed, tho they can't confirm allergies or reactions to what they call 'irritants' like smoke or chemicals. For the preservative I'm allergic to, the only option to get a definitive diagnosis would be to allow the doctors in a hospital setting to administer the offending agent to me in increasing does and wait for a reaction since I have anaphylaxis to it (it's sulfiting agents that I'm allergic to). I don't swell up like people do when they get stung by a bee, but I start having a severe asthma attack and it gets harder and harder to breathe and my chest/lungs just ache. I get nauseated, my face gets red, heart beats faster, I get an instant very bad headache - all signs of anaphylaxis.

I keep it under control by avoiding the offending agent and knowing what it is typically in, tho every now and again I'm surprised by a reaction. When I first discovered this reaction I was in my early 20s and it took a good couple months to pin down the reaction to the cause. I do also carry two epi-pens for emergencies tho thankfully I've been fortunate to avoid having to use them, tho I've come close at least twice.

I also have another allergic reaction that is related to anaphylaxis where I do swell up (angioedema) that has been triggered by stress (physical or extreme emotional stress) and other unknown factors. it is believed tho, that it may also be triggered by a lot of dust/mold exposure (hey, at least I don't have to dust my house myself, that's my husband's job now). 6 years ago I suddenly had my lip swell up. My mouth went numb and stayed that way for weeks. After three weeks of repeated bouts of swelling in my face, my dr sent me to an allergist for the first time ever and he's the one who dx'd me with asthma (that I've had since a kid but didn't even know it!) and confirmed my reaction to sulfites as anaphylaxis. He put me on Zyrtec and Zantac (which is also an antihistamine) and allergy eye drops as well as allergy nose spray. He also gave me an inhaler and the epi-pens to carry at all times.

It took several months to get over that bout of angioedema, and since it's caused by environmental triggers that I can't typically avoid and of course the physical stresses like getting sick. If I have a flare-up I take benedryl on top of my regular allergy medicines and wait til it stops.

This past December I was allergy tested again and from there made the decision to start allergy shots. I have been doing twice a week to get shots since January and will soon be going only once a week. After another 4 1/2 years I hope to be free from a lot of the reactions that I have to some of my allergies.

My biggest piece of advice is to keep a food diary and note whenever you have an unpleasant reaction that is making you suspect allergies. And visit an allergist/immunologist. They are far more equipped to handle allergy issues than just a general practitioner. Allergy testing gave me answers that I didn't have before, and helped complete the puzzle of my troublesome symptoms. And don't be afraid of the commitment to allergy shots if it's recommended. It does take time, but it's far better to go for five years getting allergy shots and stop taking meds eventually (or a lot less of them with less severe reactions) than to go a lifetime taking meds daily just to see if you can possibly avoid suffering from the allergies.

Antibiotic Allergy
Christi's daughter Savannah had suffered from hives after receiving a Rocephin shot.

For Savannah, she's got an allergy to antibiotics-Cephalosporins. After she had an antibiotic shot of Rocephin, she broke out in hives all over her whole body. She was on benedryl for a week after that and the hives finally went away all the way and she now has to avoid any type of antibiotics in that class of meds. There's no cure for it that is known at this time, she simply can't have them.

Soy & Milk Allergy The next story is from Kathy mom to Ryan who was having major breathing problems:

Ryan was having major breathing issues at night around the age of 1. It wasn’t to the point that we were afraid he’d stop breathing or anything. He was just very congested all the time and had to sleep upright. Small children are NOT good at keeping their heads on their pillows.
The side effects to Ryan's allergies was that the allergen accumulated in his body and his body responded respiratorially. He was always congested, wheezy and had troubles getting to and staying asleep. In addition, he has psoriasis and it would periodically flare up more than usual. We searched for a diagnosis and his pediatrician recommended that we take him to an allergist. At that age, he had to endure the back rack of pain. They had a wooden contraption with several needles in it. They pushed it into his back and we waited to see his reactions. They had to do that because little ones will not let you repeatedly poke them with a needle and wait patiently for results. It was torturous, but worth having answers.
Ryan's allergies are under control now. He is now able to eat as much milk and soy as he wants. Although, I do find myself limiting how much he gets. We were very strict with prohibiting either ingredient for a little over 2 years. Each year we had a retest of his sensitivities. Eventually, the doctor gave the go ahead to slowly incorporate both back into his diet.
It was about six months from when we noticed his symptoms to pinpointing an actual cause.
To control Ryan's allergy we use to severely restrict what he could eat. It was difficult, especially when we were not in our own home.

Milk, Eggs & Corn This is from Kathy mom to Sofi who suffered from eczema, skin rashes and horrible diaper rash.

Sofi developed eczema, right around 1 year old. The dermatologist said it was just eczema. I suspected a food allergy because at 1 year Sofi was given eggs and milk. I eliminated egg and milk from her diet. I reintroduced egg once the eczema went away. She was fine. When I reintroduced milk, the eczema came back. I switched her to soy milk, but found that gave her eczema too. She got horrible diaper rashes sometimes. I figured out it was corn after she broke out after eating corn on the cob for the 3rd time.
For the diagnosis of the milk, egg and corn allergy was a time frame from six months to a year to identify all three of Sofi's allergies.

However, when she was 3, we did 2 allergy tests. A blood test at the pediatrician, and a skin prick test at the allergist. They all came up negative! The allergist said to slowly reintroduce the foods again. I gave her a little bit of milk for 3 days, and she broke out again. Real life reactions trump lack of test reactions. Sometimes eczema is just eczema. But sometimes it's not. With Sofi, it is an allergy, I firmly believe that, no matter what the doctors tell me. Sofi's different than most kids though. Because she actually tested negative to 2 tests. But reacts in real life. It is now under control, as long as I'm careful about reading ingredients on EVERYTHING.

Celiac's Disease
This is Amanda's story of her lifelong battle with GI problems

I have always had GI problems (constipation, gas, bloating, etc). Since I was young. The major side effects were bloating, weight gain and I was exhausted all the time. Because when you have allergies it stresses your adrenal glands. I was diagnosed through an elimination diet. I removed all highly allergenic food for 3 weeks and then added one food at a time to see if it caused symptoms. If it did, It ment I was allergic. I have it under control now for the most part. I try to avoid the food (gluten). However, Gluten and dairy (which I also suspect an allergy too) are in EVERYTHING. So it is not as easy to avoid as say peanuts. It took me 24 years to figure out I had a food allergy. I control my allergy by avoiding the food that I am allergic to. My advice if you suspect a food allergy is to do the elimination diet, because food allergy tests are generally not super accurate where the elimination diet is based on physical reaction.

Red Dye and Annetto Extract
Lyssa's battle with hives, burning skin, itching skin, headaches & sinus allergy issues

It started with itching for a few months. We changed shampoo, laundry detergent, and other house hold items. Then the itching became hives and they got worse and worse and worse. I did all of the prick tests and it came back with lots of allergies, but we knew it was more then that. So they put me on a bland diet for two weeks (chicken, pears and rice). Then we added foods back in slowly and wait for the reactions to start. We discovered I was allergic to red dye and an extract called Annetto Extract. Which is an organic alternative to red dye. That was is in all cheese that isn't white. This process took about a year to diagnosis. I was in my late 20's when I discovered that I had this allergy.

To control my allergies I use dye free Benedryl and stay away from RED DYE in food and household products.

If you have similar symptoms I suggest you keep a log of everything you eat, use on your body or come in contact with and when you have a reaction. looking back at the log can give you a good idea of what is causing the problem.

Another story of Celiacs Disease
Dawn's battle with GI problems

I was told I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I found myself running to the loo after every meal. Even something so mild as chicken Teriyaki would make me ill. I googled my symptoms and Celiacs came up. This was confirmed with a blood test. I had been suffering for 2-3 years before being diagnosed at age 39.
Side effects are nausea, diarrhea, also infertility and recurrent miscarriages. Long term side effects include intestinal damage and low iron levels.

I carry Benedryl and Immodium to help in case I consume hidden gluten when dining out. Sadly, its common to receive misdiagnosis, because Celiacs isn't a money maker for the drug companies. I stopped eating gluten and within a few days felt better. Then went to a holistic physician, who has been very helpful.

Tree Nuts -Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans etc
Angie's lifelong battle with the Nuts!

My allergy is to certain kinds of tree nuts-Brazil Nuts in particular, but also more mildly almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc. My allergy has actually gotten slightly better over the years.

We actually had no idea that I was allergic to the tree nuts. It was the Anaphylaxis at age six after eating a Valentine's Day chocolate that had a Brazil Nut in it.

Angie also shares with us her physical and social side effects of her allergy:

Physically? Anaphylaxis is scary, scary, and deadly. Some tree nuts, though, I only have mild reactions to-I can eat a little tiny bit of walnuts and only get hives in my mouth and on my skin. If I handle them, I break out in hives where they've touched.

Social side effects-it was tough as a kid because back then, not many people had heard of deadly allergies to food, let alone nut allergies. I was constantly having to explain. It's a LOT easier these days!
Yeah. I feel very fortunate that I lucked into the tree nut version of this allergy. It's a LOT easier to manage than most other food allergies-even ones that are less severe in reaction. And these days, no one looks at me funny in restaurants if I ask if a certain dish has nuts in it. I haven't had a close call in a long, long time.

My allergic reaction was pretty instantaneous. Since they'd not seen a lot of cases like mine, I spent three days in the hospital while they made sure That was the problem.

My advice for those with my kind of allergy-be proactive. Anaphylaxis is nothing to mess around with, and it's very, very, VERY scary for a small kid to go through. Others need to understand the severity of the small things with nut allergies that can cause huge issues. One more thing I'd have as far as advice goes. Food allergies are particularly hard on kids from a mental perspective. It's tough being different, and tough when you have traumatic hospital stays as a result. I think, if I were talking to a parent of a newly diagnosed child, I'd advise them to make absolutely certain to talk to their child in clear terms, and allow them to ask any questions they might have. And not to pull any punches and be honest with them about the social challenges they may face as a result (I'm speaking here mostly of severe allergies that are tougher than mine to control, like peanut allergies.)

And also, growing up and even as a college student, it was helpful for me to educate a few very close, trusted friends on the symptoms of my reactions and how to treat it when it happens. It saved my bum on a couple of occasions.

Dairy Allergy-Class 6
A Nanny shares her story of S's allergy to dairy Age 5

Side effects that S can suffer from her food allergy are Anaphylactic shock, severe vomiting, closing up of windpipe and hives over entire body and swelling of the lips.

Her allergy was apparent when her mother tried to switch from breastfeeding to formula bottles. This was around 8 months of age. They went to an allergist at some point and was diagnosed. She is class 6 allergy to dairy, previous to last time she was off the charts her numbers where so high, they where trying to get her in a study in NYC and they would not take for the trial because she was too allergic. Last time she was tested she moved down a class and is now in Class 5 which still doesn't mean much improvement since she needs to be class 1 or 2 in order to reintroduce the food back into her diet.

It is under control because we are very careful in what she eats and are very aware of cross contamination. Which means cooking fresh food, getting organic food, kosher Parve food and constantly reading labels, since manufacturors like to change the ingredients in their products. I bake all her cupcakes and muffins so she can also have treats especially for birthday parties and special treats at school. When the teacher asks for food related contributions to school we always give enough for the entire class so everybody can eat the same safe 'S' food. The health food store is our biggest friend and I think it's easier now as there seems to be alot more products out there now that she can have since people seem to have gotten a little more healthy. She had outgrown her egg allergy which added a lot of foods back to her list. Her younger sibling and I have the same food as S. I didn't want to give the little one diary in her cup since it's so easy to drink out of the wrong cup. I have even switched to soymilk as well. 'S' used to get a rash if I kissed her after drinking my coffee (with milk) and I'm not talking about a wet sloppy kiss just a peck on the cheek. She is a very healthy little girl 90% in height and weight on the doctors charts.

It was alot easier to deal with then I thought in the beginning, and I think she is healthier for it, no Mc donalds ever, she calls it the yellow M store since she started reading! We control it by making sure she eats what we give her, and she will now say to others when somebody offers her something "I have a dairy allergy ask my nanny if I can have that" We trade out candy from parties and Halloween. She knows that there is a S version of everything that comes in diary so she is not missing out.

Advice for others is to get tested and research your particular allergy as there is a wealth of information out there. For diary allergies, anything that is labeled Vegan does not have diary and there are some really good cook books out there. I love Vegan with a vengeance. and there is the FAAN network and newsletter which has a lot of info and keeps up to date on new research that is going on.

Weekend Roundup

2010-05-09T19:56:00.005-04:00

Monday Moxie:

Greta Schraer from Cincy Nanny shared a wonderful article about the ins and outs of online nanny communities

Tuesday Tips:

Various readers shared tips with us on what to take to the INA Conference

Wednesdays Creative Nanny:

Glenda shared variations on a traditional Mothers Day Gift

Thursday Table Talk:

Tara Lindsay from the Michigan Professional Nanny Organization shared her wonderful interview with Nanny/Hero Alyson Myatt

Friday Financial Nanny

Alice told us about Jasmere, another great way to save money.

Next week is Food Allergy Week and Regarding Nannies will have a series of articles on dealing with children and food allergies.

Financial Friday: What Exactly Is Jasmere?

2010-05-07T02:30:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: What Exactly is Jasmere?

Late last year I received an email from someone letting me know about a new website that was opening up in January 2010 called Jasmere. It is a website that would offer great discounts on little known products and companies to people who wanted to explore new products. The best part was that the more people who purchased the "deal" the cost of it would decrease. I was intrigued by this thought. I have always loved shopping for unique things from all avenues of the shopping world. I liked the concept of Groupon and Restaurant, so I knew I would fall in love with Jasmere when it launched. I have to say I have not been disappointed at all in them.

To read the rest of the article & learn how you can get $10 to Jasmere
please visit
The Financial Nanny: What Exactly is Jasmere

Table Talk Thursday - When "Nanny" means "Hero"

2010-05-06T04:00:00.000-04:00

Table Talk Thursday comes from Nanny Tips - the official blog of the Michigan Professional Nanny Association.

reprinted with permission

Nanny Tips talks with Alyson Myatt, nanny and hero, by Tara Lindsay

This past March, the nation applauded the heroic actions of a Kentucky nanny. This past week, that nanny graciously agreed to talk with me about her experience. I found Alyson Myatt to be a true example of who and what a nanny is and I feel deeply honored that she so openly and willingly shared her story with me for this blog.

More than a month after she risked her own life to save her 5 year old charge from a house fire, 22 year old nanny Alyson Myatt is still a little surprised at all of the attention she’s gotten for her heroic act. Doing her job and being who she is, according to Alyson, doesn’t feel like anything extraordinary.

Alyson says that becoming a nanny was a natural progression for her. As the sixth child of ten siblings, Alyson grew up helping to care for her younger siblings, nieces, and nephews. She started babysitting around the age of 15, was lifeguarding at 16, and by age 19 was working as a professional nanny in a career that she says is “like second nature.” Alyson nannied for several families in the Louisville, KY area and discovered a natural gift for connecting with autistic children. In the work of nannying, Alyson found that she loved “the little things that others often don’t notice…when the children smile, when they are laughing, those special little moments of connection that are so priceless.” Alyson, who is not working while she heals from her injuries, says, “I’m really going to miss those moments with Aden.”

Several months ago Alyson answered an ad for a new live-in nanny position in Shelbyville, KY, to care for 5 year old Aden Hawes. Alyson believes God led her to this particular position for what is now an obvious reason. “I saw the ad in a paper that I hardly ever look at and got excited about it.” It was Alyson’s first live-in position. She and Aden quickly developed a strong bond and affection for one another.

On a Monday night barely two months after starting the position, Alyson tucked Aden into bed completely unaware that less than 24 hours later she would be thrust into the national media spotlight as a hero and, for the nanny world, as a shining example of her profession.

At about 3 am on Tuesday, March 23, 2010, Alyson says she was awoken by the smoke detectors. She raced upstairs to find the bathroom fan on fire. The fan had not been working properly and somehow the switch to it had been turned on eventually causing the small fire. (There is currently an investigation underway to determine if the fan was defective and what, if any, liability may lie with the manufacturer.) Alyson turned off the switch and quickly put out the flames. After thoroughly checking the walls, ceiling and fan to be sure the fire was completely out Alyson called her dadboss, who was out of town on business, to let him know what had happened. She asked him if she should call the fire department but was told that probably wasn’t necessary. Following instructions, Alyson went back to bed thinking that the crisis was over.

Three hours later, around 6 am, Alyson was awoken again by a large “boom”. At first, she says, “I thought it was Aden.” In reality, the bathroom ceiling fan had caught fire again and the boom was the fan falling down to the floor. Like a good nanny, Alyson sprang from her bed to go check on her charge. As she once again raced back up the stairs she encountered a hallway engulfed in flames that firefighters say were as hot as 400 degrees. Aden was in his room, on the other side of the flames. Acting on instinct…an instinct prepared and honed by her years of childcare experience and training as a lifeguard on how to handle emergency situations…Alyson did not hesitate. “I didn’t think anything, I just acted.”

Barefoot, Alyson ran through the fire to Aden, entirely focused on getting to him with zero thought or regard for her own safety. The five year old, terrified and trapped, trusted that his nanny would save him. Scared for Aden’s safety, Alyson called to him as she ran through the flames to let him know she was on her way. “I’m here, Aly! I’m in my bed!” Alyson grabbed the child from his burning room and then, with him in her arms, ran back through the flames on her already badly burned feet to get him to safety. According to several media reports, fire officials stated that if she had waited even a minute to run to his rescue, Aden would not be alive today.

Once outside, Alyson loaded Aden into the minivan and used the tips of her toes to drive them both to safety at a neighbor’s house. Unable to walk and in excruciating pain, Alyson sent the boy to the neighbor’s door and told him to ring the doorbell until somebody answered.

Alyson was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She had second and third degree burns on her arms and hands, and third degree burns on her feet. The skin on her feet was hanging off in shreds. “I felt like I was walking on goo,” Alyson says, “but it was my feet.”

Aden, saved by the love and heroics of his nanny, was completely unhurt.

The next hours and days were a blur. Aden’s father was called and rushed home to Kentucky. Knowing his son was okay, J.B. Hawes raced from the airport directly to Alyson’s bedside to check on her well being and to try to find an adequate way to thank her for saving his child’s life

Alyson didn’t realize until Friday, three days after the fire, that her actions had garnered her so much attention and acclamation. When her sister finally showed her all the media reports and the national reaction, Alyson found it all “kind of overwhelming. I didn’t think it was a big deal.” She has been surprised at the number of people who have told her they would have gotten themselves out to call 9-1-1 and let the firefighters rescue the child. “I just did what was in line with who I am, I didn’t realize that was so rare.” While it may be rare outside the nanny world, it is lucky for Aden that Alyson is who she is. In interviews after the fire, Shelbyville Fire Chief Willard Tucker, who called Alyson’s actions “above and beyond normal heroics”, said that if Alyson had called the fire department and waited for them to get Aden that Aden would be dead.

In the immediate aftermath of Alyson’s injuries, doctors spoke of skin grafts and speculated about whether or not a full recovery was possible. They said she probably wouldn’t walk for six months. Three days after the fire and crying with agonizing pain the entire time, Alyson was up and walking. Her healing has continued to defy predictions. She has not needed a wheelchair or a walker, though she does use a cane for support when she walks. She did not need skin grafts, and was released from the burn unit after only a week. “My feet are healing really fast”, she said in our recent phone conversation. “I go to hyperbaric therapy three or four times a week and it is speeding up the healing but we don’t know exactly when it will all be done. Everybody heals differently.” She is now expected to make a full recovery.

Because the length of her recovery is uncertain, Alyson says she has asked Aden’s dad to hire a replacement nanny for Aden’s sake so that he has some stability and consistency in his care after this traumatic event. “I still see him and pick him up from school sometimes,” she says.

Meanwhile, the bills have been coming in. Alyson’s one week stay in the burn unit alone was $46,000. That doesn’t include the ambulance ride, emergency room services, hyperbaric therapy, and more. Without insurance it is a hefty burden but one that Alyson is not going to stress over. She is, she says, putting it in God’s hands.

When talking about being a nanny Alyson speaks with a love and passion common in our field. She talks of learning to be more patient and how, with children, you learn to not take things for granted. She talks with great affection for her charges and through it all it is easy to feel her enthusiasm and joy. Working as a nanny, she says, “I get a good feeling, like I’m achieving something really great.” It is a sentiment that most nannies can likely agree with.

Alyson is unsure as to whether or not she will seek another nanny position. After speaking with her, it is obvious that any family would be lucky to hire a nanny with her compassion and common sense. Alyson is primarily focused on recovering and figuring out what her options are. She is confident that God has a plan for her to follow, but for now it is too early to say what that might be. The nanny profession would certainly be lucky to claim her as one of our own.

Alyson has some advice for her fellow nannies, as well. “Be trained. Know CPR. Know how to use a fire extinguisher and know where it is kept. Have a fire plan.” She also eloquently sums up what motivates many nannies.

“Have your heart in the right place. If you’re not doing it for the children’s sake, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. You really have to have a heart for kids and for people in general.” This is crucial to being a good nanny because, as Alyson concludes, “You have people’s lives in your hands.”

If you’ve been inspired by Alyson’s story and would like to contribute to the Alyson C. Myatt Trust Fund to help cover the costs of her medical expenses, please visit www.alysonmyatt.com for more information.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Variations on traditional handprint gifts for Mother’s Day

2010-05-05T01:07:00.000-04:00

Variations on traditional handprint gifts for Mother’s Day by Glenda Propst

A classic Mothers Day activity to do with children is the ever popular hand print with the traditional poem. As many times as I have done this project either with a group or with my individual charges as a professional nanny, it still makes me cry. If you would like some variations on the traditional Mothers Day idea, go to www.thecreativenanny.com

Tuesday Tips ... Making the Most of Your INA Conference Experience

2010-05-04T04:00:00.000-04:00

The Regarding Nannies Development Team is looking forward to attending the upcoming INA Conference in San Francisco.

While we have been attending for many years, we realize there are many first-timers out there. So, we asked a few of our colleagues to share with us what they thought conference attendees should bring to conference.

Some are practical, and some require work, but overall, your INA Conference experience is one you will never forget, and that you will look forward to again and again.

On the practical side …
Cortney Gibson, Erin Krex - Business cards

Taylor Augustine – dollar bills for the raffle

Debra Mathwig and Cortney Gibson suggest bringing photos of your charges (if permitted by employers) to brag about.

Pat Cascio, Cortney Gibson, April Myers and Christy Ochs all recommend comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you.

Becky Kavanagh says bring extra money, you’ll want some items to take home and there is always a great "raffle" to get caught up in, with nice items you may want. Becky also recommends … often first time attendees are concerned about their dress and fitting in. Business casual will do it - you want to look nice but feel comfortable. Often in the hotel people will know we are with a group and we want to represent well.

Pat Cascio and Christy Ochs suggest a sweater or sweatshirt for the cool evenings.

Cortney Gibson says - You'll be bringing home more than you brought with you. Pack a small bag in your suitcase that can be used to bring home raffle prizes and other goodies.

Kim Peters suggests … if you are searching for a new job, bring your resume/portfolio. When playing tourist, bring local tourist/attraction info.

Many of our conference experts recommend bringing a small notebook to take notes during workshops, write names and numbers down of new people you meet.

Getting the most out of your conference experience …
Debra Mathwig shares with us – bring your open personality, don't be shy about going up to some one and saying hi and that you are new to INA. I know at my first conference I hung out with only a few people I knew until the last day when I met quite a few nannies. I now talk to those nannies quite often and get valuable ideas and support from them, but I wish I would have said hi and accepted their invitations to hang out a lot earlier in the conference.

Katie Vaughan
“Your first INA conference is an amazing experience! A world of new friends and colleagues, great ideas, and memories are at your fingertips. The most important thing you can bring with you is an open mind and a desire to learn and grow as an individual. Take every opportunity to network and meet fellow conference members, make sure to go on group activities and don’t miss a chance to interact with your peers and the conference speakers. There is so much experience and knowledge packed into the members that make up INA - make a commitment to soak up as much knowledge as possible during the conference so that you can hit the ground running with enthusiasm and a new ideas upon your return home.”

Tom Breedlove
With so many smart people, fresh perspectives and unique approaches to problem-solving, I think the most important thing to bring is a wide-open mind. In our rapidly-changing world, it’s important to regularly eliminate pre-conceptions and make room for new possibilities. What was the ideal way to do something a year ago may now be obsolete. Similarly, a new way to think about technology, tools or partnerships may create exciting new opportunities. It’s all there for those who are willing to participate with their mind wide open.

Kathy Webb recommends bringing a completely open mind. You are there to learn, not arrive knowing it all.

Stephanie Breedlove
I think the most important item is a fresh notepad and a commitment to think “out of the box” and take notes. This is always at the top of my list, and this will be my 16th conference. The conference is filled with new ideas, business tips, best practices, important statistics,… that get forgotten by the time you get home. A little note taking to capture some of this valuable information could make a significant difference in the success of your business.

Karen Yatsko
Bring an open mind. Don't think that you know all there is to know in your field. Whether an agency employee or a twenty year nanny, there are always topics at the INA Conference that will expand your knowledge. As a nanny, I tried to branch out and talk with others - a talk with a traveling nanny could inspire a change in the direction of my nanny career. A casual conversation with a nanny tax specialist might help my paycheck and retirement. Meeting an agency owner gave me a new perspective on how they interview parents. Bring a positive attitude. The INA Conference is a chance to meet others in your career field. If you are their complaining about your job, you going to carry around a negative vibe. Remember "Wendy Whiner" on Saturday Night Live? Stay positive and learn from others how they changed things with a positive outlook.

Becky Kavanagh
Bring an open mind - - - good no matter how many times you've come to a conference. Open yourself up to whatever comes your way. A positive attitude - - - this is experience is going to be great if you think it is. You'll meet new people, make some good friends, learn a lot and enjoy a beautiful city. Attend the Orientation on Thursday - - - before the opening reception there's a brief orientation to help new people get ready for a great conference and allows for time to ask questions about INA and the conference. You'll meet some INA members and Board members there. Make the Rounds - - - it's easy to meet a few people and then stick to them like glue, but then you'll be missing all the networking opportunities. Instead sit with new people at each luncheon or breakfast, visit the booths during network time and talk to other attendees, and yes - find some new friends to hang with as well.

Alice Shaffer wants to remind you that “Since I am playing the "raffle lady" again this year my best tip for you is bring address labels for all of the raffle tickets you will want to buy. Remember buy 5 get one free! A dollar a ticket. Lots of gifts cards, chocolate, music, and so forth. Half of all proceeds go to the Imagine Bus Project

I make a game of the conference attendee sheet and try to make sure I meet every single person who is attending the conference. I try to have a short chat with them. I have been doing this for years with all of my nanny conferences. It is a great way to meet people and network. I also send out cards in the mail or emails to people and the speakers as well after the conference.

Do you have a tip to share with first time conference attendees? We look forward to seeing many of you at conference, and for those not able to attend, we will be posting some of our favorite Regarding Nannies posts the week we are away, and look forward to sharing the information and experts we meet at conference with you in the weeks following conference.

Many thanks to all of our conference experts for sharing their thoughts and tips with us.
Taylor Augustine – Nanny
Kathy Webb – HomeWork Solutions, 4NannyTaxes.com, NannyNetwork.com
Debra Mathwig – Nanny
Kim Peters – Nanny
Erin Krex – First Class Care
Cortney Gibson – Newborn Care Specialist, Gibson Newborn Services
Christy Ochs – Nanny
April Myers – Nanny
Katie Vaughn – Westside Nannies
Becky Kavanagh – Nanny
Tom Breedlove – Breedlove & Associates
Karen Yatsko – Nanny
Pat Cascio – Morningside Nannies
Stephanie Breedlove – Breedlove & Associates

Monday Moxie: Connecting Through Online Communities

2010-05-03T01:32:00.002-04:00

The Regarding Nannies Development Team had been discussing doing an article about online protocol and we found this one by Greta Schraer on the Cincy Nanny Blog that we thought was timely and well done.

High5 Friday: Connecting Through Online Communities

There are some amazing resources available for Nannies to meet and connect - here in Cincinnati and nationally. But, what should you know before posting?
To read the rest of the article go to Greta's Cincy Nanny Blog.
High5 Friday: Connecting Through Online Communities

Weekend Roundup

2010-05-01T12:53:00.008-04:00

This week on Regarding Nannies

Monday Moxie we told you about the INA Conference Charity

On Tuesday Tips:Alice shared some tips on how to decide if your family is ready for a pet

On Wednesdays Creative Nanny, Alice shared some fun activities for Cinco de Mayo next week

On Thursday Table Talk, Glenda talked about how to help children deal with a death in the family

On Financial Friday Alice told us how you can save money when you eat out.

Next week on Regarding Nannies we will have tips on what to take when you go to the INA Conference, a new twist on a traditional Mothers Day Craft and we will tell you how "Two Angry Moms" are trying to make school lunches healthier.

Financial Friday: Saving Money While Eating Out

2010-04-30T02:30:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: Saving Money While Eating Out

by Alice Shaffer

Several of my friends keep telling me about Restaurant.Com and how awesome it is. It is a website where you can buy discounted coupons for meals at various restaurants for as much as 80% off! They are delivered immediately to your email address. You must use a credit card to purchase them.

To read the rest of this article and to find out the code for 80% off
visit The Financial Nanny
Saving Money While Eating Out

Table Talk Thursday: Helping Children Deal with a Death in the Family by Glenda Propst

2010-04-29T03:33:00.004-04:00

Between December 2009 and February 2010 we had 7 deaths, either in our circle of friends or our immediate family. Since I have several great nieces and nephews under the age of 10, the topic of talking to children about death was an important one.
When I was a child care center director, we had an adorable little 4 year old girl who stopped taking naps. Her mom (who was the mother of 9) came to me and said “I don’t know what is wrong. Since her Pop Pop died she doesn’t sleep anymore. She isn’t sleeping at night either. I said “When PopPop died what did you tell her?” and she said “I told her PopPop was…………………………..oh my gosh I told her that he was sleeping.” She went home that day and had an honest talk with her daughter about PopPop and her daughter immediately fell asleep because she was simply exhausted.
When dealing with children and death you need to keep it simple and talk to them in concrete terms. Do not lie to children and tell them that Grandma is sleeping or Grandma is an angel now. Children need and deserve honest simple answers to help them cope with the loss of someone they love. Allow children to ask questions and give them honest answers.
It’s a good idea to find out first what they already know or what they think happened. This way you can clarify misinformation. Don’t give them more information than they need to know or more information than they ask for.
When my dad died, my 5 year old charge came to the funeral home and his greatest concern was “Where are Nannypa’s feet?” He thought that when you died they put you in a box and they had to cut off your legs to make you fit. We explained to him that nannypaws feet were still there, he just could not see them. That was enough reassurance for him.
Don’t try to shield children from what is going on. Lying to them only makes them feel less secure. It is an important life lesson for them to learn.
Give them choices and let them make decisions about what they want to do or how they will participate in the memorial service, wake or funeral. Do not force them to do anything that they don’t want to do.
Think about the person who died, what the visitation will be like .Will it be quiet and somber or will there will be lots of relatives and friends that will be talking about happy memories?
This can also effect a child and how they view their first experience with the loss of someone they love.It isn’t just who died, it is also how the death is handled or the life is celebrated that helps to teach children important life lessons.
It is helpful to realize that children understand more as they get older but death can be more serious and dramatic as the children get older and are better able to understand the finality of a death.
A baby or a toddler might sense that you are sad or they may be aware of a change in their schedule but they can’t really understand what is happening and they may have little or no memory of the event .
PreSchoolers may see a death as something that is reversible. For example: If they watch television they might see someone die on one channel and then turn the channel and see them alive in another show, so this sends a mixed message.This is also an age where children have vivid imaginations and might enjoy make believe or fairy tales where the princess falls asleep but the prince’s kiss can wake her. You have to be prepared to answer all kinds of questions.
As the adults in the lives of children it is our job to be in tune to them, listen to them and give them honest answers to their questions in words that they can understand.
School age children can understand that death is final. They have started to learn about the human body and how it works and what it needs to work, so if you can tell them that “Grandpa’s heart didn’t work correctly and medicine couldn’t fix it, so his heart stopped working and he died, a school age child can understand that concept.
Middle School age kids understand that death is final but it might cause them to be angry or frustrated or scared as they cope with their grief.
High School age kids are more likely to retreat within themselves or seek outside sources to help them deal with their grief. This might be a time when they seek out solace and support with their friends or have a greater need to be with their friends. This could also be a time when they turn to alcohol or drugs to help them ease their pain, so again it is important to be available to the children in your life as they process grief.
It is also important to realize that grief is a process and it is not over in a day or a week. Everyone grieves differently.
There are 2 books that I purchased that I felt were very helpful and simple.
The first is one that my employer told me about several years ago. It is called “When Someone Dies” This book is simple and basic and could be used for a child or an adult of any age. It deals with feelings and what you might be thinking as you process the grief or loss.
The second is one that I heard about through the nanny grapevine called “Tear Soup” This one was especially helpful in our family because the main character in the book is named “Grandy” and this is what my sisters grandchildren call her.
There are a lot of wonderful resources on the internet that can help you support a child through a loss.
You might want to consider buying a few of these books so that when the inevitable happens you will be prepared.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Cinco De Mayo

2010-04-28T03:00:00.001-04:00

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Cinco de Mayo

Next Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo! Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexico's heritage and pride. Many restaurants and bars in the US celebrate Cinco de Mayo, so why not have a Cinco de Mayo celebration with the kids!

You can invite some friends over for a little Cinco de Mayo luncheon and craft time.

To read the rest of the Cinco de Mayo Creative Nanny Wednesday please visit:
Creative Nanny: Cinco de Mayo

Tuesday Tips: The Kids Want A Pet: Are They Ready?

2010-04-27T02:30:00.003-04:00

Tuesday Tips: The Kids Want A Pet: Are They Ready? by Alice Shaffer

One of my nanny families had the best idea for when the kids asked for a pet. They had a process they had to go through before the parents would give them a final answer.

They were required to read a book or more on the animal of their choice that they were interested in. After they read the book, they had to write a paper on the animal and why they wanted it.

What is to be included in the paper:

What kind of animal are they interested in?
Why are they interested in this animal
What types of food does the animal need.
What type of attention does the animal require
Does the animal require vet care?
What will you do when you go on vacations with the animal?
Does the animal cause any known allergies to people?
Who will be paying for the supplies of the animal?
Who will be feeding the animal? When?
Who will be responsible for cleaning up after the animal
How long is the animal life span?
If trainable, who will be training the animal?
Where will the animal sleep?
Does the animal make a good family pet?
Any other facts you have found interesting.

This is a project that the kids can work on together, but they must read a book about the animal etc. So an older child can read a book out loud to a younger child who doesn't read.

This research on pets has been very helpful in the house because there are numerous allergies to animals. The kids ended up with goldfish from the fair, betta fish from the store and have two parakeets now. What is really nice about this is that the kids need to invest time in the animal besides "Mom, I really really want a puppy". The kids have stopped researching several animals such as the ferrets when they are known to cause allergies in people. Other times they realized that the pets they were interested in were not as cool as they thought.

Good Luck with the upcoming summer and kids wanting a new pet for the family. Try this tip out and let me know how it goes.

Monday Moxie: The Imagine Bus Project-INA Conference Charity 2010

2010-04-26T02:30:00.000-04:00

Monday Moxie: The Imagine Bus Project- INA Conference Charity for 2010

This year, INA has selected The Imagine Bus Project as its Annual Conference Charity. The Imagine Bus Project (TIBP) is an arts education organization that addresses the lack of visual arts programming in kindergarten through 12th grade by providing arts education to underserved children and youth in partnership with local school districts, juvenile detention centers, after school programs and community based youth organizations throughout the Bay Area.

The Imagine Bus Project reaches out to youth in underserved communities and provides them with sustained, positive and creative outlets for personal expression. Using visual arts techniques and working closely within communities, professional artists and educators bring thoughtful ideas to youth and empower them to explore their potential, develop critical thinking skills and build their self-esteem.

In addition to supporting The Imagine Bus Project through our Annual Conference raffle, local nanny support groups may wish to gather art supplies to donate. Due to the nature of the programming, it is asked only the following supplies on their wishlist be donated.

The Imagine Bus Project supplies wishlist includes:

Paint brushes
Acrylic paints
Drawing paper
Water color paper
Video projector

Please email admin@nanny.org if your group plans to donate supplies.

Saturday evening from 5:00 to 6:30pm will be the INA Conference Raffle. Your "Raffle Lady" Alice Shaffer and her Raffle helpers will be talking to you throughout the conference to get raffle tickets in your hands. Half of all monies raised during this raffle will go to the Imagine Bus Project. Make sure to bring your address labels to put on your raffle tickets. There are so many awesome raffle gifts for you to win. Help raise funds for the Imagine Bus Project while having fun at the INA Conference this year.

Weekend Round Up

2010-04-24T03:00:00.001-04:00

This has been another great week on Regarding Nannies!

Make sure to stop by and leave your comments! Our contributors love hearing from you our readers on their contributions and ideas. Please spread the word on the articles via the ReTweet button and the Share This button at the bottom of the articles. This helps others find out about Regarding Nannies and the awesome blog posts we offer. Thank you for your continued support of us!

Monday Moxie: To Be Or Not Be A Celebrity Nanny by Katie Vaughan

Tuesday Tips: Earth Day Tips For A Longer Use Of The Earth by Alice Shaffer

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Pasta Butterfly by Nanny Gael Ann & her "creative assistant"

Table Talk Thursday: Reflecting back on 2009: Mary Ann X Meddish INA NOTY

Financial Friday: $79.99 for $100 worth of Check Certificates for the Hyatt Hotels. This is great for the upcoming INA Conference, or your summer vacations!

Financial Friday: $79.99 For $100 Check Certificates For Hyatt Hotels

2010-04-23T02:30:00.003-04:00

Financial Friday: $79.99 For $100 Check Certificates For Hyatt Hotels

by Alice Shaffer

About two weeks ago, I received an email from Kim P., a professional nanny and Regarding Nannies follower, telling me that she was in Costco and found that they sell Hyatt Check Certificates in the value of $100 (two $50) for $79.99. She said she wanted to let the Financial Nanny know ASAP! I was floored! The INA Conference is at the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf and we have an awesome rate of $115 a night plus 15.5% tax. Could I honestly save another $20 a night with these Hyatt Check Certificates?

To read the rest of this article please visit
The Financial Nanny:
$79.99 For $10 Check Certificates for Hyatt Hotels

Thursday Table Talk:Reflecting back on 2009: Mary Ann X Meddish INA NOTY

2010-04-22T02:28:00.004-04:00

By Glenda Propst

As her year of being INA Nanny of the Year draws to a close, we asked Mary Ann Meddish some questions about her last year.

What did being NOTY mean to you?
I believe that being selected as a Nanny of the Year should not be looked at as a pinnacle of achievement but instead as a commitment to continue on as an example of what it means to do your personal best in this career choice and industry. Being the 2009 Nanny of the Year means that I have been recognized for who I am and what I have done so far during my career in an industry that has not yet come into its own. It also means that I will forever be looked to as an example, and that I have an obligation to continue to follow my goals of constantly learning and striving to be one of the best at what I do.

Was it what you expected it would be, why or why not?
I knew that there were certain tasks and duties set before me as the 2009 Nanny of the Year that I would be expected to complete but I also knew that each past NOTY has brought something deferent to this recognition and that it was my job to make it my own. I cannot say that I reached the masses and made people listen, as I have never been one to seek attention. Instead I looked at my time as the Nanny of the Year as an opportunity to help strengthen the potential leaders of tomorrow, to encourage others in the industry to continue working towards their personal best and to recognize their strengths and achievements and to truly see what they have become and what they have to offer to this industry as it moves into the future and claims the positive recognition that it deserves.

How did it change you?
Being selected as the 2009 NOTY forced me to step up in a more noticeable way instead of my usual role of hiding behind the more outgoing and vocal members of our industry where I was (and still am) very content to play the role of a supporting them in getting things done.

What was the highlight of your year?
It may seem strange (it certainly surprised me) but one of the highlights of this year was facing my fears and speaking at last year’s conference. There have been times I have found myself involved in something before a group without warning and I always felt so self conscious and scared of messing up that I couldn’t get into it or enjoy it. There was no way I would volunteer and step out there willingly and just go for it.

What surprised you the most?
Receiving this recognition threw me right in the middle of my fears, on a stage with the job of addressing my peers, showing my appreciation, and encouraging other nannies, while also letting people get to know me a bit more. I promise I was shaking when I stepped up to deliver that speech but I accomplished that task and got a couple of laughs in the process. I have found myself before groups a few times recently and I am now able to fear it less and actually enjoy it a little bit.

What is your message to the new NOTY and do you have any encouraging words or advice for future candidates?
I am proud of the people in this industry; of what we are and what we are becoming and I am honored to address them as my peers. As I look to the future I hope and pray that others making this career choice and getting involved in this industry will allow themselves to learn and grow and try new things and reach their full potential. I hope to see the leaders of tomorrow coming into their own and stepping out of that comfortable place where they say ‘being a nanny is my job’ to owning the statement ‘being a nanny is my career’ to responding to the calling to make a difference and stepping up to be involved with the growth of our industry. We are nannies and we have the ability to do amazing things!

Pasta Butterfly by Nanny Gael Ann and her "creative assistant)

2010-04-21T09:03:00.003-04:00

Today my creative assistant and two little friends are going to show you how to make this lovely spring craft.

Go the Creative Nanny site to get the directions for this fun spring craft.

Tuesday Tips: Earth Day Tips For a Longer Use Of The Earth

2010-04-20T02:30:00.000-04:00

Tuesday Tips: Earth Day Tips For A Longer Use Of The Earth by Alice Shaffer

This Thursday, April 22, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day is to celebrate Earth and to bring awareness to our resources.

Earth Day Network has an Earth Day TV which has channels that cover Global Warming, Get Active, Alternative Energy, Greener Living, Authors, In the Classroom and Earth Day. There are many videos that you can watch and learn more about Earth and how to protect it.

Over at Earth911 they have a great series of tips called 40 Tips 40th Earth Day.
What is neat is that it gives you the fact, do something and a link to something more on each of the 40 tips. So you can gain a lot of knowledge on each of the tips.
Here is a list of the current tips:

40. Newspaper
39. Aluminum Cans
38. Clothing
37. Plastic Bottles
36. Cardboard
35. Glass
34. Magazines
33. Paperboard
32. Inkjet Cartridges
31. Phone Books
30. Cell Phones
29. Aerosol Cans
28. Motor Oil
27. To Go Containers
26. Tires
25. Bottle Caps
24. Composting
23. Appliances
22. Packaging Peanuts
21. CDs & DVDs
20. Pizza Boxes
19. Keys
18. Wine Corks
17. Trophies
16. Hair
15. Crayons
14. Snack Wrappers
13. Yoga Mats
12. Surfboards
11. Cooking Oil
10. Plastic Bags
9. Batteries
8-1 include Lightbulbs, Cleaning Products, Paint, Electronics, TVs, Snack bags,

I was really surprised to learn that Hair is great for composting! What surprised you by these tips? Did you learn something new?

Monday Moxie: To Be Or Not Be A Celebrity Nanny

2010-04-19T02:30:00.000-04:00

To Be Or Not Be A Celebrity Nanny
by Katie Vaughan

So…you want to be a celebrity nanny. Let’s start with what a year in the life of a celebrity nanny would look like. I apologize, I must have mistyped…life? Let me break it to you gently - it’s highly likely you won’t have much of a life. Celebrity families often demand a minimum schedule of 60+ hours per week and around-the-clock flexibility. And speaking of flexibility, prepare to have your definition of the word expanded. It is not unusual for celebrity families to change their schedule frequently and you must be willing to adapt, even if it means cancelling the plans you’ve had lined up for months. In addition to long hours and flexibility, you must be prepared for extensive travel, have a thick skin, commit to complete confidentiality, be extremely detail-oriented, and always have a positive and cheerful attitude.

If you feel you meet the bill and are comfortable with the lifestyle outlined above, let’s look at the qualifications you should have. A celebrity nanny will need at least five years of full-time experience in a highly demanding nanny position, have experience traveling with your previous employers, be a pro at packing and keeping children entertained on long-flights, have amazing references, a spotless background, and be up for a challenge. Additionally, you should not be star-struck and should not have any personal aspirations in the entertainment industry. Apart from this, celebrity moms and dads are just like anyone else – they want a loving, professional nanny who is passionate about working with children.

The next step is to work on your presentation. In order to be placed with a celebrity family, you will want to work with the top agency in your respective city. You must understand that a top agency likely receives hundreds of resumes each week from qualified nannies just like you – so how do you make yourself stand out? Put together a professional nanny portfolio. Your portfolio should include a cover letter, professional nanny resume, in-depth reference letters from all of your previous employers, any diplomas and/or certifications, proof of current CPR and First Aid certification, pictures of you with past families/charges, and any additional information you feel represents you as a nanny. When you interview with the agent, make sure you are well groomed and appropriately dressed. Be on time and bring your “A” game. First impressions are priceless and in the fast-paced agency world, they matter. Big time!

Now that we’ve covered the lifestyle, what it takes, and how to get started, it’s time for the good news. What are the benefits of being a celebrity nanny? Let’s start with salary – celebrity nannies typically earn between $1,000-$2,000/week plus benefits. You likely will have the opportunity to travel and see the world in a way most don’t – first class. It is also not unheard of for celebrity nannies to receive perks that the average nanny doesn’t, including gifts, clothing, vacations, etc. And in this troubled economy, it’s also important to note that being employed by a celebrity is much more recession-proof than working with families employed in other industries, and will also bolster your resume the next time you are job hunting.

As you can see, working as a celebrity nanny definitely has its perks, but it is by no means easy. Hollywood is not for the faint of heart.

Katie Vaughan is the founder of Beverly Hills-based nanny agency, Westside Nannies. Westside Nannies has been featured on The Insider, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, and the Dr. Phil Show, as well as profiled in inTouch Magazine, The Daily News, and the LA Times for their work placing nannies with high profile and celebrity families.

Financial Friday: Fresh Air & Nature are Free!

2010-04-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

Fresh Air & Nature are Free!

by Alice Shaffer

Makes one think.....Isn't fresh air & nature already free? Yes they are free. I am referring to the US National Park Services . April 17-April 25 is National Park Week with the US Park Services! This also happens to fall during the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Tuesday April 20. The Blue Ridge Parkway is also celebrating its' 75th anniversary!

To read the rest of the article please visit:

The Financial Nanny: Fresh Air & Nature Are Free!

Thursday Table Talk: Christy O & Her Grandson Donavan

2010-04-15T03:00:00.001-04:00

Donavan
By: Christy Ochs

In November, 2008 my healthy, active 10 year old grandson Donavan became ill with strep throat, and was later diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus. He had a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, and felt pretty sick. No one, including the doctors was very worried until Donavan’s condition rapidly began to deteriorate. Instead of getting better, his fever spiked and his lymph nodes grew to almost the size of baseballs. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Fortunately there was a doctor on staff at the Children’s Hospital who specialized in immune disorders, and he quickly ordered tests which confirmed that Donavan was suffering from a rare immune disorder called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (or HLH).

HLH occurs mostly in infants and children, but occurs in only about 1.2 per million people. This is truly a devastating disease. We were told that had Donavan not been diagnosed when he was, he would have died. The disease had affected almost all of his internal organs. He had almost no immune system, he was basically an “open wound”.

The only effective treatment for HLH is a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately Donavan would have to achieve some level of good health before they could perform a transplant and because of his compromised immune system, he was constantly sick. By Februray 2009 he was battling frequent pneumonia, countless infections and finally Cancer. He was on high doses of steroids, and intensive chemotherapy. He was in the hospital most of the time, and could not attend school or be around other children.

Finally, on January 1, 2010 Donavan had his bone marrow transplant. After many close calls, and terrible side effects, in mid March it was determined that he had grafted and he was released from the hospital.
Donavan will continue to be closely monitored, throughout his life. He still requires weekly infusions and platelets, and spends about 3 days a week in clinic. He will not be able to attend school for 2 more years, and will have to wear a mask when out in public for the next year. But he is well on the road to recovery, and we are so thankful.

Throughout Donavan’s worst days, I leaned on my strong network of Nanny friends for their encouragement support and prayers. Many of these Nannies I knew only from INA and other Nanny organizations, but on many days these loving and nurturing women helped carry me along. There is never a crisis that comes up that I don’t feel that I can call on this incredible support system to reassure me. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a loving community.

Christy Ochs is the INA's 2007 Nanny of the Year. She is the founder of the Denver Area Nanny Association.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Letterboxing!

2010-04-14T02:30:00.000-04:00

Letterboxing
by Tara Lindsay

I can’t wait for spring, and neither can my three young charges (ages 3, 3, and 4). We’ve been cooped up most of the winter, either trapped inside by snow too deep for their tiny legs to wade through, weather too cold for their sensitive preferences, or various vomit viruses. We’ve had theme days, playdate parties, field trips, art projects, baking projects, and lots of other indoor fun but we’re ready to be back outside every day.

And mostly, we are ready to pick up where we left off with our adventures in letterboxing . We took up letterboxing last year when I went searching for an all ages outdoor activity that would demand my charges (then 2,2, and 4) work together as a TEAM rather than as competitors. It was love at first hunt.

To read the rest of the Letterboxing article please visit
The Creative Nanny: Letterboxing!

Tuesday Tips: Three Websites That Focus On Health & Kids!

2010-04-13T03:00:00.000-04:00

One of our readers, April K, shared with us three wonderful websites she found about health & kids via her charge's school. The school had sent home a paper listing a lot of helpful websites for parents. April thought that the Regarding Nannies' readers and other nannies & parents would like to know about them as well. Today she shares three of the websites that focus on health & kids.

Be Active Kids

This is a program that Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina developed about promoting good nutrition, and physical activity in children. They teach this by using characters, game and coloring pages, along with a free curriculum you can request if you live in North Carolina. They have a great link about preschoolers and how much time they should be participating in physical activity. Along with a link to the government My Pyramid site that is just for preschoolers. This site also has some printable physical activity calendars that you can download and use. The only problem that I found with the website is the fact that some of the links did not work.

My Pyramid Website

This website is part of the Federal Governments plan to help American’s have a healthier lifestyle. This website is very easy to navigate and has many neat features. They have a whole section of the website just devoted to pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding. They also have a section of the website for kids both 2-5 year olds and 6-11 year olds, however there was not an area for children who are older than 11 years old. The 2-5 year old section also has sample menus and ideas on how to handle picky eaters including more ideas and some common types of picky eaters. The site has coloring pages, poster and an on-line game, you use food and exercise to power a rocket ship to another planet. The thing I thought was the neatest was the fact that you could look up a food and it would tell you what part of the pyramid it came under, it is called the “foodapedia”, it also gives you a calorie amount for the food.

Kids Health Website

This was a very neat website for parents, kids and teenagers. It includes TONS of information. Under each heading (ex parents) there was probably 15 + topics and those were broken down even more. Under the parenting heading there was things like positive parenting, a pregnancy calendar and recipes and healthy ideas. The kids heading had a neat section that talked about what will happen when you go and see different professionals, like nurses, doctors and even therapist. The teen section had a lot of wonderful information just for teenagers, such as about mental health, drugs and alcohol, sexual health and safe driving. This site was the first that I looked at that had a good list of things for teenagers and that is an important age when dealing with health issues.

April Krause (Gradowski) is currently a live-out nanny for a 4 year old and a 2 year old in Northville, Michigan. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College in 2005. She attended the English Nanny and Governess School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. After completing her nanny training she worked in the Washington D.C. area for a family with three girls. She then was the lead teacher in a 2 year old classroom for a day care center in Westland, Michigan.

April currently lives in Livonia, Michigan, is married to a wonderful man, and has 2 step-daughters and a cat. She serves on the Michigan Professional Nanny Association (MPNA) Board of Directors and participates in several national and international nanny support forums.

Week of the Young Child - Early Years Are Learning Years

2010-04-12T04:00:00.000-04:00

April 11 - 17, 2010

Early Years Are Learning Years®

Week of the Young Child is held each year to honor young children and thank teachers and all those who make a difference in young children’s lives.

NAEYC encourages state and local Affiliates, early childhood programs, and organizations who work on behalf of young children to plan WOYC events that will bring your community together.

Many nanny groups across the country hold events, some to coincide with WOYC. You can see a list of known events on the Nanny Groups blog.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high performing and inclusive organization.

Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 90,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.

Membership is open to all individuals who share a desire to serve and act on behalf of the needs and rights of all young children.

Weekend Round Up

2010-04-10T13:54:00.003-04:00

Monday Moxie: We shared the essay from Heather McKinley. The recipient of the INA Conference Scholarship

Tuesday Tips: Kellie shared some tips on writing thank you notes.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Alice Shaffer shared a great recipe for making "Sea Glass Candy"

Thursday Table Talk: Glendaalong with help from Kris Kanoski, Myrna Alphonse and Mary Ann Meddish, shared some great tips for embracing the grandparents when they visit.

Financial Friday: Alice shared some ideas for helping kids understand money.

Next week on Regarding Nannies:
We will tell you about "The Week of the Young Child" , have an article about "Letterboxing" and another great nanny story on Table Talk Thursday.
If you are going to the INA Conference, you won't want to miss Alice's Financial Friday. It will save you up to $20 a day on your hotel!

Financial Friday: Kids & Money

2010-04-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

Financial Friday: Kids & Money

by Alice Shaffer

I have been wanting to do a post on teaching kids about money. Some of the things that I want included are how to incorporate savings, spending & charity into the lesson on money. As a professional nanny of teenagers they have a different outlook on money then younger kids do. I was reminded about my desire for doing this post because of meeting up with an old friend for dinner. She has a teenager who will be going overseas later this year for three weeks. The parents told the child that they were providing the plane ticket, hotel/lodging and food money, but the child would have to save and earn the spending the money. This teenager who is in 8th grade has less then $100 saved and will be leaving in about six weeks for Europe. The teenager has been given opportunities to earn money and save it as well. The teenager has chosen to buy this item and that item instead of saving for Europe. The parents have reminded the child with each purchase of the upcoming trip and that there is no additional spending money available to them. So what will this teenager do when they are in Europe and see a wonderful item that they want? Will they think about that awesome CD they bought back in April they just had to have? It is a thing of the past and probably not even thought of anymore. So how do you teach children about money and financial responsibility?

Be sure to jump over to The Financial Nanny to read more

Financial Friday: Kids & Money

Thursday Table Talk: Surviving Grandma by Glenda Propst

2010-04-08T02:38:00.003-04:00

Surviving Grandma (or any other unexpected houseguest)

It’s not in your work agreement, it’s not a workshop at any conference you have ever been to, yet every professional nanny needs to know “How to survive a visit from the grandparents or the aunts or the cousins or any other out of town guests that will disrupt the daily flow.” For the duration of this article I will refer to the visitor as “Grandma”
I have always worked for families whose relatives lived out of town. I believe that you have to look at visiting family as an exciting event instead of a dreaded occasion.
My first suggestion is to discuss the visit with your employer in a positive way.
Ask a little bit about grandma, maybe there is a reason why she is coming.Ask what she is like, what she likes to do, if she likes to go sightseeing, if you are going to be expected to drive her, how your employer wants you to handle the discipline issues and what you can expect while grandma is visiting. Is it ok to let grandma break the rules? If your employer says yes it’s ok then maybe the two of you can discuss which rules are house rules that are to never be broken. It’s a good idea to establish these guidelines with your employer regardless, so look at this as a positive opportunity for communication. Other things to discuss with your employer at this time would be:
If grandma tells you to go home early, is it ok if you leave?
Is it ok to leave grandma in a room alone with the children?
Is it ok if you run errands and leave the children with grandma?
Having this conversation ahead of time will help you know what to expect and what your employer expects of you.
Treat grandma as you would treat a guest in your own home.
Show grandma that you are a professional and pay attention to her interaction with the children.
Let Grandma be Grandma
Sometimes as nannies we consider someone else's home our turf when in reality, it isn't. It is inconvenient when Grandma comes and breaks the rules, but if this was your child wouldn't you want them to be able to have good memories of their Grandma even if she lived far away? Think about what it means to your employer to be able to know that her children are spending precious time with their family and that they don’t have to be pressured to take a week off work.
Most grandparents just want to spend time with the grandkids but some don't. This is why it is important to discuss this with your employer ahead of time.

Kristen Kanoski, a 20 year professional nanny veteran and mother of 2 year old Jack offers this advice:
You have to take the attitude of "these are her grandchildren and if she wants to spoil them, she can". I didn’t always get excited about the grandparents/or grandmother coming. I did try to make it the best visit when they came. I learned what each one liked and didn't like and worked the grandparents schedule into ours. I had grandparents who didn't do any sightseeing and just wanted to hang out with us and grandparents who went sightseeing and only saw the kids when the parents were home. I went about our normal routine, until I figured out the people who were visiting.
You might plan some activities at the house, something you would do anyway, like baking cookies, or an art project and see if the grandma wants to help.
I had one grandma that questioned everything I did. She would ask me questions like “Why did you pick that toy for her to play with?” Instead getting upset about it I just turned it around and asked her what she would done, and boy did she tell me! It opened up the door to communication with her and even though I didn’t agree with all of her ideas about child developmentI just listened to what she had to say.Since I worked for this family for 8 years, there were lots of visits and lots of discussions but we learned a lot from each other.

Myrna Alphonse, M.A./NCC and professional nanny for 15 years says:
I LOVE the Grandparents. They have been some of my best advocates in my jobs. I believe partially because I am an old soul, and they are "old schooled" as I believe in for kids. Second, the Grans can offer so much dynamic insight to the family you work for and the interpersonal dynamics that have often left me puzzled. I take it with a grain of salt, know that there is an end date in mind, and stay super busy to avoid conflict. She may even be an asset to help you have a little one on one time with one of your charges that needs some extra TLC.

Mary Ann Meddish, the current INA Nanny of the Year offers this advice:
Every job is different as well as every grandparent. try to look at the grandparents coming as a gift to the children. Make sure mom knows the schedule and that you have the authority to follow it and from there go with the flow and think of ideas that will work with the kind of grandma this child has been blessed with.
One grandma loved to cook and my charges baked every day after nap with her and I typed up the recipes and took photos of them cooking and the children decorated the pages and made a cookbook. One grandma came from England for a month at a time and she was totally hands on so when she came we made plans to celebrate her arrival and departure, scheduled fun activities, many times the parents planned vacations while she was with us, and I made all the doctor and dentist appointments I could fit in knowing she was happy to stay with he kids. The flip side of this one was that 6 months later we went and stayed with Grandma in England and France for 4 weeks and the next year we visited England and Spain for 6 weeks.
With one grandma I learned to give her a schedule for her visit so she knew what was happening when and she would occasionally attend an activity or ask to ride along to the mall and sometimes even suggest an activity where there was an empty time slot. The key is always to remember that having a grandparent is a gift and they might not have them long and you want them to have happy memories and mementos of times with grandparents even if it totally mucks up your week!

In the end, it’s not really about “surviving the grandparents” as much as it is “embracing them” Grandparents have the right to spend time with their grandchildren and if we want the best for the children in our care we need to make the effort to allow them to enjoy it. My dad bosses mom used to come and hang out with us when my employers went away for the weekend. We bonded for life over something I still laugh about. My charge was 9 months old. Grandma or (Gammu as he called her) said that she would like to have some really good pizza for dinner.
We went to a nice pizza restaurant. My charge didn’t like it in his high chair and trying to avoid a meltdown I let him sit on my lap. His applesauce was still sitting on the tray of the high chair. Suddenly he decided he wanted down. He let out a horrible scream, kicked his foot, hit the tray of the high chair and sent the high chair to the ground, and applesauce straight into the air. As the applesauce came down, it rained applesauce everywhere. The waiter came to clean up.
No words were spoken. I gathered our things, and Grandma and I headed for the door. She whispered “you go ahead, I will get the bill.” The minute I was out the door my charge stopped screaming. Grandma came out and we walked silently to the car. As I was putting my charge in his car seat, he decided he wasn’t doing that either. He arched his back and let out a blood curdling scream. I didn’t know what Grandma was doing, all I could think of was that she must think I was the worst nanny in the world and how was I going to get through the rest of the weekend.
I finally wrestled my charge into his car seat, got into the drivers seat with all the dignity I could muster for someone covered in applesauce, and tried to pull myself together before I started the car.
Grandma turned around to my charge in the backseat, looked at him pensively and said “So………………..your daddy thinks your perfect!”
I looked at Grandma and she looked at me and we both started laughing. We sat in the car and laughed for 10 minutes, but in that 10 minutes we bonded for life. After that when she came to visit we would giggle and laugh and talk about her life and talk about my life and her visits were one of the highlights of my job. A year later when I met my husband, Gammu had to give her approval, so we took my charge and drove 3 hours to her house to spend the weekend. (She highly approved) She came to my wedding and she painted us a beautiful watercolor print that hangs proudly in our dining room.
She sent us cookies at Christmas and clever notes with recipes and great ideas. I have so many fond memories of her and I am so thankful that we bonded.

Grandma has the right to visit her grandchildren. Try to embrace her instead of survive her.
Do your best to build a bridge, do your best to create a bond and you won’t regret it. You can help give your charges important time with grandma, help them create precious memories and you might even make a friend or learn something in the process.

Creative Nanny: Sea Glass Candy

2010-04-07T03:00:00.000-04:00

Making Sea Glass Candy
by Alice Shaffer

As a child, when I visited my Grandparents in Pennsylvania, we would get a candy called "clear toys" They were clear candies in the shapes of animals and so forth.

To read more about the
Making Sea Glass Candy please visit

Creative Nanny

The Art of Writing a Thank You

2010-04-06T04:00:00.000-04:00

by Kellie Geres
Regarding Nannies Development Team

This past holiday season, one of my tasks was to sit with my 13 and 15 year old and have them write thank you’s to the various relatives and friends that had gifted them for the holidays.
What a task! The 13 year old had them done in no time – sincere, thoughtful, mentioned the gift, wrote a personal note, signed, sealed and ready to address. Fast forward to the 15 year old – sat, and sat some more ... yep still sitting. Could not write a thank you note. Would start, make a small mistake, cross it out and start over on the same thank you note! Ugh! Finally, they were done, but I had to think there has got to be a better way and a lesson to write thank yous.

So here are a few tips to keep in mind in The Art of Writing a Thank You:
• Discuss why it’s important to write a thank you note.
• All gifts should be acknowledged with a thank you, unless you personally thanked the gift giver when you were opening the gift. Providing a thank you is a sign of respect.
• For an age appropriate listing of thank you’s for kids, check out what Emily Post has to say.
• Write notes as soon as possible and make them creative, getting everyone involved who received a gift.
• Schedule a time that you plan to write the thank you notes. Making it a task to complete will help them get done.
• Email is not an option when acknowledging a gift with a thank you.
Another great resource on writing thank yous and getting children involved.

What do you do to get your children or charges to write thank yous?

Monday Moxie: INA Scholarship Essay

2010-04-05T03:00:00.004-04:00

INA Scholarship Essay
by Heather McKinley

For as long as I can remember children have been my passion in life. In the summer of 2007 I was given a wonderful opportunity that changed my path in life. I left my school and home in Indiana to live with a family in Maryland for the summer to be the nanny for two girls. By the end of the summer, not only did I want to stay, but I had changed my major from Elementary Education to Children’s Ministry.

As I got into my new classes I knew I had made the right decision and was already thinking ahead to my next summer. That summer I spent six weeks in California for a Children’s Ministry practicum. A week later I went back to Indiana to start my new nanny job for a little girl to finish out my summer.

While I finished my last semester at Indiana Wesleyan in December 2008 I knew I wanted to find another nanny position. I moved again to watch a little boy and fully enjoyed those seven months. I got married and again we moved; this time to Cincinnati, Ohio. This brought a new and wonderful beginning to where I am today.

When I became a nanny in 2007 I did not know there was such a thing as a Professional Nanny. However, when I moved to Cincinnati in late 2009 I found a wonderful group to be a part of called CincyNanny. I learned that I could be a Professional Nanny and be part of an even larger organization. I was then able to find that the International Nanny Association offers a conference to help nannies around the world be better employees and better individuals. On our own each one of us can do good things, but as a group we can learn from each other and do great things. This made me want to be a part of the puzzle.

The INA Conference to me is a way to complete the puzzle. I not only want to put my piece in, but be joined by the pieces (people) around me so I can grow and become a better nanny for my family. There are many skills I feel I would learn by attending this conference. The first one being that I would love to become a professional, credentialed nanny. I would do this by coming Thursday to take the INA Nanny Credential Exam Review and Exam. Second, many of the classes resonate with what I am doing in my job now. Four of these classes are: “Positive Discipline for Young Children”, “Working with Families in Stress”, “Learning Through Play”, and “Is Food Your Enemy—or Your Best Friend? How to Handle Your Food and Weight Issues”.

My time at this conference would not be wasted and my employers’ family and I would both benefit from this time in the long run.

Heather has been a nanny since the summer of 2007. She has been caring for two boys under the age of 3 since October. She nannies near the Blue Ash & Indian Hill area. She is a live out nanny. She is a proud member of the INA & CincyNanny

Week End Round UP

2010-04-04T07:57:00.004-04:00

In case you missed something this week, here is our weekend "Round Up"
On Monday Moxie we announced our INA Scholarship Recipient.
On Tuesday Tips, Alice shared with us an article about cleaning out your "inbox" (Can't we all use that information!)
On Creative Nanny Wednesday, Glenda shared a couple of ideas for April fools day jokes and a few of our readers responded with very tircks of their own.
On Thursday Table Talk, Glenda shared an article on employer, employee communication.
On Financial Friday Alice shared with us ways that we trick ourselves into saving money.

This week on Regarding Nannies, we will publish the essay from our scholarship recipient, tell you how to make "Sea Glass Candy",share tips on how to write thank you notes and start our series of articles on insurance. Lots of good information that you don't want to miss!

Financial Friday: Do You Trick Yourself Into Saving Money?

2010-04-02T03:00:00.000-04:00

Do You Trick Yourself Into Saving Money?

This past week I was I looking for some papers and found a bank envelope with $100 in it. This was exciting as I was going to be meeting a friend for dinner later that night. I got to thinking, what other money do I have hiding from myself. This money was great as it was a "additional" amount of money for my allowance. This means that I have another $100 to pay towards my bills this month. Anything to pay ahead is great.

To read the rest of this article please visit The Financial Nanny

Thursday Table Talk: Great communication benefits everyone

2010-04-01T02:42:00.002-04:00

Great Communication Benefits Everyone
by Glenda Propst

Good relationships must have a foundation.
Communication is the foundation of a good employer/employee relationship.
Communication begins with the first interview, and is an ongoing process between the nanny and the parents. During the interview, expectations of both parties need to be clearly defined and understood.
¨ Guidelines regarding discipline must be established and agreed upon in the beginning, and they need to be refined and adjusted as the need arises.
¨ Consistency is crucial.
¨ Children need to know they can take you at your word.
¨ Children need limits. it is important for the nanny and the parents to present a united front. This means that if one of the parents has a problem with the way the nanny is disciplining, they will discuss it in private, not in front of the children.
Communication must be implemented into the daily schedule.
Some ways to do this :
¨ Notes
¨ Journals,
¨ Conversation,
¨ Phone calls throughout the day.
¨ Short talks (come 10 minutes early, stay IO minutes late)
¨ Dinner away from the house without the children (this is relaxing, non-threatening, neutral territory.
¨ Family meetings
Things to Remember:
¨ As nannies especially when we live in, we have a tendency to take everything personally.
¨ Try not take everything personally. Sometimes your employer is in a bad mood because he/she ( or they both) had a bad day, not because of something you did or did not do.
¨ Sometimes parents don't even realize that what they are doing is upsetting us.
¨ Don't assume your employer can read your mind.
¨ Say the words.
¨ Learn to stand up for yourself.
¨ When you finally have the opportunity to sit and talk to the parents about a concern or a problem, here are some suggestions for making the most of the opportunity.
¨ Be Prepared
¨ Learn to distinguish between what is important what is not important.
¨ Take time to prepare an agenda of what you want to talk about.
¨ Under each item make a list of the points you want to make.
¨ If you write it down, you will not forget anything.
¨ The other advantage to writing things down is that it sends a very clear message to your employers that his was important to you and you prepared for it.
¨ Try to balance the negative with the positive.
¨ Try to create win/win resolutions.
¨ If you present a problem, offer some solutions.
¨ Do not place blame.
¨ Keep in mind that if you have a concern or a problem it is not going to go away. You must learn to deal with it like an adult.( isn't that one of the very important character traits you are trying to teach your charges?)
If you have a difficult time learning how to communicate effectively, take an assertiveness training class. It will be worth the time and money and it will benefit you in every area of your life for years to come.

Creative Nanny Wednesday: Tomorrow is April Fools Day!

2010-03-31T02:40:00.002-04:00

Creative Nanny Wednesday: by Glenda Propst

Tomorrow is April Fools Day!
The day you are actually expected to be silly!

April Fools Joke

My 11 year old absolutely loves April Fools Day.Every year she enlists my help in figuring out something fun to do her big brother.Last year we did this "Milk Joke" and even though he didn't laugh at the time, once he got to school he did tell his friends that he thought it was pretty funny.It was easy to do and didn't take a lot of time.
You can get the directions by going to The Creative Nanny.

Tuesday Tips: Cleaning Out Your Inbox

2010-03-30T02:30:00.001-04:00

Cleaning Out Your Inbox
by Alice Shaffer

For the past few weeks, we have been sharing Spring Cleaning tips. Have you ever considered spring cleaning your email boxes? Recently I dealt with 12,000 emails in one of my gmail accounts. I decided to check out the filters that I had not been utilizing. I set up a Google Reader for all the blogs that I follow, so I did not get daily updates from them which clogged my inbox. To learn how to set up your own Google Reader read this.

I found the following article Email Zen: Cleaning Out Your Inbox on Zen Habits , regarding your email inbox and cleaning it out!

I use Gmail exclusively for email, and it constitutes a major part of my two day jobs. I get a fair amount of email each hour, and I am pretty quick at responding.

However, one thing you’ll notice about my Gmail inbox is that it is just about always empty.

It gives me a Zen feeling to have a clean inbox, a feeling of peace and calm and satisfaction. I highly recommend it to everyone. I wasn’t always like this — I had many emails in my inbox in the past. They would sit in there, sometimes unread, sometimes just waiting on an action, sometimes waiting to be filed, and others just waiting because I was procrastinating. I also had many folders for filing my email, so I could find them when I needed them. It would take me awhile to file sometimes, so I would put it off. Many people I know are the same way.

To read the rest of the article please visit:

Email Zen:Clean Out Your Inbox

Monday Moxie: Presenting the INA Scholarship Recipient

2010-03-29T03:00:00.004-04:00

The Regarding Nannies Development Team wants to thank those of you who submitted an essay for the INA Conference Scholarship. This was a hard choice for us. The submissions were wonderful. We wished we could have chosen all of the entrants as the recipient.

The recipient of the First Regarding Nannies INA Scholarship is:
Heather McKinley of Cincinnati, Ohio

Congratulations Heather and we look forward to meeting you in May at the conference.

To read Heather's essay, stay tuned to next week's Monday Moxie on April 5, 2010.

Week End Round UP

2010-03-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

Monday Moxie: Great article about how nannies around the country are giving back to their community.

Tuesday Tips: Kris Kanoski gave us a Spring Cleaning Check list

Wednesday Creative Nanny Find the Afikomen Treasure Hunt and a few tips for creative clues.

Thursday Table Talk Extra classes you can take at the INA conference to enhance your experience, and your resume.

Financial Friday: Alice makes us stop and think about how we find the money for what we value and how we make those choices.

Next week on Regarding Nannies we will anounce our INA Scholarship recipient.

Financial Friday: Wasted Time & Wasted Money Or Is It?

2010-03-26T03:00:00.001-04:00

Wasted Time & Wasted Money Or Is It?

by Alice Shaffer

I was looking for a topic for this week's Financial Friday and was talking to a fellow professional nanny about the upcoming INA Conference. We were discussing the costs involved in the INA conference. Yes they can be viewed as expensive to someone who doesn't have a large paycheck. I was sharing with this nanny, that everyone has to determine what their Opportunity Costs are. For me I place a lot of opportunity cost and value in going to nanny conferences.

To read the rest of this post please visit: The Financial Nanny: