This stamped Paper Cube is a fun and easy project for Fathers Day.
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
Financial Friday: $79.99 For $100 Check Certificates For Hyatt Hotels
by Alice Shaffer
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.
A few years ago, the now defunct National Association of Nannies put together a guidebook for their members called "The Job Issue"
The following questions are from the National Association of Nannies Job Issue published in April 2003.
A professional nanny should always prepare for a job interview. You should always bring a a list of questions to ask potential employers. I used to keep several copies of questions in my portfolio for easy reference for each family.
Remember that it's much easier to ask the hard questions during the interview.
Once you accept the job and you have to ask the hard questions they become more than just a question.
These questions should also serve as a great resource for developing the details of your work agreement.
• Is this a live-in or live-out position?
• What is the starting date?
• Do you see this as a long-term position?
• Parents’ ages and occupations?
• Do you work outside the home,or from your home?
If the parents work at home,you need to set up guidelines for how to handle things when you and they are there at the same time.
• Are other adults, besides the parents, living in the home?
• Children’s names and ages?
• What are the children’s interests and hobbies?
• Please describe your home and the area where you live.
• Is there a house alarm, gated entry or other system that requires
a code?
• Do you anticipate moving in the near future?
• Do you plan to have more children in the near future?
• Will your nanny receive a raise when you have another baby, or extra pay for extra children?
• Do you have pets? Do you plan to get any pets?
• What are your household rules?
• Can your nanny have guests? Such as nannies and moms with age appropriate children for play dates.
Can your nanny have friends visitor spend the night during off time?
• Are any rooms in your house that are off limits to children or nanny?
• Is there any sort of dress code for nanny at work (i.e., no jeans)?
• Do the children or the parents have allergies I should be aware of?
Special dietary needs?
• What is your discipline plan or child rearing philosophy?
• What values do you want taught and reinforced in your children?
• What religion are you, and how do you expect your nanny to participate in the child’s religious teaching?
How does your religion affect your daily life?
Hours
• What hours and days do you want Nanny to work? Are these hours flexible, or does 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. mean precisely 8-6?
• Will your nanny be expected to work evenings or weekends?
Schedule
• What is the daily schedule of your typical day?
• How might your schedule change?
Will your schedule change during the summer, over Christmas, etc?
• Will Nanny’s job description change along with a change inschedule? If so, how, andwhen?
(Example: Summer vs school year.)
• Who makes the children’s schedules?
− Parents, nanny, or is setting their schedule a combined effort?
• What’s your procedure for spontaneous activities? Do you want Nanny to check in with you, leave a note or phone message, or is this not an issue?
• Do you want a daily record kept? (what happened today)?
Will there be a nanny workstation − desk, area for files, bulletin board, monthly calendar, computer with high-speed Internet connection?
Duties
• How would you describe the “ideal nanny”?
• Define your idea of your nanny’s role in your family.
• What are Nanny’s responsibilities as they relate to children?
• Are non-child-related tasks and responsibilities a part of the job you want performed? Laundry?
− For children? For parents?
• Who makes and changes the children’s bedding?
• Who plans the meals, cooks, and shops for groceries?
• Will the nanny cook for the children, parents, or family?
• Who purchases the children’s clothes, toys, and supplies?
• What financial arrangements will be made to facilitate the shopping?
• Is there other household help?
• Who supervises them?
• Will I be expected to take the children to doctor appointments, music lessons, classes?
Car
• Is a car provided? Is the car available for the nanny’s personaluse, or only for use while
she is on duty? Will the vehicle e shared with the parents?
• Will your nanny be expected to se her own car?
If yes, who will ay costs forinsurance,maintenance and gas?
• How is your nanny covered by nsurance?
Travel
• Do you travel? Will your nanny be expected to travel with you?
• Do you ever travel without your children, and what arrangements are made for them?
• Will nanny be expected to stay with the children while you travel?
• Describe how your nanny fits into your family vacation.
• Does your nanny pack the children’s bags for trips?
Child Care History
• What did your family like most about your previous nanny?
What did you like least?
• Without naming your former nanny, what were your best and worst nanny experiences − i.e.,good or bad trip, uncomfortable situation, great way she handled something?
• What’s your position on videotaping?
• May I speak to your previous nannies about their experiences with your family and children?
Negotiating Salary & Benefits
This is where you explain that working as a nanny is your occupation
and your livelihood, that you are serious about your job, and you
count on a regular paycheck to live. Make a point of finding out
whether or not you will be paid for unexpected days off that you do not
initiate − example: grandparents come to town and parents give you the week
off; or parents take the children to visit relatives, and Nanny stays home.)
• What salary range and benefits are you offering? Weekly pay? Salary or hourly?
If hourly, is there a guaranteed minimum salary?
• How often will I be paid, and by what method?
• If I agree to work x number of hours a week for x amount of pay,will I be paid extra for any time over that amount?
What is the rate for overtime, overnight or weekend work, or 24-hour duty?
Vacation time:
May I choose my vacation times, or do I take my vacation when you take yours?
• What is the pay rate for me traveling with your family?
• Taxes?
• Health insurance?
• IRA?
• Retirement benefits?
• Paid Holidays?
• Work holidays?
• Professionaldays?
• Childcare related classes andconferences?
• Gym membership?
• Separate phone provided?
• Will you provide me with a cell phone or pager, or will you pay my monthly bill if I get one for myself?
(Explain why it might be to the family’s benefit that their nanny have a cell phone.)
Sick Pay
• Paid sick days? How many?
• What is your backup childcare plan if I am sick or on vacation?
• I’d like to spend some time with your children before I make a decision; is this ok with you?
• Are you willing to sign a work agreement with me that includes a 90-day trial period?
• Communication is extremely important for nannies and their employers.
Are you willing to meet with me on a regular basis so we can discuss how things are
going?
• Will I receive an evaluation from you, and raises on a yearly or bi-yearly basis?
• Will I receive severance pay if I am terminated early?
Questions for Live-In Nannies
• What accommodations are providedfor Nanny (room, bath,etc.)?
• If your nanny is in a separate apartment, how will grocery expenses be handled?
• Who is responsible for cleaning Nanny’s area, and by what standards?
• What are Nanny’s days off?
• Are there any household rules Nanny or the children must observe
on Nanny’s days off?
• How do Nanny’s activities on her day off affect the household’s
flow?
• Do you have animals?
What are my responsibilities regarding the care of those animals?
• Who will cover Nanny’s moving expenses to your home if she accepts this position?
*Who will cover moving expenses when the position is completed?
These questions should do a pretty good job of covering most topics but
feel free to share with us any questions that you think we might have left out.
Just in case you missed something this week on Regarding Nannies: Here are the links to this weeks posts.
Monday Moxie: Regarding Nannies launched their essay promotion for an INA Scholarship.
Tuesday Tips: Sherrie Eddlebute taught us how to use "Google Reader"
Wednesday Creative Nanny: Nanny Gael Ann and her "creative assistant" shared with us their version of Sock Bunnies. A must do Spring Craft.
Thursday Table Talk: INA Conference Speaker Highlight: Lila Reyna
Financial Friday: Alice shared some information on how to get $125 by opening a bank account.
Next week on Regarding Nannies:
We will have Nitty Gritty Interview Questions , tips for purging that mountain of papers, and another INA conference speaker highlight.
Don't forget that if you are attending the conference, you only until March 31 to get your Service Award Pin applications turned in. You can email them too.
Today would have been the 106th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel. We knew and loved him simply as Dr. Suess and his books have been a standard in any childs library since they hit the market.
We had another great week here at Regarding Nannies and just in case you missed something here is the weekend round up.
On Monday Moxie we featured the 5 W's of the INA Conference by Greta Schraer
On Tuesday Tips: Alice shared a list of Valentines books and DVDs for children.
On Wednesday's Creative Nanny: Kellie gave us a great Valentine Craft/Gift idea called "A Dozen Poses"
On Table Talk Thursday: Myrna shared some great ideas to encourage children to learn about Black History Month and what it truly means to all of us.
On Financial Friday: Alice told us about some medical tax deductions you might not know about.
Next week on Regarding Nannies we have great advice on how to survive a bad reference, and how to get through Valentines Day if you are alone, another fun craft from Nanny Gael Ann and her creative assistant, and an update on Nanny Jenn who left her job after 16 years with the same family.
You won't want to miss a day.
Here is your weekend round up for the last week of January.
Some of you may have noticed that I previewed the wrong week last weekend..........oops
I will try to do better this week.
We had a great week here on Regarding Nannies and hope you enjoyed the variety of articles and ideas we offered.
On Monday Moxie, Kellie shared another great article from Nanny Network about Nannies and what happens if you don't pay their taxes.
On Tuesday Tips Alice shared a great link about Winter Safety for Kids.
On Creative Nanny Wednesday, Nanny Gael Ann shared a great idea for decorating Purell bottles.
On Thursday Table Talk , Kellie spotlighted the Nanny Network of Richmond
On Financial Friday, Alice gave us links to articles that told us when was the best time of year to purchase all kinds of different items.
Next week we will feature another great article from our colleague Greta Schraers' Cincy Nanny blog. We will also have a great Valentine Craft from Kellie and start doing articles from the featured speakers at the 2010 INA Conference.
An Interview with 12 Nannies who have been through formal nanny training programs. by Glenda Propst
Today’s interview is with 12 professional nannies. All of these nannies have gone through different professional nanny training programs and have varied specialties and unique qualities.
I have included myself in this interview because I have always been a strong advocate of education for professional nannies. I thought that you would find it interesting to find out how these nannies felt about their training 2-25 years after it was over.
The nannies in this article are
Kim: A professional nanny in New Jersey for 23 years.
She went to the Sheffield School in 1986, has worked for 6 families and her average time on the job was 5 years.
Buffi: A professional nanny in California. She went to the Nanny Institute of Van Nuys in 1989.
She has been a nanny for 20 years, has worked with 6 families and her time on each job was anywhere from 4 months to 8 years.
Mary Ann: A professional nanny for 24 years who has worked all over the country. She attended the Northwest Nanny Institute in Lake Oswego, Oregon in 1990. She is currently working in Michigan caring for triplets. She has worked with 9 families and each job has lasted about 2.5 years.
Sarah: A professional nanny in Georgia. She attended the Montana’s Nannies Training Program in 2002. She has been in the field for 8 years and has worked mostly in nanny share positions. She has had 5 positions with 8 families. She is in a nanny share situation so families sometimes rotate in and out.
April : A professional nanny in Michigan has been in the field for 2 years. She attended the English Nanny and Governess School in Cleveland, OH.She was with her first family for 3 months and has been in her current position for 18 months.
Row: A nanny in Dallas. She attended the English Nanny and Governess School in Cleveland, OH. in 1992.She has worked for 6 families as a full time nanny. When her last nanny position ended she became a new born specialist caring for newborns and working as a night nurse. She was with 6 families as a day nanny and has worked with 15 families as a Newborn Care Specialist. Her day positions lasted from 6 months -5 years.
Her newborn jobs last from 2 weeks -3 months.
Susan: A professional nanny for 25 years. She went to the St. Louis Child Day Care Associations' Nanny Training Program in 1984.She has worked for 8 families; some of these were nanny share situations. Her jobs have lasted from a few months to 6 ½ years.
Gael Ann: In Boston has worked in the field for over 24 years. She attended the National Academy of Nannies (NANI) in 1986.She has worked with 6 families over a range of 3 -8 years. She has been in her current position for 2 years.
Sheila: Is in Tennessee has been in the field for 21 years. She attended the American Nanny Plan at Claremont College in Claremont, CA in 1988. She has worked for numerous families in shorter term positions for anywhere from 3 months to 1 ½ years.
Glenda: Working in St.Louis, MO has been a professional nanny for 25 years. She went to the St. Louis Child Day Care Associations' Nanny Training Program in 1984. She has worked with 2 families. Her first family for 8 years and her current family for 16 years and counting.
Myrna: in Washington D.C. went through Starkey’s SNAP (Starkey Nanny Advanced Placement Program) after working in the field for about 10 years.
I asked each of the nannies to answer at least some of the 20 questions that I sent them.
Do you have a specialty?
Buffi. Tends to work with children who have special needs. Previously she worked with a child who had Juvenile Diabetes. Currently she is working with a child who has cochlear ear implants.
Mary Ann works with children birth to age 5 but she does have experience with school age children.
Sarah typically works with nanny shares.
April doesn’t really have a specialty but her current employer thinks that she is a potty training pro.
Row has been working as a Newborn Care Specialist for the last 3 years.
Susan is a CPDA-certified Positive Discipline Associate.
Gael Ann specializes in infants through 5 years
Sheila also specializes in infants through 5 years.
Glenda specializes in long term positions. Staring with a child at birth and staying with a growing family.
Myrna specializes in working with families in crisis.
What made you decide to go through a formal training program? Had you worked as a nanny before?
Kim: I had been babysitting for several different families and my father found an article in the paper about the Sheffield School. He convinced me that if this was really what I wanted to do with my life, I should go to school for it.
Buffi : I was in High School but I was doing a lot of babysitting. The commercials were very convincing.
Mary Ann :I had already been working as a nanny but I wanted to be one of the best and I wanted to learn the answers to the questions people were always asking me. My parents are both educators and while I felt I knew a lot about caring for kids I knew I could learn more. We researched nanny schools and picked one of the nation's top rated schools, I thought nanny school would be pretty easy and instead it was intense and I was surprised how much more I learned and how many more things I found out I could learn about.
Sarah: I had been a nanny for about 6 months before I took the started the nanny training program. I thought that it would help move me up the ladder in the nanny industry and set me apart from other nannies. I was also taking early childhood classes through a university, but I thought a certificate from a nanny training program would give me skills specific to being a nanny and working in a private home.
April: I was a senior in college and ENGS was at a job fair I attended, I did not realize until then that people could be nannies, when I told my best friend and my mom about it, they knew it was for me. I have always loved kids but hated the politics of being a teacher. At the time I was not sure what was need to be done to be a nanny, so I figured that would be a way to get my foot in the door.
Row: I had worked for 4 part time families and one full-time family.The situation with the full-time family was terrible I knew I loved the work but that there had to be a better way. I was hoping nanny school would help me prepare for interviews and dealing with the family when things were not all rosey.
Susan: No, but did lots of childcareI thought it would give me a leg up in the field. ? Before nanny school I was in college- Home Economics/Family Services
Gael Ann: No, but had extensive babysitting experience, had completed a high school/college training program (350 hours of child care aide training) and had worked 3 years in the day care field.
Why did you decide to go through a formal training program?
Gael Ann:
Remembering that this was almost 25 years ago and the job of "Nanny" as a career was in its infancy in this country, I wanted to be taken seriously by employer families and my own family and friends. A vocational training program instead of college was a more acceptable option (especially in my family) back then. I was not even sure of the job description of a Nanny and wanted to be the best I could be. I knew I would need placement assistance which was advertised as a plus when I investigated the two Nanny school mentioned in a issue of Women World magazine I happened to pick up at the grocery check- out counter one day. (Coming from small western towns in Colorado and Kansas there were no placement agencies that I was aware of at the time.)
Sheila: Our local YMCA had offered a nanny course that I took and I wasn't all that impressed with it. I felt that there had to be more to being a nanny, a nanny training course than what this program was. I started to do some research and came across The American Nanny Plan. I felt the program offered a well rounded. It included First Aid/CPR, Communication, how to throw a party, sewing among other things and actual hands on experience with children.
Glenda : I was a Child Care Center Director. I was looking for a change in my life and I read an article about the Nanny Training Program. I felt like if I was going to do this, I better do it the right way.
Myrna : I wanted to move up to a higher client base and salary structure.
How long was the nanny training program that you attended?
Kim 3 months
Buffi.:3 months
Mary Ann: 6 months
Sarah: 6 months
April :3 months
Row: 3 months and then an additional 3 months of paid internship.
Susan: 3 months with 2 practicum. One in home and one center based.
Gael Ann: 6 months and then 3 months on the job training with an approved family. During this time we were also required to attend weekend workshops.
Sheila: 3 months
Glenda : 3 months with 2 practicum. One in home and one center based.
Myrna: 50 intense hours in one week
Do you feel that your formal training has helped you as a professional in the field?
Buffi: Yes, because I truly learned real life applications for my career, and no because it did nothing to help me secure a job.
Mary Ann :NNI was so well rounded in the subjects from nutrition, development, interpersonal skills, contracting, professionalism, organization, music, science, activity planning, and so much more. I went to nanny school as a glorified babysitter and came out a budding professional with a thirst to further my knowledge about all areas of my profession.
Sarah: Yes. Parents see that I am serious about my career because I have been through specialized training.
April: I think that formal training was helpful with contracts and paperwork but I have always loved working with children and my child development classes in college were equally helpful.
Row: Formal training was helpful in dealing with parents recognizing that my life is just as important as the job. The actual certification hasn’t helped me much in my job search but part of that is the location where I chose to work.
Gael Ann : It was something that parents were impressed with during the interview process.
Glenda: Yes because I feel that it gave me extra insight into what the job would be like, and it also gave me tools, education and resources for dealing with what came up in the job on a daily basis. I might not always know the answer, but I had resources to find it.
Myrna : Yes because it accomplished what I had hoped, which was to help me step up the career ladder?
Do you think you would have stayed in this field if you had not gone through formal training?
Buffi: Yes
Mary Ann: I am not sure. My parents really wanted me to finish college and nanny school somehow made being a nanny a legitimate job option. The grounding nanny school gave me has helped me work my way up in this profession and helped me become who I am. If I had finished college I think I would still be working with children in some aspect but I am not sure I would enjoy life as much.
Sarah: Yes
April: I don’t think I would have known where to look for jobs without the school. I also would not have understood the need to professional, the importance of being legal and having a work agreement.
Row: The formal training kept me in the field. In the beginning it helped me see that it really could be a career not just a stepping stone to something else.
Glenda: My training is what helped me survive. It sustained me when times got tough.
Can you name 3 specific ways that nanny training helps you on the job during the interview process or even in your day to day life?
Kim: The interview process, communicating with a family and asking for what I feel I deserve .
Buffi: I'm able to look at different milestones and understand what they mean and what comes next, I learned that using positive reinforcement works for me instead of actual punishment. During interviews I used to bring a "nanny bag" with different toys to entertain the children which seemed to impress prospective employers.
Mary Ann:
I have a solid confidence that I know what I am doing and I am willing to research what I do not know instead of just trying to work it out, potential employers frequently appraise my schooling as a skill set that places me ahead of other candidates, my training threw lots of situations at us and made us think on our feet in all situations to know how to handle things we encountered and that is a skill I can appreciate on a daily basis.
Sarah: To this day I still consult my nutrition book to get ideas on different foods to try out with children; there are some discipline techniques that I use that I learned from one of the classes; and parents set me apart from other nannies because I do have specialized training.
April: It helped me build my portfolio, it taught me how to interview, and it taught me creative games and things to do with kids
Susan: It gave me more confidence to know that I was knowledgeable. It gave me a certification that others did not have which gave me a leg up in the market. Assertiveness Training was very helpful in negotiating contracts.
Glenda: My training gave me confidence that even if I didn’t have the answers, I had the resources to find them. It gave me a sense of pride about the job that I was doing. It gave me a strong foundation upon which to build my skills and expand my education.
If a person wants to work as a nanny and can’t afford nanny school, what do you think are the most important classes she should take to help prepare? And what else should they do to prep for this field? And what is your best tip?
Buffi: I think that taking classes at a local community college is just as effective. There are also programs now online that are affordable compared to the program I went too. Walden offers a dual concentration infant/toddler bachelor degree for $4700. The course is 4 years, 3 months for the degree and you can obviously work and educate yourself as well. Other things you can do: join local support groups, read the different childcare related books, subscribe to parenting magazines. Overall learn patience. It will take you the farthest.
Mary Ann: CPR & 1st Aid are always a given. I would say take some new parents classes, look into community education programs, read a lot of books and find a mentor to discuss things with and ask questions of, and get some hands-on experience (work at a day care, get a mother's helper job, volunteer in your church nursery, or shadow another nanny for a few weeks).
You have to take care of yourself to have enough to give to take care of someone else's children all day!
Child development classes are always beneficial as they will teach you how to relate to and work with different types of children. Any classes on early childhood curriculum planning would also be beneficial as you can learn many ideas of different types of projects and activities that you can do with young children.
Seek out free classes in your area if you can. Stores like the Lakeshore Learning store have free classes throughout the year that you can attend on topics on anything from discipline; to stories, songs, and fingerplays; to helping children deal with stress that can be extremely beneficial in your job as a nanny.
April: I think the most important class you can take is about child development and milestones that they should be hitting, I still look at the things I have about that.
Listen to people around you, I have gotten some great lessons from other nannies that have worked in the field longer then I have.
Row: I feel one of the best is an Assertiveness Training class. Nannies tend to be pleasers and many of us put our families needs before ours. I think which classes in child development then depend upon what age she prefers to work with. I also think a class on finances or budgeting would be great! I can't count the Live-In nannies I know that end up in debt, my (former) self included :) And what else should they do to prep for this field? The most important thing is to truly enjoy the ages of children that you work with. Also decide where you will draw the line between work and personal life.
Nanny because you love the work and find it rewarding not just because "it is an easy job" or because you can't find anything else
Gael Ann: If course child development classes are very important but also experience working with children in a variety of settings and wide range of ages to help determine what type of Nanny the young person is/could be ( ranging from mothers helper to full charge) and what ages they enjoy most/least would help when trying to find a position . Classes that deal with communication would be very valuable too.
A great mentor could help with contract writing, negotiations, and all the area specific to working in a private home and give them a sounding board for dealing with whatever might come up.
Glenda: Work to educate yourself, take classes, go to workshops, read books, read magazines, network, make connections to other professionals, join professional organizations, find a mentor, talk to others who have more experience than you do, listen and learn.
Learn to communicate, learn the realities of what the nanny profession is really about and never stop working to grow and improve yourself.
I would like to thank these ladies for their input for this article.
For me, I think that my formal nanny training was very helpful in my first years as a professional nanny. You have to remember that 25 years ago, nannies did not have the wonderful resources that they have now for educating themselves and expanding their professional knowledge base.
The bottom line is that we should all be working everyday to improve our professional skills.
How do you improve your professional skills and knowledge?
The Twin Cities Professional Nannies (TCPN) is a nanny support group serving the
Carrie Stolar presented Getting Kids Healthy and Back Outdoors. Carrie shared the most recent facts on children’s health and gave us ideas of fun things to do with kids outdoors! Ms. Stolar serves as Senior Brand Manager of the Säjai® Foundation. She graduated from
Paulette Pelletier presented Fun & Healthy Snacks. Paulette shared ideas and recipes to liven up snack time. We all shared our experiences with snack time challenges and the incorporation of all ages at snack. Paulette came to us with 20 years experience and has an Early Childhood background. She presents workshops for those working in the child care field and has been a Toddler Head Teacher and Child Care Center Director. Paulette currently is the Conference Coordinator and Field Representative for Providers Choice-sponsor of the Child and Adult Food Program. Not only did we have a chance to share our experiences of success or challenge with snacks and mealtime, but we also had the opportunity to explore other options that the children in our care could benefit from right away.
Paulette graciously agreed to fill our third speaker slot since she had become ill. Her vast experience working with child care providers made it easy for her to shift gears and bring us Homemade Games. This presentation fit into our theme like a glove. Paulette demonstrated easy to create games, crafts and activities for all ages. She generously shared her supplies and ideas allowing conference attendees to actively participate in a make-n-take session. Although a last minute addition to the conference schedule, Paulette’s Homemade Game session turned out to be a participant favorite.
TCPN Founder and current President, Mallette Parry had these sentiments to share:
On October 10th of 2009 TCPN had it 8th annual conference. I am happy to say I did a much better job leading this year than the very first one we had 2000. I know and I can speak for many when I say that we had a wonderful time this year. We used the theme "Come Play with Us". The speakers were centered on this theme. There were three speakers planned for the day. The first talked to us about the importance of outdoor play, the next one talked about Healthy Snacks and Homemade Games. Our second speaker stayed because our 3rd speaker became ill the morning of the conference. From what I heard she was a favorite to many. We had just over 20 nannies attend the conference. As a current board member I was very happy. We had several new nannies attend the conference for the first time. I look forward to seeing them at future events and the conference next year.
One of my favorite parts of the conference was the centerpieces. Shellie, our conference chair brought in children’s toys which included: a child's tea set and battleship. And I brought in a bead toy.
We had a wonderful conference committee. The board and the committee worked very hard to make it a huge success again this year. The day was very rewarding and I came away with the reminder of the value of being outside, great snack ideas and some wonderful homemade games. I also want to extend my thanks to all who donated for door prizes this year. A special thanks to Regarding Nannies for their donations. Over all, I have to say we were very pleased with the whole day.
Other attendees made these comments:
"I loved coming away with so many ideas"
"All of it was great!"
"A really good conference, they keep getting better."
TCPN is fortunate to have a group of nannies who care enough to volunteer their time and talents to bring an annual conference of this caliber to local nannies. Hours of work and planning went into it and another great conference was the reward.
Conference Sponsors are the final ingredient needed to make the annual conference a success year after year. We want to acknowledge the following individuals and businesses for their support: Nannies from the Heartland, Mary O’Connor, Regarding Nannies, HomeWork Solutions, Breedlove & Associates, Mallette Parry, Shellie Jensen, Lori Baker, Melissa Weinacht, Becky Kavanagh, Jean Toenges, Michelle LaRowe, and the International Nanny Association.
TCPN normally holds their Nanny Day the 2nd or 3rd weekend in October. Be on the lookout for the announcement of the 2010 date.
Witches Fingers and More by Glenda Propst (Regarding Nannies Team)
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