100 Tips for Nannies and Families

Studies have consistently shown that Americans get too few hours of sleep nightly.  Perhaps as a result of this, most of us treasure every last moment of sleep that we can get.  We hit the snooze button repeatedly.  We roll over and go back to sleep for just a little bit.  We thoroughly enjoy the […]

You and your spouse have been married for years.  Your married life has become a harried collection of appointments:  work, the kids’ games, play dates, doctors’ appointments, etc.  When you all get home in the evening, you are ready for some quiet time spent decompressing at home.  Sounds good, right?  Wait a minute!  When do […]

Your nanny has given her notice, and you’ve selected her replacement.  Now, you need to plan for a smooth transition from one nanny to the next.  Here are a few tips to make that transition as seamless as possible. Ask your outgoing nanny to keep a record of the tasks she performs and the times […]

According to ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “The only thing that is constant is change.”  Similarly, parenting rules change over time.  Read on for outmoded parenting rules. Axioms Spare the rod; spoil the child. This axiom extolls the benefits of using corporal punishment on children.  Today, such corporal punishment is considered abusive. Children should be seen […]

No parent is perfect.  We all make mistakes from time to time . . . daily, actually.  We want to be watchful for mistakes and try to correct them so that we can parent better over time.  Here are some of the biggest and most common mistakes we make when parenting pre-k kids. Inconsistent rules […]

Different families seek different qualifications in their nannies.  For example, a family with one or more children with health concerns may prefer to employ a nanny with a nursing background, and a family that is preparing their children to live and work in a global economy may seek to employ a multi-lingual nanny.  There are, […]

You want to ask your employer-family for some time off work, be it for vacation, holiday, or even sick time.  How should you schedule your time off?  How should you manage a last-minute absence from your nanny job?  How do talk to your employer-family about taking time off?  When is it best to make your […]

You are raising your kids to the best of your ability, but your parents or your parents-in-law keep interfering in your parenting of your kids, their grandkids.  You value the role that your kids’ grandparents play in your kids’ lives; you want their grandparents to value your right to parent as you see fit.  Here […]

As parents, it is our job and our privilege to shape our kids into happy, healthy, productive adult members of society.  This involves, among other things, praising our kids for behaviors that we believe to be leading them to that goal and redirecting our kids for behaviors that we believe to be leading them down […]

School’s out!  No more classes until August!  Your teens have just been through semester finals; they are stressed and needing some decompression time.  Yes, you want them to be responsible and have a productive summer:  participate in summer sports and activities, take summer school, get a summer job, volunteer for a worthy non-profit . . […]