100 Tips for Nannies and Families

Your only child is starting school.  You no longer need a full-time nanny: a part-time nanny or babysitter is what you will need going forward (at least until next summer).  How do you prepare your child for the transition?

Have a clear plan for who your new part-time nanny/babysitter will be and what will happen each [...]

Mornings can be such a hassle.  The children are begging for “five more minutes” before they have to get out of bed.   Maybe the twins are arguing over what clothes to wear to school that day.  Johnny is in no hurry to do anything.  Everybody’s running behind.  You’re worried about the children being late to [...]

With soaring obesity rates, and the health risks associated with kids being overweight, more and more parents are asking how to help their kids get (or stay) fit.  Here are some easy tips.

Set a good example. Exercise and eat right. See your doctor regularly for well visits and promptly for examinations when you think you [...]

Their rooms are a mess.  Toys are all over the living room.  You’ve just worked a full-time day to come home to THIS?  How can you incent your kids to clean up after themselves?
1. Lead by example. If you expect your kids to keep their spaces clean, you must keep your spaces clean.
2. Have a [...]

You’re in the hospital: you’ve just had surgery for a non-life-threatening condition.  You will be released from the hospital soon.  How do you prepare your children for what is to come?
When you return home, will you be able to walk, play, and perform other functions as you always have?  If not, what will your limitations [...]

You’re in the hospital: you’ve just had surgery for a non-life-threatening condition.  Your children want to visit you in the hospital.  How do you prepare them for what is to come?
Hospital visits minimize separation anxiety and reassure your children that you are ok.  However, young children (more so than older children) who are allowed lengthy [...]

You’re going to the hospital to have surgery for a non-life-threatening condition.  Do you tell your children?   If so, what do you say to them?  How do you prepare them for what is to come?
Except for children who are pre-verbal (i.e., infants), you should tell all your children that you’re going to the hospital to [...]

Bedtime can be a nightly battle of wills.  You want your kids to go to bed on a schedule so that they aren’t cranky the next day.  Your kids want to stay up late.  What can you do to peacefully get your kids to go to bed at their scheduled bedtime?  And what can you [...]

Most blogs on bolstering your child’s self-esteem focus on praising your child frequently and with specificity; redirecting (not criticizing) your child’s behavior only when truly warranted and only in a calm, constructive manner; frequently speaking about and consistently living your values (including that people are inherently valuable, regardless of their gender, race, weight, etc.);  leading [...]

We’ve all been there.  You’re waiting in the check-out line at the mall; you attempt to remove your son from the shopping cart when your precious bundle of love blurts out, “MOMMY, YOU’RE HURTING ME!  I DON’T LIKE IT WHEN YOU HURT ME!”  All of a sudden, you feel center stage.  It’s as if the [...]