100 Tips for Nannies and Families

The holiday season is hectic at best.  Your usually busy schedule becomes almost unmanageable when you add the spate of personal and professional holiday parties, all the holiday shopping (most of which has to be done when you’re not with your kids so they don’t have a preview of their Christmas gifts), and the myriad […]

You want your babysitter to be a positive caregiver for your children.  What behaviors should you be looking for?  Does your babysitter: smile easily? laugh easily? exhibit good eye contact? speak using a variety of pitches or tones? discuss the silver lining in each cloud? discuss the future with anticipation and excitement? give praise or […]

You work a full-time job.  Your three kids, all school-aged, have summer breaks, Christmas breaks, and various other weekdays off periodically throughout the year.  What do you do with your kids when they are not in school but you need to be at work? You can ask a friend or family member to watch your […]

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 […]

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 […]

You are preparing to hire a babysitter for the first time.  What all do you need to do to be well prepared for successfully employing a babysitter?  A brief list follows. Determining what job tasks you want the babysitter to perform (just childcare? feeding? house cleaning? transporting? administering medications?) Determining what traits and skills you […]

Hiring a babysitter can be a confusing task.  There are so many things to consider as you face the task of selecting someone to care for your children in your absence, and you want to find the perfect fit between the babysitter and your family.  Here are some of the most important things for you […]