100 Tips for Nannies and Families

High functioning adults make good decisions.  Everyone knows this, right?  Ok, then how can you help your toddler with decision-making skills? Speak with your toddler about the flow of logic you use when you make decisions.  For example, “I would really love to buy that sweater, but it’s really expensive, and I think I’d be […]

Being a parent is a richly rewarding but tough job.  Kids don’t come with operator’s manuals, so parenting is often mastered through the equivalent of on-the-job training.  First-time parents often feel unprepared, but, from my experience, being a pet “owner” (or, as I call it, a pet parent) can foster the development of a lot […]

Recess:  is it a waste of time, kids goofing around when they should be learning, or is it a useful break in the day that yields benefits academic and otherwise?  Both anecdotal evidence and authoritative studies have shown that there are many benefits to well-timed and well-supervised recess during the school day.  These benefits include: […]

When divorces or break-ups occur, one or both former partners are hurt and/or angry.  These emotions can make it difficult for the former partners to form positive statements about each other.  Read on to learn why you should overcome this difficulty and speak positively about your ex in front of your child . . . […]

You want your kids to have nice handwriting, or, well, at least legible handwriting.  It’s easy for kids and grown-ups alike to scrawl something quickly and call it good whether or not it’s readable.  However, if the note isn’t readable, it’s virtually useless.  Can’t read your reminder note?  Well, then, you have no reminder, do […]

Sleepovers are a rite of passage for the youth of our culture.  But are sleepovers really a good idea in this day and age?  And, if so, what is the best age for parents to begin allowing their children to have or attend sleepovers? Pros of sleepovers: peer bonding social skills development fun longer chats […]

According to the Random House dictionary, emotional intelligence is defined as the “skill in perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feelings.”  People who understand what they feel, why they feel as they do, and can shape their feelings and how they manifest in behaviors are thought to possess emotional intelligence.  Emotional intelligence is at the heart of healthy self-knowledge.  Emotional intelligence is […]

Resume mistakes are made by even the best of us, no matter what the education and proficiency of the job seeker may be.  Listed below are some of the most common resume mistakes made by caregivers (nannies, babysitters, senior caregivers, etc.). Inattention to detail.  This includes typographical errors, punctuation problems, grammatical errors, etc.  It is […]