FIVE TIPS TO HELP TRANSITION FROM NANNY TO HOUSE MANAGER

~ Kristen DeCamp

Sweat the small stuff. Notice the details.  

Check that all light bulbs are working. Dust for cobwebs. Clean behind the appliances. And if you do nothing else, make sure that there is plenty of toilet paper! You may be in charge of a multi-million dollar estate with monumental responsibilities, but nobody cares how busy you are when your boss is left with an empty roll of toilet paper. When he has to choose between using his very expensive organic towel or his hand to finish the job, someone is getting fired!

Prepare to have rich hobbies. 

Your employers may enjoy exotic travel, expensive wine and whiskey, art, high-end vehicles, or may have an agrarian bent.  You need to make these passions your own in order to serve your employers tastes. Find online enthusiasts, forums, and advice from experts.  Passionate people love to share their successes and failures. Their expertise will make you look like a rock star!!

                  Read what your employer’s read. Watch what they watch. 

When you immerse yourself in someone’s home, you need to see the world through their eyes in order to best serve them.  This principle applies to everyone you know. This insight will make you far more intuitive to your employer’s tastes, likes and dislikes.

Never go to your employer with a problem without having at least one or two solutions.

Nobody likes drama or chaos.  Your job is to solve problems.  Save your employer time by doing the research and developing a plan of action. They did not hire you to complain, they hired you to save them time and bring a sense of calm to their home.

There is going to come a time where you could see your employer naked. 

This is not something in the formal job description, but how you handle the three seconds afterwards can greatly impact your Christmas Bonus! The only acceptable response to this embarrassing situation is to say, “Hey, you’ve been working out haven’t you?”

Kristen DeCamp is a leading expert in the domestic staffing industry. Her knowledge base and skill set are unmatched. Kristen began her career as a nanny many years ago and gracefully morphed into a full-time house manager. Currently, she serves as Chief of Staff for her principal, overseeing multiple estates and their staff.

Why Are Babies So Cute?

Have you ever wondered why babies are so cute? Believe it or not, there’s actually a science behind it all. So, is it the chubby cheeks, that baby smell, or those big eyes? Actually, it’s all of those adorable features combined!

These adorable baby features are called Baby Schema. Scientifically named, Kindchenschema. Proposed by Konrad Lorenz, a German Ethologist, suggests that a baby’s oversized head, large eyes, and a soft rounded shape promote mothering and caretaking in other humans. The cuteness actually triggers the Mesocorticolimbic system in our brain, which identifies a rewarding stimulus (aka the baby). This system in our brains creates the sense of enjoyment, and even the urge to cuddle something. (Aww!)

These evolutionary- rooted responses all work in favor of the baby. Since human babies are incapable of taking care of themselves, they rely on adults or other humans to provide care. So, the more Baby Schema traits the baby has, the more attention and care it is likely to receive. Hook, line, and sinker! Their irresistible cuteness gets us every time!

Sources:

Glocker, Melanie L., et al. "Baby Schema In Infant Faces Induces Cuteness Perception And Motivation For Caretaking In Adults." Ethology 115.3 (2009): 257-263. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

Why Are Babies So Cute? By Mitchell Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown. Youtube. AsapSCIENCE, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

~Sara Luckham, Social Media Specialist, Seaside Staffing Company

Fall & Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids!

Well October has come and gone and the holidays are approaching faster than you can imagine! Here are two great crafts to do with your little ones, now that it gets dark at 5:00 thanks to daylight savings, there's a lot more indoor time!

First we have these adorable leaves that are SO simple and would make great Thanksgiving table decorations! 

Paper Leaves

• 9x12 inch sheets of construction paper: red, yellow, orange (one sheet for each leaf)
• Acrylic paints: yellow, orange, red, rust
• Paintbrush
• Pencil
• Tracing paper
• Scissors
• Double-sided adhesive tape
• Chenille stems: light brown, yellow, orange

1. Print the leaf pattern.
2. Paint the pieces of paper with a brush damp with paint, making different-size strokes across the front and back of the paper; let dry.
3. Make a 1/2-inch-wide fold along one long edge of paper; press a sharp crease to fold. Fold the rest of the paper like a fan (folds should run parallel to 1/2-inch fold). Fold in half crosswise, matching the short edges.
4. Trace the leaf pattern onto tracing paper; cut out. Place pattern on top of folded paper, trace, and cut out.
5. Open the paper and refold all long fan creases. Refold in half crosswise, securing the ends in the center with tape.
6. Thread one chenille stem through the middle opening at the fold for the stem. Fold the end of the chenille stem over and twist to make sure it stays attached. Curl the other end of the chenille stem as shown in the photo.

Flower Turkeys! Thanks to ~Our Best Bites~ 

• Artificial flowers in Thanksgiving colors
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors 
• Brown/black/orange felt
• Google eyes 

1. First pull the flower off of the stem.  Then grab the center of the flower (that little brown part) and pop it right out.  It should just be attached to the green backing on the other side and they pop out pretty easily.
2. Now you’ll see that each flower has several layers of petals, just separate them all.  These are all from that one flower:

3. Now take those layers of petals and mix them up and stack them, biggest to smallest. 

4. Then grab a pair of scissors and cut your petal pile right in half.  Take a hot glue gun and put a small dab of glue between each layer so they stick together just like that.

5. While those are drying, cut some turkey shapes out of brown felt.   I just free-handed mine, so they’re all a little different.  But c’mon, what turkey family all looks alike?

6. Then just glue your little turkey guy right onto the petals.

7. The only other thing you need is to glue on a tiny little orange felt triangle for a beak and googly eyes if you want.  They look cute without eyes too.  Googly eyes instantly make anything you put them on appear deranged.

8. And you're done! What can you do with these cute little creatures?! 

 

Enjoy!! Happy November :) 

Beautiful Letter One Mom Wrote To Her Little Boy...

We found this lovely post on Huffington Post from a mother to her little boy. This message can be applied to so many different families, situations and environments. Let kids be kids! Some say that children are conditioned to gravitate toward certain gender cues and association, while this may be true, this mother will not stand for it. She wants her little boy to explore, experiment and do whatever it is that brings him joy! We love this message and what it supports.

See the full post HERE 

I have a little boy... 

A little boy who likes to wear tutus. A little boy who likes to dance. A little boy who loves to paint and a little boy who hums happy tunes all day long.

A comment came. 

A comment too riddled with prejudice for me to repeat. A warning to me to be careful. A warning to not encourage such things or I'll regret it later.

And so to this person I say nothing. For my words to her will change nothing. But to my little boy I say this, for my words can change everything.

I say dance. And not just hip-hop dancing -- wear that blue tutu that you love and twirl and twirl.

I say wear whatever clothes you want. Wear blue because you like blue, not because it's a boys' color. And if you like pink, well, wear pink. And if you want to wear your sister's dress, then heck, go ahead and do that too.

What's that? Well of course you can wear fairy wings. Oh, and a firefighter's hat too? Sure. And you know what? I'll wear one too. And we'll all head out for a walk, dressed in our glad rags, laughing and giggling.

Shall we play with clay today, Mommy? Sure. Shall we add some sparkly beads? Sure. And why not? Are pretty things that sparkle only to be enjoyed by girls?

Do you want to play soccer, Mommy? Sure do, buddy. But let's play it because it brings you joy, not because it's a boys' sport. And maybe after we finish we can go inside and finish that tea party we were playing this morning?

I have a little boy. 

He is a boy. He is a child. He likes to play. He builds blocks and plays house. He plays soccer and dances on tippy-toes. 

He really couldn't care less if he uses a pink toothbrush or a blue one. And neither could I.

And neither should you.

I have a little boy.

Halloween Crafts for Kids!

I just found this website with a TON of fun Halloween craft ideas for kids! Check them out :) 

Bat Crafts (10 crafts)

Cat Crafts (6 crafts)

Ghost Crafts (13 crafts) Lots NEW!

Jack o' Lantern Crafts (21 crafts) Lots NEW!

Monster Crafts (15 crafts)

Skeleton Crafts (9 crafts)

Spider Crafts (8 crafts)

Witch Crafts (11 crafts)

Teaching Styles: #3 Reggio Emilia

Day #3 of our teaching tour, Reggio Emilia! 

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The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. This is a style that is relatively new to the education world. During the post-World War II era, a “…desire to bring change and create a new, more just world, free from oppression, was urging women and men to gather their strength and build with their own hands schools for their young children.”Beginning in Italy, the first Reggio Emilia modeled school was opened in 1963. 

Reggio Emilia is recognized around the world as an innovative approach to teaching. In this approach, there is a belief that children have rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential. Children are believed “knowledge bearers”, so they are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about everything they could meet or do during the day.

• Children must have some control over the direction of their learning;
• Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing;
• Children have a relationship with other children and with material items in the world that children must be allowed to explore and
• Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.

In the Reggio approach, the teacher is considered a co-learner and collaborator with the child and not just an instructor. Teachers are encouraged to facilitate the child's learning by planning activities and lessons based on the child's interests, asking questions to further understanding, and actively engaging in the activities alongside the child, instead of sitting back and observing the child learning.

The Reggio Emilia approach views children as capable, inquisitive learners and experiences are planned to spark creativity, thinking, planning and reflecting.  

An experience using natural materials is not only aesthetically pleasing, it is also delightfully open-ended, engages the senses and supports valuable connections with the natural world.

Sources:

Let The Children Play

Next Teaching Style: #2 Montessori!

Day 2 of our teaching styles series is Montessori schooling! Read below to learn more about this interactive and fun philosophy and get some ideas for Montessori-related activities.   

Montessori schooling began in the late 1800s by an Italian physician and educator. The first Montessori based classroom was opened in 1907 in Rome. 

This educational style is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. This level of learning is reached by a few specific requirements:

• Mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children ages 21⁄2 or 3 to 6 years old by far the most common
• Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
• Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
• A constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction
• Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators
• Freedom of movement within the classroom
• A trained Montessori teacher

The teacher, child, and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is  prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed.

Montessori education offers our children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible, and respectful citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life.

• Each child is valued as a unique individual. Montessori education recognizes that children learn in different ways, and accommodates all learning styles. 
• Beginning at an early age, Montessori students develop order, coordination, concentration, and independence. Classroom design, materials, and daily routines support the individual’s emerging “self-regulation” (ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one is learning), toddlers through adolescents.
• Students are part of a close, caring community. The multi-age classroom—typically spanning 3 years—re-creates a family structure. Older students enjoy stature as mentors and role models; younger children feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Teachers model respect, loving kindness, and a belief in peaceful conflict resolution.
• Montessori students enjoy freedom within limits. Working within parameters set by their teachers, students are active participants in deciding what their focus of learning will be. Montessorians understand that internal satisfaction drives the child’s curiosity and interest and results in joyous learning that is sustainable over a lifetime.
• Students are supported in becoming active seekers of knowledge. Teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions.
• Self-correction and self-assessment are an integral part of the Montessori classroom approach. As they mature, students learn to look critically at their work, and become adept at recognizing, correcting, and learning from their errors.

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He doesn't think about it. He goes to his shelves (in this case in our art cupboard) selects a tray, takes it to his table, sets up the activity (here it involves getting one of two more items including the place mat and water for the jar), completes the activity, packs everything away or back on the tray and returns the tray to the shelf. 

The mystery bag has long been a favorite children's activity. Usually it is simply a cloth bag or box with a hole for your child's hands, through which she can touch and manipulate objects that she cannot see. To play you will need a collection of small object with which your child is familiar and which she can name. While she closes her eyes, place an object inside the bag and challenge her to identify it by touch alone. If your child guesses correctly, you and your child switch roles. Keep this game going for older children by making it more difficult, using different coins, shells, or geometric shapes, for example.  - See more at: http://www.howwemontessori.com/how-we-montessori/activities/#sthash.xRFRk7Hl.dpuf

 

Sources:

American Montessori Society

How We Montessori 

4 Different Teaching Styles - #1 Waldorf

This is the first day to our 4-day series of teaching styles! 

Children learn in a variety of ways. Through play, music, experience and imitation, kids absorb information around them like sponges. In this 4-part series, I will go over a few of the popular teaching philosophies we see today. Each of these teaching styles have their own history and background as well as distinct values and practices. 

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First up, Waldorf education! This style began in Germany back in 1919 and is all about creative play. Waldorf's rich curriculum encourages children to learn by interacting with music, myth, theater, writing, dance, language, and nature. Young Waldorf schooled children are taught to explore both artistic expression and social capabilities from a young age. Secondary school introduces critical thinking and idealism to the mix, encouraging the use of imagination. Throughout a child's time in a Waldorf school, the goal is to combine intellectual, practical and artistic themes to create free, morally responsible and creative individuals that are socially competent. 

Teachers of the Waldorf style (whether parent, teacher or tutor) create an environment that is nurturing and which encourages learning through imitation and experimentation. The "teacher" will demonstrate various activities such as baking, gardening, painting, building etc. to stimulate the little ones' imaginations. Creative and free play is supported. 

As the children grow older, their curiosity grows, leading to experimentation in poetry, music, writing and art. By stimulating a sense of awe from a young age, critical thinking skills are developed. 

A few things that play huge roles in Waldorf education: colors, simple objects, handwork, daily rhythm, forts, musical instruments, natural toys and many more. Below are a few examples of Waldorf inspired activities to check out thanks to Alina's Adventures,  :) 

- Candle illuminated paper scenes 

- Nature painting and stamping

- Peek-a-boo sprites

 

Sources:

http://www.creativechild.com

http://www.alinasadventuresinhomemaking.com

http://www.whywaldorfworks.org

 

A Little Monday Afternoon Pep-Talk

Well another weekend has come and gone. Monday's can be a struggle..I know I am a little sluggish today. SO, here is another inspiring, funny, adorable video from Mr. Kid President. We love this little guy and the video speaks to everyone. Happy Monday! 

Genius Snack Hack Ideas!

Thanks to our friends at Kids Activities, we discovered this holy grail of Snack Hacks! These fun, simple and creative ideas will guarantee a smile at snack time! 

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Get Organized

Have a bin of snacks ready and waiting in the fridge.  This is great for portion control and encourages diversity.  Kids have to eat the whole bin before it’s replenished.  via – Iheartorganizing

Don’t search for your kids cups.  Glue magnets to the sides of their cups and your kids can stick cups onto the fridge.  When they want a drink they can use the fridge dispenser and put the cup back on the fridge. via – Dayna Made It.

Have your fridge organized so you don’t spend time looking for food or forgetting about a veggie or snack. via – Glamorous Housewife.

Cut up apples ahead of time and then wrap a rubber band around the slices.  This will keep them from turning brown. via -  A helicopter mom

Enjoy drip-free popsicles.  Fill the popsicle molds with jello.  Tastes great and are less messy!

Play Date Tips

Give your kids cups of dip along with their veggies.  This is a great make-ahead tip that works well for playdates and parties.  No double dipping!  via – Floor 24

Cut slivers of oranges in a jiffy – no more peeling and picking off the white of the orange!

Layer a cake evenly with the help of dental floss.  You can also use this tip to cut blocks of cheese or rolls of dough.  via – wiki how

Create double decker snack cups with the help of a cupcake liner.  These were a huge hit at a recent slumber party!  via- I can teach my child

Freeze sponges to create a safe, drip-free icepack alternative in a lunchbox.  The kids can even use the sponge to clean up their table before and after they are finished eating.

Transform a regular water bottle into a sippy cup by punching a hole through the lid and inserting a straw. Perfect for a picnic.  Best part, you can dispose of it when you are done.

Portion control snacks with the help of a set of old Easter eggs.  You can even use an egg carton to transport the food.  “Egg” lunches are my kids favorite park treat.  via – Kailo Chic

Quick and Easy Treat Tips

Use a cupcake liner to contain drips when your kids are eating popscicles.   Your kids won’t be as sticky!

Create ice-cream sandwiches quick and easily with mini-icecream containers.  Heat your knife to make cutting them easier.  Then peel the carton away before eating.

Make a single serving of cake in a mere 3 minuets with only 3 ingredients.  This recipe tastes just like a mug of hot chocolate.

Happy snacking!!