25 Outdoor Water Play Ideas!

Hope everyone had a relaxing Labor Day weekend! Found these great water play ideas from our friends over at Happy Hooligans :) Take a look! 

READ HERE! 

Lathering Up With Sunscreen After Watching This...

We all know the importance of sunscreen. "The sun is bad for you", "You are going to get skin cancer", "Did you put on your sunscreen?" These are all things I have heard time after time and to be honest, I never really understood how true they are...UNTIL NOW!

HOLY MOLY! If this video doesn't make you dive into a bath tub filled with SPF 100 I don't know what will. Living in San Diego, sunscreen is crucial! The sun is stronger, summer is longer and we are able to spend more time outdoors than other places because of our climate, making it IMPERATIVE that we lather up!

I encourage everyone to watch this and realize that sunscreen really does make a difference and should be used on not only your children but you as well! Let's save our skin and realize that we only get one so we need to protect it! 

Nanny Etiquette: The Unspoken Rules

Maintaining a strong Parent/Nanny relationship is crucial for a smooth running household and the overall happiness of the family.  Many new parents are simply unaware of the "unspoken rules" of having a nanny and that is where we can help! 

As a nanny myself there are a few things that are critical when it comes to nanny etiquette (pay, time-off, schedule changes etc.)

For example, many parents do not realize the nanny is supposed to be paid even on days that they don't need us; ie. days that the children are sick or the parents have the day off work or they choose to take a vacation for even a full week!

It is wonderful to find little hints like this and can make all the difference in a nanny/family relationship.  I found some more helpful tips below for both a nanny and a parent to keep the relationship running as smooth as possible! 

NANNY DO'S

• Do provide discipline without using physical punishment. Most parents won’t like the idea of anyone but them smacking their child, if they even approve of smacking at all.
• Do assist with children’s learning by doing things like reading and allocating time for them to do their homework and following their interests.
• Do tell the parents about any accidents (however minor) that occur, and likewise if the children are sick or distressed when they are with you, even if you are afraid of how the parents will react.
• Communicate openly with the family. 
• Do respect the privacy of the family by not snooping or eavesdropping

NANNY DON'TS

• Don’t go against the requests of the parents when it comes to feeding the children, even as a treat. And try and maintain a good diet in front of the children as much as possible.
• Don’t use the television or DVD player as a babysitter and be sure to give the kids your full attention when they are awake.
• Don’t ever consume alcohol or drugs while working or within 24 hours of needing to be at work.
• Don’t ever swear or speak badly of the children’s parents in front of the children.
• Don’t use money that is supposed to be spent on the children on yourself or for things other than what it is meant to be used for. It’s a fine line between that and stealing which is obviously a definite no.
• Don’t ever impose your values (such as religion or whether Santa Claus is real) on the children you work with, especially if it is against the beliefs of the family.

Below are some tips for the parents in regard to nanny etiquette.  For more information, click on the links below!

PARENT DO'S

• Do pay your nanny on time as per the agreed terms.
• Do return home on time and call ahead if you are going to be late.
• Do be specific about the responsibilities of the job and the housekeeping duties and don’t change things without discussing them in detail with the nanny.

PARENT DON'TS

• Don’t compare your nanny to previous nannies you’ve had.
• Don’t feel insecure about your children bonding with the nanny.
• Don’t be passive aggressive when there is a problem, communicate openly about it with the nanny to resolve the issue.

Best of luck to both families and nannies alike :) 

http://www.findababysitter.com.au/Articles/Nanny-etiquette

http://www.notyouraveragenanny.com/2013/02/on-proper-etiquette-working-ashiring.html

Egg Relay Races!!

Found this AWESOME preschool education website with fun creative activities to do for any given day but also for special holidays like Easter! I will definitely be joining in with these egg-relay races!

For more fun ideas for Easter visit:

http://www.preschooleducation.com/geaster.shtml

Passover Holiday Fun!

The Passover Holiday is right around the corner! We thought this was a fantastic way to get children into telling
the story of the Exodus by interacting with puppets they made themselves! The kids love being part of the Seder by acting out the story at the Seder table when the 10 plagues are mentioned! Check it out! Adorable!

http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2011/04/ten-plagues-passover-craft-fun-placards-for-the-seder.html%20

Music and Movement!

Found this incredible website on Music and Movement for children of all ages! They have such a wide range of songs for all types of behaviors and skills sets you wish to teach to children.They even have different tools to help set up the right environment to get children to participate and learn.

For more details go to: http://kimboed.com

Positive Reinforcement For Children

As parents, mentors, tutors, teachers, nannies, coaches, older siblings, you name it...we all know the importance of building self-esteem to children when they're curiosity leads them to experimenting and learning about new things. It is then that it most important to let them know that it is okay to make mistakes, because that is the only way to learn. Positive Reinforcement is incredibly important to help build self-esteem! I recently discovered this resourceful article from Purdue University about Positive Reinforcement and Rewards, written by Rejeswari Natrajan, a Graduate Researcher and Doctor Judith A. Myers-Walls, a Specialist in Positive Reinforcement. Natrajan and Myers-Walls, prepared a "knowledge to go" article that provides excellent tips to parents about using rewards and reinforcement together. Go ahead and give it a chance, you might just take a little something from it and implement it next time you are around a child.

Positive Reinforcement Article:

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/providerparent/PDF%20Links/PositiveReinfRewards.pdf

Check out the genius jar idea at:

http://wolfelicious.blogspot.com/2012/07/caught-ya-positive-reinforcement.html

St. Patrick's Day Parades in San Diego!

Look at all these awesome events happening in the San Diego area! 

Dress up with your kids and celebrate The Luck of the Irish!

34th Annual San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Balboa Park

Saturday, March 15, 2014

9 am-5 pm

Parade at 10:30 am

www.stpatsparade.org

3rd Annual North County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Vista 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

10 am-4 pm

Parade at 11 am

www.vvba.org/specialevent/north-county-st-patricks-day-parade-and-festival/

34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run, 2 & 4 Mile Run/Walk at Mission Bay Park 

Saturday, March 15, 2014

7:45am

Proceeds benefit Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego.

www.kathyloperevents.com/stpatrick/

St. Patrick’s Day Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk and Green Mile in El Cajon 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

8 am

www.runeastcounty.com

For more information check out San Diego Family Website! 

http://www.sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/seasonal-happenings/1109-st-patricks-day

Fun St. Patrick's Day Shamrocks!

Not only does this make such wonderful decorations but it's such a great way to celebrate the luck of the Irish with your children! Found this wonderful idea on We Know Stuff blog with  a step by step tutorial on how to involve your little one's in the creative process. Don't be afraid to get dirty, It's part of all the fun!  For more information go to their awesome page:

http://www.weknowstuff.us.com/we-know-stuff/2013/02/kids-craft-coffee-filter-shamrocks.html

Lets Get Fun With Nutrition!

As parents, we have to learn to juggle so many things at once that sometimes we don't have time to think about cooking healthy meals. It is so much easier to open up a box of mac and cheese than it is to think about ways to make broccoli interesting to children. But as a parent it our responsibility to instill good habits as children so that they can grow to be healthy adults.

 Found this really great article on SF Gate about how to make nutrition fun for children! They had awesome ideas like grocery store scavenger hunts and edible art to make heathy foods more appealing to children. If you are having a hard time getting your little ones to get interested in their greens, it wouldn't hurt to give this a try. Plus, you will both gain a great bonding experience at the end of the day. 

For more details go to: 

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-game-kids-6274.html

Exercise for Moms!!

Looking to get fit with other moms? If you’re a local in the San Diego Area, check out FIT4MOM San Diego, they have awesome deals for group classes. 

For more details visit their website at:

https://fit4mom-sandiego.frontdeskhq.com/categories/16

NANNY POACHERS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND AT PRESCHOOL

After being a nanny for as long as I have, I love finding articles that have been published that have to do with “Nanny Poaching”. Nanny poaching is a term used when one mother aggressively approaches an awesome Nanny on a playground, or at preschool drop off and starts throwing a barrage of questions about her relationship with her family and if she might toy with the idea of leaving them to work for her for maybe shorter hours and more pay.

Being an educated, highly energetic, knowledgeable childcare provider, I am easy to spot on the playground, because I am the one who genuinely LOVES what I do and it’s obvious as I am on al the equipment and playing “Barista” with my charges under the climbing apparatuses. I love my little ones, I am loyal, and I am not leaving. My children mean more to me than anything because I am not only their nanny, but I am the glue that binds the family together.

Serious, professionals will not consider leaving for we are loyal and forever interested. Some of my relationships have stemmed over 20 years with some of my charges. According to Pat Cascio, owner of Morningside Nannies in Houston, “Nannies are very loyal and cannot be stolen if they feel respected and cared about. If they feel overworked, underpaid they’re going to look elsewhere.”

This comes down to parents and nannies discussing pay and finalizing Salary requirements as well as potential benefits. As we know families must stay within their budgets, they also need to remember that Nannies need to feel secure in their positions and continuity of care for heir children will follow in a natural progression.

According to Emily Dills, owner of the Seattle Nanny Network, She says she adheres to these guidelines when it comes to her own nanny, because treating the nanny as a member of the household and not an employee is imperative. She maintains a professional boundary, while at the same time, the nanny knows and understands the value she brings into the household dynamic. Although the nanny’s job is a position of “service”, it is important to treat her respectfully as a member of the household and not an employee.

So to be an effective family in a nanny’s world, treat her with love, kindness and respect, as it’s the easiest way to keep her away from those parents that are trying to poach your nanny at preschool or the playground.

Dara B. Green
President, Seaside Nannies Inc.

Seaside Nannies Inc. was founded by Dara Green, nanny of over 25 years and preschool teacher in the San Diego community. Seaside Nannies has been created to serve the needs of each family and nanny to create relationships that last.

SENSORY MOTOR PLAY!

WHAT FUN!

PBS had a great article I read on sensory motor activities and how it helps children's develop in multiple ways.  Many people outside the field of Early Childhood Education just think this would be painting~  but painting with your feet with a friend actually fosters many things such as language development, social-emotional growth, cognitive processing, creativity, gross and fine motor development, as well as all the 5 senses are all heightened!  

WHAT MAKES A NANNY AGENCY A “GOOD ONE”?

I am always asked “How is your agency different?” and I always reply, “Where do I start?!”  I think there are many things to consider when you are looking for an agency that can best suit your specific family needs. Each family is different and that is why families have choices in working with a reputable agencies, take the stress off the parents and feel comfortable in the process.  The best place to start would be gathering information from every avenue, from online data bases to high end boutique agencies and everything in between.  Start asking every question you can think of and take notes.  

CALL AND COMPARE

Local nanny referral agencies can be found in publications, online, and in the local yellow pages. 

One of the best ways to be referred to a local nanny or domestic staffing agency is by someone who has already used their service and had a positive experience. Just because you have seen a nanny agency’s advertising all over the place, do not assume they are the best in town. Professional nanny agencies should take the time to invest in a dialogue with you, so that you feel comfortable, leaving you with all questions answered. 

ASK QUESTIONS

Ask the agency representative questions regarding their background and philosophy in connecting Nannies and Families within the community! 

Make sure their answers resonate with your own thoughts on the matter. 

Be detailed in your requests about the company, and ask about the clients and nannies that use their service.

For example, who are the nanny agency owners and what are their backgrounds in? 

How did they get involved in the industry?

What are their personal credentials as well as their agencies?

How have they gained their reputation? 

How do they stay in tune with their industry? 

Do they attend the INA conference and network with one another for the better of their community? 

Are they involved in the community in other ways? 

What larger affiliations are they associated with (APNA and INA)? 

Are they child centered?

Are they knowledgeable about making sure the nanny candidates are aware of the specific ages and stages of the child’s development, so the candidates the agency sends over are appropriate? 

What are the minimum requirements of the agency’s nannies and what skill sets should they have? 

Are the nannies required to be CPR/First Aid Certified?

Can they help answer questions about taxes and payroll?  If they cannot, can they direct you to the appropriate resources that are known in the industry to help with taxes, such as Breedlove and GTM?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

What is the general modus operandi of the nanny agency regarding their interviewing process? 

How does the agency screen their candidates? 

How do they screen their prospective clients/families? 

If the agency has online forms be sure to find out if they also have face-to-face interviews as well. 

Does the agency ask a nanny for a resume? 

Are the nannies required to supply the agency with references, if so what kind? 

This actually might include references for both parties in the process.

The agency should be concerned with connecting a nanny and family based on not just skill set and knowledge base, but demographic, longevity at positions, comments from the references in which the agency spoke with, and personality!

SAFETY & “IN HOUSE” VISITS: 

Ask if the agency does an “In House” visit.  This is a crucial part of the process in finding the most appropriate match, making both the nanny and family experience a positive one, as well as this approach initiates a quick and accurate placement for both nanny and family.

An agency representative will visit the home to assess the family’s own, personal family dynamic, as each family is unique!

The “over the phone” process is a typical scenario when using a nanny agency, however it is usually worth a little more money (if the agency fee is a slightly higher one) if a representative can come into the family home to see the children in their home environment. 

This is also a sure way to guarantee the nanny’s safety. 

BACKGROUND CHECKS?

The nanny agency you decide to work with should offer background checks. 

This should include the minimum of, a Social Security trace, leading to every county the candidate has lived in, and a County Criminal check in every county they have ever resided in. 

The background check should also include a Department of Motor Vehicle report.

Some agencies will also offer a drug screening, sometimes at an extra cost to the client, including consent from the nanny, depending on what state they reside in. 

All states have different laws.  Please make sure to check with the Department of Social Services in your state. 

FEES?

What are the agency’s fees and why? 

Why do some agencies ask for a percentage of the nannies salary vs. flat rate nanny agencies?  (Remember that location and demographic of where you live may have an impact.)

Does the agency require the nanny pay them as well? 

Sometimes a percentage of the hours worked by the nanny are paid to the agency.

Many times, the fee schedule of the agency can also dictate what level of service you can expect. 

For families, ask if the nanny agency charges an upfront, non-refundable retainer and what is it for. 

Does the retainer get rolled into the final agency fee or is it extra? 

What are the benefits to both for you and your family’s budget for choosing an agency that charges “one month’s nanny salary” vs. a “percentage” vs. a “flat rate” agency? 

Many agencies that charge flat rates are very appealing to the wallet, however they might be so inundated with clients, that they might not be able to give you the personalized service that both nanny and client deserve. 

Remember this should be a very intimate process in which can take time, so give your self several weeks ahead to find the perfect nanny for your family. 

GUARANTEE?

What are the agency’s policies with their guarantee?

Note that because an agency offers a longer guarantee on their placement, does not mean anything.  This is a fabulous marketing tool to get your business. 

Agencies that take the time upfront to make sure the nanny is a perfect match for the client ahead of time, their guarantee really does not have to be longer than 3 months, as a nanny or a parent will know if the fit is not comfortable within 3 weeks!

If the nanny that is hired decided to leave within a certain time frame, does the agency replace the nanny for no charge? 

How are the nannies secured within their positions? Nannies need to know they are supported by the agency and if their positions are secure with a contract. 

As nannies are required to make a commitment to the family in whom they are placed with, nannies also need to know there are always open lines of communication and a commitment from the family that employs them. 

This is assured within a nanny agency that is supportive of contractual documents that are offered as part of the agency process!   Ask and see if the agency uses a nanny/family work agreement to help foster open lines of communication as both nanny and family have responsibilities to one another.

Using a nanny agency that has a good reputation in the community is a great place to start the agency process, so do your research!  The questions I have mentioned will hopefully help insure that your nanny/ family partnership will be as efficient, productive and successful as possible: as we all wish for happy homes, nannies, families and of course… happy children!

 Written by, Dara B. Green, Nanny over 25 years, Preschool Teacher, Nanny Agency Owner