Nanny Net News ==================================================================== A newsletter for Parents, Nannies and Agency Owners
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Hello all,
Wow, it’s been a long time since you’ve heard from me. I’m sorry for my absence and am determined to rev up the Nanny Net News and keep it on its monthly course from now on.
We have a terrific excerpt on setting routines and schedules from a book called Nanny Wisdom written by the current nannies to Richard Gere’s children and to fashion photographer Pamela Hanson’s children. I hope you enjoy it and take a minute to check out their website.
We are also welcoming a new parenting expert to our panel who will be giving child rearing advice to both parents and nannies. You can read more about Nanny Trudi and her advice on getting babies to sleep through the night in this newsletter.
Well, I have to say it’s good to be back. The past year has been quite a tumultuous one for me personally. I look forward to getting back to the business I love so much, talking to nannies and parents, helping the 10,000+ visitors we get to our sites every week, setting new goals for NannyClassifieds.com, which is undergoing major renovations and getting back on track with the Nanny Net News.
As always, thanks for taking the time to visit with me. I hope to see many of you at the INA Conference in New Orleans. I know I say this every year, but it truly is a great way to advance your career and to make wonderful new friends.
Take care,
Deborah Smith Editor
Nanny Net News --------------------------------------------------- Nanny Scam Alert Nannies using online recruiting services should be aware of an ongoing scam campaign. Scammers posing as potential employers are offering to send money in advance of hire. Once the nanny receives the bogus check, the employer backs out of the employment deal and asks the nanny to send back a portion of the money by wire transfer. Please see below for a sample letter from a suspected scammer. These scams are going on all over the internet. Please report any suspected scam attempts to the webmaster of the online services you are using.
<<Calvary greetings in the name of the most high. I am Bishop Leslie
Opoko, of the Catholic mission in Accra, Ghana. I will be coming over to
Lexington, Kentucky in the United States with my wife and kids (ages 2, 3
and 6) for a 4 weeks visit from the 4th of February till the 20th of March
2006 and during this time, we shall require the services of a nanny to
watch over the kids, take them sightseeing and shopping and other exciting
things that will keep them pre-occupied while my wife and I are away
attending to other engagements. We would like to enquire if you will
be willing to render these services for us, as we would like to pay you in
advance for your services, so as to leave us rest assured that we have a
nanny to watch over our kids when we arrive in
USA.
Please get in touch with me ASAP for us to conclude on all other
arrangements and modalities concerning the above stated assignment.
I shall be waiting to hear from you.
Remain Blessed in His Vineyard,
An Excerpt from Nanny Wisdom by Justine Walsh and Kim Nicholson
“Set a routine, put it on a schedule – and stick to it”
Every good nanny knows that a solid routine and an established schedule are the true path to contented kids. They’re also the nanny’s most secret and effective tools for making child care easy (as we’ll discuss in detail in Chapter Three). Parents like having a routine and schedule: it ensures they get some time to themselves each day. But children like it, too: they feel comforted by the repetition (How many times have you read your child the same book? How often has she asked to see the 101 Dalmatians video?) and they are reassured by knowing what is coming next in their day. Kids learn from the constant repetition of a routine and the security of a schedule; the structure gives them the balance they yearn for while they go through the many changes of growing up, making them feel safe and secure.
Set a routine, put it on a schedule, and it forms the basis of a child’s day. Life is so much easier when children eat, nap, and go to sleep at roughly the same time every day. If a child’s schedule is all over the place – if naps are irregular, if bedtime is different each night, if meals are served randomly – kids are unable to cope well with the demands of their day. They become overtired and overhungry and are prone to frequent meltdowns. You can’t wait for a young child to tell you when he wants lunch or a nap. That’s simply unrealistic; kids can’t always recognize their hunger or tiredness. A routine and a schedule help kids anticipate their needs – and ensure their needs are met.
Within the framework of your child’s routine and schedule, it’s helpful to include simple rituals – little things you do every day at the same time that signal to your child what is coming next. Kids really adore rituals. It may be a story before bed, a song you sing every time you get your child dressed, a special phrase you always say as you tuck him in “Sweet dreams” will do – or a request you always make (maybe simply handing your child his plastic cup and asking him to “put it on the table because we are going to have lunch now”). Whatever you choose to do, do it at the same time and in the same way each time. Kids will anticipate what is coming, and if you forget the exact particulars of the ritual, don’t worry: they will be quick to remind you!
Parents sometimes tell us they don’t want to be tied down to a regular
routine and don’t want their lives constrained by a schedule. They
want life to be easier than that. Well, if you want family life to
run smoothly, the only way is by establishing a consistent routine and
putting it on a schedule. That really is the commitment you will
need to make. Once a successful routine is established, there will
be plenty of room for flexibility. A missed nap, a late lunch, an
evening party is of no consequence; thanks to the strong foundation of the
routine, you can simply go right back to it without the fuss. Set
your routine and schedule, stick to it, and we promise: you will see the
benefits in your family life. Justine Walsh grew up in England. Her sixteen-year nanny career has taken her to France, London, and the US, and her success has led to several high-profile positions. Today she cares for the children of Richard Gere and Carey Lowell. Kim Nicholson is an Australian-born nanny who became a full-fledged British nanny in the U.K. After working for several families in Australia and London, she now lives in New York and cares for the sons of fashion photographer Pamela Hanson. You can visit the nannies website at www.nanny-wisdom.com.
Welcome to our New Parenting Issues Expert
At the age of 17, Nanny Trudi was lucky enough to study at the prestigious Norland Nanny Training College in Berkshire, England. Since qualifying in 1992 - with a Norland Diploma and an NNEB Certificate - She worked not only as a full time nanny but also as an au pair in Greece and a nursery manager. She now lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. She also runs a support group for “mums” in Edinburgh called the Edinburgh mums group at www.edinburghmums.com You can read more about Nanny Trudi on her website at http://www.ask-nanny.com/about-nanny.html. Please see below for Nanny Trudi’s first Q & A from our Ask the Experts forum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ask the Experts A: Hello, I must start by saying although teething may well be causing your baby pain, it may also be that you are just trying to reason with yourself as to why your baby might be waking. Every time a parent of a baby who does not sleep, or has trouble sleeping, contacts me they say that they believe their baby is teething and this is the cause of the problem, however after a few nights of consistent sleep training the baby is sleeping well. Even when these babies get ill or have subsequent teething episodes, they continue to be good sleepers as they have been taught the skills to self soothe and get themselves back to sleep. I would therefore advise you to start by simply seeing the problem for what it is. That is that your baby has become accustomed to associating getting to sleep with being nursed or rocked by you. Therefore our aim is to re-teach your baby how to get to sleep by herself! But it’s good news, you’ve caught her young and it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem to do this!
The first thing to be established which will enable us to teach your baby how to get to sleep by herself is a good solid routine. Your baby will no doubt be feeding at regular intervals during the day and it’s important to try and feed her at more or less the same times each day, but more importantly her bedtime routine should be calm, quiet and scheduled. Try and give baby her bath quietly and with a hushed voice, perhaps follow with a soft baby massage, and then dress her in her nightwear gently. Do not take her back to the living room or other room where activities take place. Go straight to where she sleeps so as not to excite her. Her last feed should be relaxed and in her room and finish with winding her to make sure she goes into her crib awake! You should try and block out daylight with black out blinds or curtains and her sleep area should be a nice quiet place which isn’t too warm or too cool. Baby’s routine should include regular times for her sleeps during the day and for bedtime. This routine should be stuck to as much as possible and will in itself greatly improve your baby’s sleep patterns as it will make her feel more secure. Try making a written note of your baby’s routine and remember to update it as she grows.
Secondly
I advise that from now on, you must not let your baby fall asleep whilst
nursing and there is no need to feed her during the night as she is at an
age where she can sleep through a whole 12 hours without the physical need
for a feed. Once you stop giving her a night time feed she will take more
during the day to makeup for this, but believe me if you continue to feed
her during the night this one waking episode will almost certainly
increase. The sleep training method I recommend for babies this young is
controlled lifting. This is done by putting baby to bed awake. You then
stay quietly in the room not looking directly at her, and wait to see
baby’s reaction. With the calm bedtime routine in place you may find that
she does actually settle herself, but chances are she may start to cry.
Basically you lift her up for a quick cuddle over her crib, for 3 seconds
maximum without rocking! Then place her gently back into her crib. She
will probably cry but wait 5 seconds (counting 1 elephant, 2 elephants
etc) before repeating the action. As her crying lessens (this may take
minutes or hours) leave her longer in between. If she keeps crying for
some time offer cooled boiled water from a bottle as the crying may make
her throat dry. Do not rock, kiss, look or speak to her! This is vital, as
this would prolong the crying by reinforcing it! Do this repetitive
procedure at every sleep time and every waking time, including daytime
sleeps when you feel baby needs to sleep, and stay strong, you can do it!
If you need more help with this or any other parenting issue, please visit
my site
Order today….
Industry News
The International Nanny Association’s 21st Annual Conference, May 18 - 21, 2006 is happening in New Orleans. Agency owners and nannies can sign up through their website at http://www.nanny.org.
INA is conducting a new “Nanny Salary and Benefits Survey.” To participate in the survey click here http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB224XE5ERAL2
The Nanny Alliance of NY and NJ has several upcoming networking and educational events scheduled for February through April. To check out there calendar and get involved, visit their website at http://nannyalliancenyandnj.com/events.html
Nanny Support Groups: Send us your press releases on upcoming events for future newsletters to Deborah@4EverythingNanny.com, subject: newsletter
NannyPay Home Payroll Software Essentia Software is pleased to announce the immediate availability of NannyPay Staff Edition, our multiple employee enhancement of NannyPay classic software. Staff Edition includes many new features such as check printing and fully customizable reports. Customers renewing their NannyPay subscription can upgrade now to Staff Edition for a special price. Now available for immediate
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