How a Nanny Can Determine a Family’s Needs

A large part of a nanny’s success – or a major contributing factor to her lack thereof – is dependent upon her ability to understand the individual needs of the family she works for. Just as no two children are alike, neither are the households they live in. Learning to navigate the particular landscape of family dynamics and scheduling in a new post is essential for the nanny who wishes to maintain her post for years to come.

Even a childcare provider who’s particularly adept at reading situations should  take certain steps to ensure that those observations are accurate and in accordance with the needs of her employers, as depending solely on instinct can often lead to misunderstandings and even serious disputes. In the interest of performing to the best of your abilities and providing the family that employs you with top-notch service, here are a few tips for determining their needs so that you can make your best effort to meet them.

• Ask Questions at the Interview – All too often, nannies see an in-person interview as more of a one-sided interrogation than a dialogue between both parties; as a result, questions go unasked and needs ultimately go unmet. Rather than answering all of a prospective employer’s questions without asking any of your own, make an effort to discuss the intricacies of the position and ask any applicable questions. In addition to making it easier for you to figure out what the position will entail, this simple action can save both you and a prospective employer a considerable amount of time and wasted effort by revealing a personality clash, fundamental disagreement, or any other potentially problematic aspect of a post. Asking courteous and polite questions will help you to determine exactly what a family is looking for, what they aren’t yet aware that they need, and give you a brief but informative glimpse of the inner workings of the household.
• Work With Your Employers to Create a Checklist of Responsibilities – Putting the responsibilities that your employers will be expecting you to fulfill in writing by working together to draft a checklist provides a great opportunity to discuss their individual needs and the ideal qualities they’d like their nanny to have. Though nannies typically only provide services that are directly related to the care of children, perhaps your employers are in need of light housekeeping or full household management. Working together to build a definitive list of responsibilities and expected tasks will allow you to best determine where their needs fall and how you can best meet them.
• Contact Their Last Nanny, If Possible – If your new employers and their previous nanny parted on good terms they will probably be willing to provide you with an email address or another form of contact information so that you can discuss her duties and what tasks she was regularly charged with. Be warned, however, that a family whose last nanny left under difficult circumstances or as a result of a serious dispute may not be willing to disclose any of that information. In that case, it might be wise to ask them what they did and did not like about her methods, in order to get a basic idea of what their expectations are.
• Document and Summarize Your Findings – Taking the time to summarize all of the information that you’ve collected regarding the needs and expectations of your new or prospective employers and presenting them for review is a great way of making sure that you’re all on the same page, and that your initial observations are correct. Should you be off base in some area or another, it also allows them the chance to dispel any misconceptions that you may be laboring under and better explain those needs.

During the process of drafting the written work agreement that will include a detailed summary of the expectations and responsibilities of both you and your new employer, you should be provided with an even clearer picture of how the household runs, where assistance is required, and what you should or should not contribute. Because a good contract should be so thorough that it could be considered exhaustive, you should have few, if any, questions about what will be expected of you. During the first few weeks of your new engagement, make sure that you’re as observant as possible; this adjustment period can be very informative, revealing needs that your new employers might not even realize that they have.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Abby Nelson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 

 http://www.nannyclassifieds.com/blog/how-a-nanny-can-determine-a-familys-needs/

 

How to Make Your Own Baby Food with a Blender

As concerns about genetically modified produce and dangerous farming practices escalate, and controversy surrounding Monsanto become more common, the number of parents committed to – or at least considering the practice of – making their own baby food is also on the rise. There are also parents who would love to provide their baby with organically grown, preservative- and additive-free foods, but are under the misconception that the process is a long and laborious one. In fact, making baby food from locally or organically grown fruits and vegetables is surprisingly simple.

The Price Factor

Any parent who’s seen the expensive systems advertised for making and storing baby food at home could easily be fooled into thinking that the process is not only a difficult or time-consuming one, but also an incredibly pricey option. The truth is, those systems are only more convenient than the tools you already have in your kitchen, if that, and they are by no means necessary to create fresh, nutritious food of verifiable origins for your bundle of joy. With nothing more than a pot, a knife, a cutting board, fresh produce, and a blender, you can be on the path to becoming an in-demand chef for the smaller set. Because saving money by making healthful food for your baby rather than paying more for processed jarred food is one of the many selling points of taking on the task, spending a small fortune on an entire system with all the bells and whistles is unnecessary.

Storage

Buying a fully-stocked homemade baby food system brings a set of storage containers to the party, but there are several storage options at your disposal that will work just as well in conjunction with the blender you already have. Rather than purchasing a space-hogging, pricey system, take advantage of the variety of storage solutions available to you for a fraction of the cost.

For frozen foods, simply prepare an item in accordance with your chosen recipe, and allow it to cool. Spoon the pureed food into ice cube trays and freeze them until they’re solid, then pop the cubes out and into carefully labeled freezer bags. Foods can then be defrosted in just the amount you need, eliminating waste and allowing you to make food in large batches when you have free time, rather than scrambling to make baby food every day. Small storage bowls are widely and readily available in the market today, and are also suitable for baby food storage. Just be sure that any plastic containers you purchase are BPA free in order to avoid any potential health risks.

Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Blender

Because small batches of food tend to be pushed to the sides of a blender carafe and missed by the blades, your blender is most effective as a method of pureeing baby food when you’re working with a fairly substantial amount of food. This small drawback is eliminated, however, by setting aside an afternoon to make and freeze enough food for a few weeks. Properly stored in airtight freezer containers, your baby food will have a shelf life of up to three months.

Blenders are also great at liquefying solid foods, which means that it’s important to keep a close eye on food that’s being pureed in a blender, lest it become a very thin soup. Always use the pulse button for maximum control over the texture and consistency of the food; using even a low continuous setting could turn your perfectly prepared produce into something more akin to a juice if you’re distracted from the running blender for a moment. With children in the house, there’s constant potential for distraction, so use the pulse button and watch carefully. Remember to scrape down the sides of the blender carafe regularly as well to ensure a uniform texture with few lumps.

Immersion or Stick Blenders

Parents that are lucky enough to have an immersion or stick blender in their kitchen are in an even better position to make their own baby food with less hassle. Rather than transferring cooked food to a blender carafe to puree and then moving it to containers for storage, food can be blended in the cooking vessel and dished straight into storage containers for easy clean-up. Just be sure to avoid scraping the sides or bottom of a non-stick pot with an immersion blender that doesn’t feature housing or guards to prevent flakes of Teflon from ending up in your baby’s carefully prepared, all-natural organic baby food.

  P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.newborncare.com/blog/how-to-make-your-own-baby-food-with-a-blender/

Can’t Keep Up? 10 Ways to Simplify Nanny Management

If looking for a nanny felt like a part-time job, managing one may feel like a full-time one. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to simplify managing your nanny while maintaining what matters the most: a trusting relationship with your children’s caregiver.
1. Use a nanny payroll service. Having to calculate the proper withholdings, writing out your nanny’s paychecks, and managing your employer tax responsibilities all takes time and energy. Consider outsourcing your payroll to a household payroll and service provider like Breedlove & Associates. Since they are experts in household employment, they’ll ensure your nanny is getting paid legally and that you’ve complied with the necessary tax rules and regulations.
2. Create a family binder. Put all the important information in one place. Keep contact lists, schedules, children’s sizes, school schedules, and all other household related information in the same place. You’ll also want to keep an executed authorization to treat a minor form and a copy of your nanny and family agreement in there as well to ensure easy access.
3. Give your nanny a credit card in her name. Instead of reimbursing your nanny for grocery shopping for the kids or taking the kids on an outing, give her a credit card in her name. By making her an authorized user on your account, you can order her a credit card with her name on it. If you’re not comfortable with this idea, consider a prepaid credit card.
4. Schedule weekly meetings. Knowing you have time set aside each week to address any issues or concerns can save you time and energy. It’s hard to have conversations when someone is rushing in and out of the door, and having to find time to “talk about it later” can be challenging. Knowing you have that time set aside can keep you from feeling like you have to choose between an in-depth conversation with your nanny at that moment or your work.
5. Streamline your communications. Instead of playing phone tag, consider having a set time you check-in with your nanny each day. Whether you check-in by phone, text, or email, knowing that you can expect your nanny to check in at the same time every day will save you from having to remember to call her or from being interrupted for routine communications.
6. Select a primary employer. Having a “go to” person from the start can help ensure your nanny receives important information from one source. If one parent is delegated the task of nanny management, the question “I thought you were going to tell the nanny” won’t even come up.
7. Have an in and out folder. Set aside a dual pocket folder to serve as your in and out box so that you can say goodbye to tracking down papers and coffee stained report cards. Ask your nanny to put anything you need to review on the left side and once you’ve reviewed it and acted accordingly, move it to the right side.
8. Secure back-up care in advance. There will be a day when your nanny gets sick or breaks down while driving to work and can’t get in. Having a back-up care plan in place can turn a potentially huge problem into a minor blip on your way out the door. Find out now if your company offers a corporate back-up care program. You may also want to make a list of trusted caregivers that could pinch hit for your nanny.
9. Have a place for your nanny to stay. If your nanny has to pull an all-nighter, inviting her to stay rather than drive home just to come back a few hours later makes sense. You won’t be worried that your nanny isn’t well rested and she won’t be dreading the late night drive home. If you have a spare room, be sure she feels welcome to use it.
10. Treat your nanny with respect. Before accusing your nanny of ruining your child’s prized blanket, ask if she knows what happened to it. Instead of assuming your nanny didn’t do what you’ve asked, consider if she understood your instructions. Fixing feelings takes more time and energy than avoiding hurt ones. Be considerate when interacting with your nanny. A nanny who feels valued and respected is much easier to manage.
If you can cut back on the time and energy you spend focusing on logistical nanny management, you can invest more time and energy into relationship management. At the end of the day, when it comes to nannies and employers’ relationship is what it’s all about.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Sara Dawkins  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 
http://www.nannypro.com/blog/cant-keep-up-10-ways-to-simplify-nanny-management/

5 High Protein Snack Ideas for Kids

 According to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the protein needs in children change and increase as they get older.  For instance, a child 2 to 3 years old requires 13 to 50g of protein per day and a child 4 to 8 years of age requires 30 to 90g per day.  Once kids get to be 9 to 13 years of age, boys need more protein than girls, with boys needing 40 to 120g and girls needing 35 to 105g.  Protein makes up about 45% of the human body and is essential for good health, so it’s important to make sure that kids fulfill their recommended daily intake.  To help your child reach their daily requirement of protein here are some tasty high protein snacks.

1. Hummus with pita chips is a high protein snack.  You can buy premade hummus or you can make your own at home.  To make your own, combine 1 can of chick peas, ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 T. of lemon juice, and 1 t. of cumin in a food processor.  Blend all of the ingredients together until they have a smooth and creamy texture.  To make your own pita chips, take 4 pitas and split them open so you have a single layer of bread. Cut each piece into wedges (6 to 8 per pita).  Brush the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and dried oregano if you like.  Spread the chips into a single layer on two baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.
2. Banana with chocolate hazelnut spread makes a tasty, protein-rich snack.  Cut a banana in half and dip one end into the hazelnut spread to coat it, and then dip it into some chopped nuts to cover the spread. When you add the 2 T of chocolate hazelnut spread and 1 oz. of chopped peanuts to the banana, the snack clocks in with a whopping 10g of protein. This snack is very versatile and you can change it up according to your child’s tastes.  If your child doesn’t care for nuts, or has a nut allergy, coconut makes a good substitute. If you want to have a sweet treat you can dip the banana in mini chocolate chips.
3. Smoothies make a quick protein laden snack, and are perfect for breakfasts on the go.  Blend your choice of frozen and fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, protein powder (optional), and some juice or milk in the blender.  If you use all fresh fruit add about a cup of ice to the blender. Be sure to use Greek yogurt in place of regular yogurt because it has twice the protein.  If you make the smoothie with a cup of Greek yogurt, fruit, juice, and a full scoop of protein powder it will contain 45g of protein.  (Protein powder is best consumed first thing in the morning or after exercise.)
4. Protein filled yogurt parfaits feel like you’re eating a decadent dessert.  In a clear bowl layer sliced strawberries, vanilla Greek yogurt, and some sliced almonds or granola.  Repeat for additional layers.  Feel free to change up the fruit to take advantage of what is available seasonally or to what your child prefers.  Bananas are available year round and add a healthy dose of potassium to the parfait.  If you use 1 cup of Greek yogurt and ¼ cup of almonds your parfait will have 30g of protein. 
5. Sliced apples, peanut butter, and a cup of milk pack a high protein punch.  Pairing peanut butter with an apple will create a satisfying snack, and having a glass of milk to wash it all down makes it the perfect nutritional powerhouse for kids. With an apple, 2 T of peanut butter, and 1 cup of milk your snack would have 16g of protein.
   

P.S. This post was created and proposed to me for publication by Sophie Leake. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more:

 http://www.aupaircare.net/blog/5-high-protein-snack-ideas-for-kids/