Gas Mileage Increases One Cent Per Mile in 2013

Do You Drive Your Car for Work? If you use your own car to transport children or run errands for the parents your employers should provide you with the current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gas mileage allowance. Beginning January 1, 2013 the IRS  has issued new standard gas mileage rate of 56.5 cents per mile […]

Do You Agree that Nannies are Underpaid and Overworked?

HomeEconomics: The Invisible and Unregulated World of Domestic Work Nearly a 25% of domestic workers make less than their state minimum wage, and 25% of the live-in nannies get less than five hours of sleep a night, according to the national study released Tuesday by the National Domestic Workers Alliance. See study by clicking here. […]

Reuse Your Crafts

Wednesdays with Whitney By Whitney Tang Some crafts are great in that you can keep them up year round, however many tend to be seasonal. Yet that doesn’t mean you have to throw them in the trash! Teach the little ones to reuse their crafts from season to season by using versatile supplies and a […]

10 Gifts Nannies Can Help Kids Make for their Parents

Inexpensive Gift Giving By part-time Nanny Kids typically love to give their parents gifts, but they often lack the money needed to buy them, and it can seem silly to spend mom and dad’s money to buy them a gift. Instead of buying a gift, there are many things that kids can make for their […]

How Nannies Can Screen Families

Nannies Should Know as Much Info as Possible About a Family Before Accepting a PositionBy Debbie Denard There’s been much talk about how parents can screen the nannies they are considering hiring to care for their children, but when it comes to the nannies screening the parents whom they are considering working for, we mostly hear […]

Puzzles Make Great Holiday Gifts

Inexpensive, Quality Gifts for Kids It’s time to buy gifts for the holidays. When choosing gifts for the kids you care for quality is more important than quantity and certainly quality doesn’t have to mean toys are expensive. One of the best learning toys we can share with kids are puzzles. Not only are there […]

Holiday Turkey Trouble and Turkey Claus

Weekly Trip to the Library Turkey Trouble by Wendi SilvanoAs Thanksgiving approaches, Turkey fears that he will be the centerpiece of the holiday meal. Thus begins his quest for the perfect disguise so he won’t be found when the time arrives. He ties a brush on the back of his head and wears a tiny […]

This Black Friday Remember Quality vs. Quantity

Give Quality Gifts to Children for the Holidays It’s Black Friday (the busiest shopping day of the year for Americans). If you are going out to shop for Black Friday deals today I urge you to remember that when gift giving quality is much more important than quantity. Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment (TRUCE) suggests […]

An Au Pair Thanksgiving

Why a Japanese Au Pair Loves an American Thanksgiving By Nanami A few years ago I came to America from Japan to work as an au pair for a family with two girls in Morristown, NJ. It was a difficult adjustment. Not only was there a language barrier, but I owned just a few non-Western clothes […]

Thanksgiving Games for Nannies and Au Pairs

Wednesdays with Whitney Only one more day until Thanksgiving! Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of keeping the entire kiddie table occupied for the day? Keep these games on hand to keep the kids busy and the parents child free. Thanksgiving Tic Tac Toe Put a holiday twist on this classic game by using mini pumpkins […]