What to Include In Your Nanny Work Agreement

Anonymous Nanny Asks for Advice I just started a new job and I want to have a nanny contract. What should be included in the work agreement? It will be part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer. I want to make sure it is thorough and I don’t want to forget anything. […]

Have You Ever Felt Like You Were Burning-Out at Your Job?

Anonymous Nanny Asks for Advice Anonymous Nanny Asks:This is my first live-in nanny job. Although I work for a nice family and pay me well I typically work a 70-hour week and recently the parents have started asking me to babysit on the weekends which I am supposed to have off. Since I live with […]

5 Best Thanksgiving Games and Toys

Are You Joining Your Employers for Thanksgiving Dinner? By Farrah, Nanny, Los Angeles, CA As a live-in nanny in Los Angeles, originally from Louisiana, I celebrate Thanksgiving with my employer’s family each year. The entire extended family comes for the big dinner in which my employers absolutely refuse to let me work. They don’t allow […]

Children’s Books for Thanksgiving

Trip to the Library In the spirit of Thanksgiving (coming up on Thursday) I borrowed some books from the library about thankfulness and the many blessings we have, rather than specifically about the holiday of Thanksgiving. I think these are great choices for children to share the spirit of Thanksgiving. Of course if you prefer […]

Jumpin’ Activities to Promote Fitness

Nanny and Musician Shows Us How to Use Her CDs With Kids By Cindy Wilkinson, Musician and Nanny Any child who has ever had me as a teacher or heard one of my children’s CDs knows that I am a firm believer in the power of jumping! Here are some great movement activities using my […]

Importance of Random Acts of Kindness in the Nanny/Parent Relationship

How Have You Helped the Parents Out When Not Expected? Anne Merchant Geissler, author of The Child Care Textbook explains that random acts of kindness in a nanny and parent relationship are essential in maintaining a great working relationship. Yesterday on Facebook we asked nannies what random acts of kindness their employers have shown to them. […]

Pinecone Projects for Nannies and Au Pairs

Bird Feeder Wednesdays with Whitney The first wave of snow has started to fall all across America in the last week or two. That means hot cocoa, snow angels, and best of all: pinecone crafts! Grab some pinecones from under the nearest pine tree for an evening of crafting with our favorite conifer seed. Supplies […]

Hurricane Sandy and the Spirit of Thanksgiving

How a Natural Disaster Can Make Us Grateful, Not Envious I still feel cold after 12-days without heat and power at my employer’s house due to the high winds of Hurricane Sandy. I have neighbors who have major damage to their homes, neighbors that have family members that have lost their homes and all their material belongings, and I even know one nanny […]

Should Nannies Be Given Personality Tests?

Nanny Agency Screens Nannies for Emotional Stability and Other Personality Risks After the Krim murder case in Manhattan where a nanny recently killed two of her charges there has been much discussion on what parents and nanny placement agencies can do to ensure they are hiring a stable nanny. On social media nannies, parents, and nanny placement […]

Soapy Playtime

Wednesdays with Whitney Bath time is one of those things that kids either hate or love. And unfortunately more kids hate it than love it. So how do you get your messy monsters into the bathtub without an all on war breaking out? Send them in with this crazy soap experiment and watch dirty knees […]