Sorting Games

Teaching Classifying, Comparing and Patterns Children benefit from having lots of experiences sorting, comparing, and classifying objects before participating in patterning activities. Provide opportunities for children to sort or group things by shape, number, color, or texture. As children play sorting games, vocabulary such as classifying, groups, sets, categories, same, different, fewer, longer, heavier, lighter […]

Don’t Ever Leave Kids Alone in a Car

NJ Court Finds Leaving a Child Alone in a Car is Abuse While working as a nanny I often see parents, nannies, and au pairs leaving sleeping kids in a warm car while running an older sibling into school. But, a NJ court found this to be criminal. Therefore, even when parents tell their nannies or […]

Charlie and Lola: Snow is My Favorite and My Best by Lauren Child

Weekly Trip to the Library Nothing is sadder for my four-year-old charge then when her snowman starts to melt after a fun day of playing in the snow. Luckily we found a great children’s book discussing the same feelings. One of my favorite children’s books authors is Lauren Child. This week while at the library […]

3 Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Cooking with Kids The kids I care for love cranberry sauce and it’s very easy to make. The most basic cranberry sauce simply consists of cranberries boiled in sugar water until the berries pop and the mixture thickens. But we have included a tart recipe that uses orange juice instead of water and a sugar-free […]

Caterpillar Pencil Topper

Creative Projects to Do With Kids The teen I care for made this pencil topper for his little sister using a hot glue gun. I don’t recommend young children using hot glue guns. But, you can easily and safely use white glue instead if you are making simple pencil toppers. Hot glue works better than […]

Reducing Jealousy in the Parent/Nanny Relationship

Respecting Professional Boundaries One of the most complicated aspect of the nanny and parent relationship is jealousy. In the book Touchpoints The Essential Reference: Your Child’s Emotional And Behavioral Development, T. Berry Brazelton, M. D. discusses the common jealousy parents feel when they go to work leaving their child in the care of another person. […]

Num Num Baby Dips: Promoting Self-Feeding

photo by vimeo.com The Training Wheels of the Utensil World The first dipper of its kind, Num Num Baby Dips is a baby’s first step to self-feeding. Num Num Baby Dips helps promote self-feeding without the mess. The innovative design makes it easier to use than a spoon because there’s no right or wrong way to hold […]

Alia and Mamou: A Book About a Child and Her Much Loved Nanny

Weekly Trip to the Library By Thomas Dohman, Author of Alia and Mamou Alia and Mamou, at its core, is a book of appreciation for what our daughter’s nanny has given to our family and a lasting record of the relationship they share. When our daughter, Alia, was born, my wife and I faced the choices […]

Easy Biscuit Recipe

 Cooking with Kids Kids love baking. Here’s the most basic recipe flaky biscuit recipe I found at taseofhome.com. These golden-brown rolls bake up tall, light, and tender. Let the kids help gather the ingredients, measure, mix, roll the dough, and cut out the biscuits. Be sure to serve the biscuits warm with butter or jam. […]

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils: Helpful or Hype?

Do You Use Aromatherapy and Essential Oils? Essential oils are used to improve moods of babies and children. They can be applied topically through the skin in lotions, through inhalation, or be used in a bath. While using aromatherapy and essential oils is generally safe to use small amounts in diffusers, candles, and lotions, there is a […]