Building a Work Ethic: The Role of Chores

How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims I am reading How To Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims. The book makes a great point that I have often thought about working as a nanny for affluent children. Compared to their less-advantaged peers, children in middle-and upper-middle-class families often have the tasks of daily life […]

Household Duties Create Competent, Self-Reliant and Connected Children

The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey Did you know doing laundry is an opportunity to learn competence? It’s true. And cleaning the dinner table and loading the dishwasher is an opportunity for children to build their self-esteem. Helping prepare their own school lunch and packing it themselves helps children gain autonomy. In her book, […]

7 Ways to Encourage Kids to Pitch-In

Don’t Call it Chores All parents want their kids to learn to be more responsible, helpful, hardworking, and persistent by doing chores. But, when parents hire nannies and housekeepers to care for their home, the responsiblity to ensure kids learn to be helpful and responsible lies primarily on the nannies. Kids of any age can […]

Beat the Clock: Helping Kids be Responsible

Teaching Delayed Gratification Doing homework often requires the mature concept of delayed gratification. We all hate some of our responsibilities, but we still need to do them. That’s why Dorothy Rich of Megaskills: Building Our Children’s Character and Achievement for School and Life recommends setting a time limit on how much time kids will spend on […]

Do the Kids You Care for Have Chores?

Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids By Sarah Aguire of about.com Include children in all household chores you do. They won’t get frustrated if you ask them to help with age-appropriate chores. Remember that children mature at their own pace and not all kids will be capable of advanced chores at the same age, just as some […]

Ice Cream Chore Chart

Wednesdays with Whitney Introducing chore charts to little ones can sometimes be difficult. All the check marks, words, and undefined rewards can be complicated for a three- or four-year old. A much better approach involves lots of relatable visuals and clearly defined (and realistic) rewards. The Ice Cream Chart explained below is a perfect combination of these […]

5 Ways to Help Kids Have Fun Doing Chores

Do the Kids in Your Care Have Chores? By Sarah Aguirre Children make all kinds of excuses to get out of doing chores and cleaning–up. Here are some fun ways to help children have fun doing chores and help clean–up.  1. Turn on the music. Listen to their favorite music and watch how time flies […]

What Does Being Flexible at Your Nanny Job Really Mean?

How Are You Flexible In Your Nanny Job? One common reason parents say they choose to hire nannies rather than using other childcare options is because nannies can be more flexible. When you read the help wanted ads and articles of characteristics nannies should have they all recommend someone that is flexible. But, being flexible can mean something […]

10 Things Nannies Don’t Want to Do for Families

What Tasks Do You Resent Having to Do at Your Nanny Job? Roxanne Portrer of nannyjobs.org asked us to share a clever article found on their blog, with our readers. Click here to see original article. Working as a nanny since 1993 I have always ran personal errands for the parents, done laundry for the family, made […]

The Professional Housekeeper

Weekly Trip to the Library  This past week we discussed some of the basic housekeeping duties some nannies might do around the home such as, washing a baby’s laundry, getting the kids to help do laundry, making beds, and ironing. While some in-home child care providers strictly won’t do certain The Professional Housekeeper explains that […]