“Siblings Without Rivalry” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Weekly Trip to the Library I have been fortunate. With just one brief exception, all the children I have cared for got along well with their siblings. This is clearly not the norm. Sibling rivalry is common and that is why Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live […]

Nine Ways to Ensure Siblings Get Along

Here are some simple things nannies and au pairs can do every day to prevent sibling fighting. 1. Set ground rules for acceptable behavior. No cursing, no name-calling, no yelling, no hitting, and no door slamming allowed. 2. Solicit their input on the rules and consequences. This teaches kids that they are responsible for their […]

Advice from Nannies and Au Pairs About Caring for Multiples

In each issue of Be the Best Nanny Newsletter we conduct a survey. The link for the current poll about cultural differences be found at the top right corner of this blog. In the February, 2007 poll 259 in-home childcare providers answered our questions about caring for multiple births. Just some of their responses are […]

Siblings that Share a Room

Siblings often have to share a bedroom (especially when a family has multiples). Nannies and au pairs can help siblings share a room successfully by remembering the children are individuals and helping them keep their belongings organized. Here are some ways to help siblings who share a bedroom. First make sure children of the same […]

Diapering, Bathing, and Dressing Multiples

Just like feeding babies, diapering, bathing, and dressing babies is a time consuming task. But, diapering, bathing, and dressing multiples can feel overwhelming without help. That is just another reason why nannies and au pairs are so helpful to parents raising multiples. DIAPERING: The advice about diapering by hundreds of nannies and au pairs that […]

Helping Parents With Multiples

Feeding Multiple Babies We started a discussion about caring for multiples last week click here to see article. Now we will discuss specific ways nannies and au pairs can assist parents of multiple babies each day. Some of the helpful tasks nannies and au pairs caring for multiple births provide include helping feed the babies, […]

Caring for Multiples

Twins are Individuals The most important priority for nannies and au pairs caring for twins and multiples is to prioritize! It requires a tremendous amount of energy to care for even one baby then add another one, or two… As Sarah, a nanny working in the Atlanta area says, “Basically, if you can survive the […]

Preparing Children for an Adopted Baby

How Nannies and Au Pairs Can Help Siblings Prepare for a New Adoption A new baby coming home is always stressful experience. The adjustment will be very similar to any family bringing home a newborn but when parents adopt a child it is often after much effort and expense. Before a new child is adopted […]

Celebrate Sibling Day

How Nannies and Au Pairs Can Teach Siblings to Celebrate One AnotherSibling DayMother’s Day is coming up, but why not celebrate Sibling Day? Pick a separate day, other than a birthday or holiday, during the calendar year to celebrate a sibling day for each child in the family. A good day might be exactly six […]

Trials and Tribulations of Raising Siblings

Last week we started discussing siblings. But with so much news about the swine flu we got a little side tracked. So this week we will continue discussing siblings. In the book, 365 Ways to Raise Great Kids, Sheila Ellison writes, “Siblings have the unique opportunity of going through life together, growing into adulthood side […]