Do You Care for a Child That is Afraid of the Dark?

Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours By Dr. Kevin Leman For our October To-Do List we encourage nannies and au pairs to help children deal with fear in healthy ways. Almost all of the comments by caregivers under our to-do list yesterday mentioned that their charges are afraid of the dark or going to bed. Dr. Kevin Leman, […]

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Halloween, Kids, and Terror

October To-Do List: What Are Your Charges Afraid Of? The customs that evolved into Halloween originated as a festival marking the end of harvesting and as a way to placate evil ghosts and to ensure good crops for the coming year. When November 1 was celebrated as All Saints Day, October 31 became Halloween, which […]

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Review of Shopping Cart Covers

Are You a Germ-A-Phobe? If you are the typical nanny, au pair, or parent you likely have considered using shopping cart covers to protect the kids in your care from germs on shopping carts. Despite the fact that shopping carts harbor germs, once you use a shopping cart cover you must launder the cover after […]

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Goose’s Story by Cari Best

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs This past week we encouraged you to teach children what Autumn looks like, feels like, tastes like, smells like, and sounds like. A common sign of Autumn is the sound of geese honking as they migrate south for the winter. In Goose’s Story, by Cari Best, Canadian geese […]

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What Do You Love Most About Autumn?

What Does Autumn Sound Like? This week we discussed how to get kids to appreciate and enjoy Autumn using their five senses. We encourage you to teach children what Autumn looks like, feels like, tastes like, smells like, and finally today what the season sounds like. In Autumn we can hear the tractors as the […]

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Enjoying Autumn With Kids

What Does Autumn Smell Like? We have been discussing ways for kids to learn about Autumn using their senses. Autumn smells like the first fire in the fireplace, apple pies, and beeswax candles on the dinner table as night’s darkness falls earlier and earlier. Help kids identify smells like fireplaces and bonfires, pickling spices, and […]

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What’s Your Favorite Autumn Recipe?

What Does Autumn Taste Like? Photo from amomamok When I think of autumn I think of the harvest of apples, pumpkins, cranberries, and corn. Just think of Thanksgiving dinner, and what American doesn’t love Thanksgiving? I love to cut up a red and green apples and have the kids close their eyes and have a taste […]

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Making Bark and Leaf Rubbings

What Does Autumn Feel Like? As the weeks pass and the weather changes, we begin to experience chilly Autumn days. Our clothing reflects the temperatures as we don wool sweaters, waffle weave long underwear, thick socks, and perhaps even a puffy down vest or a coat before we go outside. There are other ways to […]

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What Does Autumn Look Like?

Using Our Senses to Enjoy Autumn The most beautiful sight in Autumn is the changing colors of the leaves. This provides opportunities to create leaf rubbings and other leaf related crafts. We can rake leaves together, which naturally leads to jumping in leaf piles! Kids also love collecting acorns and seed pods, watching migrating birds, and […]

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Tranquil Scenes Have Positive Impact on the Brain

Take Children Outside Everyday Our advice for things to do with kids this Autumn is to get outside! Time spent outdoors in nature is like pushing a “stress reduction button” for the brain. Research findings, “demonstrated that tranquil environmental scenes containing natural features…cause distinct brain areas to become `connected´ with one another whilst man-made environments, […]

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