Benefits of Paying Nanny Taxes

It’s tax season and time to remind nannies the benefits of being paid on-the-books. No one likes paying taxes, and certainly many nannies don’t in part due to the fact that nannies don’t insist their employer’s are tax compliant because they don’t realize the benefits of being paid-on-the-books. Here are some of the benefits to […]

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Children’s Books and Activities About Rain

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs In many parts of the world, spring brings rain. After reading books about rain (see below) teach your charges about the parts of the water cycle: precipitation, collection, evaporation, and condensation. Make a terranium to show the cycle of rain. Get a small plastic container […]

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APRIL TO-DO LIST

Organize, Don’t Agonize Don’t Be Lax on Tax: If you feel stressed-out or panicked by the prospect of filing taxes, we suggest a list of lists to enable you to direct your energies properly. Do you get aggravated when it is time to file your tax forms? Do you struggle to gather the proper information? […]

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Games for Nannies and Au Pairs to Play with Kids to Help Them Listen

How Do You Get Kids to Listen?   Listening skills can be practiced in fun ways in the home. Since kids learn through play, here are fun ways to teach your charges to listen better.   Story Chain Play a story game with the child or with the whole family. The Babycenter web site suggests […]

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Nannies and Au Pairs Can Teach Kids to Listen

How to Teach Listening Skills Many kids seem to talk nonstop. Listening, however, tends to be more of a challenge for kids, many of whom are “selective listeners,” according to website Baby Center. Because good listening skills are an important life skill and a key aspect of effective communication, it’s best to foster good listening […]

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Fun Activities That Nannies Can Use to Improve Listening Skills in Children

Children learn through play. That’s why I love referencing the book Playwiseby Denise Chapman Weston and Mark S. Weston. The book includes 365 fun-filled activities for building character, conscience, and emotional intelligence in children. Here are just a few of their activities that improve listening skills: Listening Cap: “Put your listening cap on.” Turn this […]

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What Not to Do When Teaching Kids to Follow Directions

What Not to Do When I heard one of my charges needs to work on listening to his teacher in school, I realized he doesn’t listen to me well at home. I have to repeat myself often before he does what is asked of him. Should I really need to remind him “upteen times” to […]

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"Colic Solved" by Dr. Bryan Vartabedian

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs This week on the Be the Best Nanny Newsletter blog we discussed colic. If the infant you care for seems to never stop crying we highly recommend reading Colic Solved by Dr. Bryan Vartabedian. It’s estimated that about 1 of 5 babies cry inexplicably. Fifty-years […]

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What Are Your Best Tips on Coping with a Crying Baby?

How to Cope with a Crying Baby There is nothing more frustrating then not being able to comfort a crying, or even a colicky, baby. I’ve been searching the Internet for ways to cope with a crying or colicky baby. Problem is that everything I have read recommends taking a break. As paid in-home childcare […]

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Do Probiotics Help Colic?

For Colic, Probiotics Might Help About 20 percent of all babies suffer from colic. A 2009 study, found that colicky babies had gastrointestinal inflammation and traces of a bacterium in their guts that may have prompted it. Babies without colic had no inflammation and a greater diversity of beneficial bacteria. A 2010 study has similar […]

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