Summer Learning: Africa, Anansi the Spider and the Ashanti

Weekly Trip to the Library I care for three kids all of different ages. The three-year-old girl I care for was frightened of spiders so I borrowed the following books from the library to help her face her fear and now she loves spiders. Her 10-year-old brother is obsessed with the rain forest, while their teen brother loves […]

10 Best Books for Father’s Day

Books Make a Great Gift for Father’s Day One of the best gifts a father can give his child is the love of reading. So, children’s books make an obvious great, inexpensive gift to give to fathers that employ nannies and au pairs. But, there are also some inspiring books written for fathers directly on […]

Activities to do After Reading “Harold and the Purple Crayon”

Weekly Trip to the Library Harold and the Purple Crayon is a timeless classic that has delighted readers of all ages for over 50-years. In the book, Harold goes on a moonlight walk and draws himself a landscape of wonder and excitement with an over sized purple crayon. Like Harold in the book, all children begin […]

Have the Kids in Your Care Lost a Loved One?

photo from hospice 4 Children’s Books About Death This is a long weekend in America. Monday is a national holiday, Memorial Day, when we have parades and services honoring the soldiers that have lost their lives protecting our country. But, Americans also remember those they have lost personally who weren’t in the military as well. […]

And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano

Weekly Trip to the Library This is a great book to help young children notice the small changes that come ever so gradually with the shift from winter to spring. After a long snowy winter a boy and his dog decide to plant a garden. They dig the brown earth, they plant, and they wait. […]

Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett

Weekly Trip to the Library Review by Whitney Ziebarth The best part of being around children is hearing them giggle. It’s the perfect balance between those fine dining hearty squeals and the “you think I’m going to laugh at that?” silent chuckle. Children’s giggles are infused with everything happy in this world and can chase […]

My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au PairsReview by Kellye Couillard Dolls are for girls, and trucks are for boys. Surprisingly, this is a belief held by many parents and caregivers. But what do we do when a four-year-old boy loves to wear dresses, sparkles, and the color pink? In this heartfelt book […]

50 Years of Clifford the Big Red Dog

Norman Bridwell’s Clifford Collection I love going to the library with the two-year-old in my care each week. She loves the library. But I was thrilled when she announced that she wanted to borrow Clifford books on our way to the library this week. Lucky for us, it also just happens to be Clifford’s the […]

Using Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes to Help Teach Children to Write Their Name

 My Name Is Special I love doing activities that relate to a children’s book after sharing a book with a child. It’s great fun using children’s book to inspire learning in children. One of the most important lessons nannies can help children learn is to write their name. Today we recommend reading Chrysanthemumby Kevin Henkes to the child in […]

Has a Child You Cared For Been a Vicitm of Bullying? Review of "Oliver Button Is a Sissy"

Weekly Trip to the Library for Nannies and Au Pairs In New Jersey (NJ) the law, known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, became effective this September. The Anti-Bullying Law is considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation. Each NJ school must designate an antibullying specialist to investigate complaints; each district must, in […]