What's New This December 2008! :Invite a Friend to Subscribe:

Feature Article

Making Holidays More Meaningful!

How can we resist the consumerism that encroaches on our children during the holidays and even turn it around to help them learn the true meaning of Christmas?  New research shows that helping others is a major key to happiness, and when we are helping or giving to someone it helps us to feel satisfied, more self-assured and uplifted. We actually benefit more than the person we are helping. The best way to develop character in children is to get them involved in helping others less fortunate. This holiday season provides the perfect venue for instilling a focus on others, developing family team-building, and letting them experience firsthand that they can bring joy to others. The key is to plan and start early. Old toys can be sorted through and taken to a shelter before the holidays rather than after. Children can work to use their own money to buy gifts at the dollar store for teachers or siblings. Angel trees can be found in malls and the pre-requested gifts go to the children of prisoners who would be unable to provide for their families. When my children were young, we filled shoeboxes for children in developing nations with essential items like toothbrushes, pencils, soap and small toys. Our staff family is helping with a Christmas Fiesta at Neighborhood Ministries, a holistic Christian outreach to low-income families and at-risk children in the Phoenix inner-city. Parent volunteers come to the two acre campus to work for parent volunteer hours, which earn them “parent bucks”, to redeem at the Christmas Parent Store. We will be helping to set up the store on December 5th.

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Professional News

APNA Convention

Last month, Caring Nannies sent Erika Frazer to the annual Alliance of Premier Nanny Agencies convention to share ideas on providing top-quality service to our valued families, how to stay on top of the newest technologies in screening candidates, successfully placing loyal, long term employees, rewarding the nannies, fine tuning the on call services, and how to better serve our corporate clients. Erika came away feeling that the more high tech our world becomes, the more people need people. She remarked, "The choice of speakers and the information presented was wonderfully tailored and 100% applicable. I came to the conference with questions and needs and each were answered and met." APNA, the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, established in 1993, promotes stringent adherence to  business practices in all areas of the nanny placement and household staffing industries. Caring Nannies was invited to join this premier association over a year ago, after undergoing extensive screening and fine tuning. APNA agencies are considered to be “the best of the best”. You can be assured that when you choose Caring Nannies as your provider agency, you are dealing with a reputable agency for all of your household employment needs. We are constantly striving to better our business practices, learn from both our nannies and families about meeting their needs and providing a more personal and high quality experience. Caring Nannies is also a member of  INA, the International Nanny Association, which strives to educate families as well as nannies in professionalism.

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Ask the Expert

Q. Can Praise be Damaging to Children?

A. New research has shown that praise can actually be detrimental to your child. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, has spent over 40 years researching what words motivate children. Students who were given an intelligence test were divided into two groups. One group was praised for their natural intelligence and ability and the other for their hard work. The results were revealing. When students from the natural ability group were asked if they wanted to take a more difficult exam next, they gravitated towards an easier test. They were afraid that the hard test may show that they weren’t really that smart. The majority of the children in the hard work group, were eager to take a risk, and took the more challenging test. Then all the children took a test two years above their level and many of them did not do well. Later, both groups were given the original test again, and one third of the “natural ability” group did worse because their confidence had been shaken. They were even willing to lie about how poorly they did on the second test. On the other hand, the “hard work” group did 30% better. What can we learn from this?...Read the full story.

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What Our Nannies & Clients Are Saying

“The agency provided warm personalized service. They also took time to chat with us and make us feel comfortable about our trip and their services. There is always someone to take your phone call and support the family. Caring Nannies provided us with the most secure and safe professional childcare. We were able to enjoy our vacation knowing our baby was safe with a selective caring professional. Mary went above and beyond to make us feel loved, respected and cared for. We grew very attached to her and felt like she was part of our family.
— Robby Foss, Educational Media Producer at a recent seminar at a Sedona Marriott Resort

“I really enjoyed the Nanny Boot Camp, especially the parts on child development, expectations, going over the importance of creating a daily schedule and activity guide, and esteem building.”
— Kristen, Nanny, East Valley

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Newletter Exclusive:  Nannies of the Month

Dora Full-time Nanny Dora is a warm, experienced Guatemalan Nanny, whose goal was to give one family a long-term commitment. She was a nanny in San Pedro for an eight week old for 13 years! This family remarks, “She treated my daughter like she was her own, became a member of the family and we’re still friends! She was honest and trustworthy, went over and above and even cooked enchiladas for us! She’d go to the market, buy the ingredients, and gave us a list down to the penny. She was even tempered, joyful, encouraging, thorough, and loyal. She was kind, and just did lots of explaining and diverting. Please find her a really good family! I was forever grateful that we had her.” Dora is professional, well spoken, a little shy at first, but very experienced and competent. If her child care duties allow, she provides light to full housekeeping as well as marketing, meal preparation, laundry, running errands and ironing for the family. Originally from Guatemala, Dora arrived in the States with her Mother and siblings at age 20, and stayed to raise her five children. In her free time, she enjoys going on walks and swimming. Dora was placed again quickly with one of our families this summer and won the hearts of the staff at Caring Nannies when she brought her adult son in with her for Nanny Boot Camp, to help her with the class. He was definitely her best reference!

Abby Full-time Nanny Abby is very passionate about her chosen career as a Nanny professional. She has a BA from ASU in Communication as well as some postgraduate work in elementary education, and is planning a long-term career as a nanny. She is energetic and loving, and wanted to start with a young family so could stay long term. Babysitting since age 11, and nannying for the last 5-7 years, Abby has cared for mostly infants and toddlers and is now in a position with a two year old and two school-agers. She maintains working relationships with the families she’s worked with. She is understanding, compassionate, charismatic, personable, nurturing, flexible and energized. A previous employer tells us: “She’s got compassion, that’s her greatest strength. She really feels for people, and wants to please. She is dependable, very family oriented, committed, organized, and conscientious. I’m a hard to work for perfectionist. If she can work for me for 18 months, she can work for anyone!”

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