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Caring Nannies has been noticing a new trend  with our families, and that is the increase in demand for Family Assistants. One of the benefits of being in business for the past 30 years is that we’ve seen the nanny industry evolve. Today’s parents have larger homes and busier schedules. They want it all, without losing sight of their core values-strong families and smoothly running homes.

Also called a Mother’s Helper, the Family Assistant may be working side by side with an at home parent, typically doing half childcare and half household duties. A typical position we are working to fill right now includes: organizing, shopping, running errands, picking up dry cleaning,  keeping the house clean and organized, keeping a master list of grocery items and keeping the pantry stocked, and creating a dinner meal plan for the week.

A second Family Assistant position we are currently filling for an at home parent includes childcare duties as well as meal preparation, laundry and ironing. This family travels frequently and needs the nanny to accompany them. In both positions, there is a bi-weekly housekeeper. This position is ideal for families with children in school because half days and sick days are automatically covered.

The qualities we look for in Family Assistants are a service-oriented heart, showing initiative, a self-starter, very caring, attentive to details, great customer service, communication and problem solving skills.The parent is usually in charge, but the Family Assistant is capable of caring for a baby while the parent is out, playing with the older children, preparing meals, driving children to school and activities, tutoring, managing the family calendar, doing laundry and light to full housekeeping.
If you’d like to start a search for a Family Assistant, call our office and we’ll find a customized solution for your home.

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We are very excited, as it’s almost time for National Nanny Training Day (NNTD) again! 

Caring Nannies has put together an incredible line-up of speakers! Last year, our nannies were asking for more help with the Toddler stage, so we have a great speaker back to address that specifically. Last year, we had 42 attendees in Paradise Valley and enjoyed learning together, networking and sharing!

When: Saturday April 12 from 8:30 AM to 2:20 PMWhere: Abiding Savior Community Church
515 E Continental Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281

Cost: $25 per person (includes continental breakfast and lunch!!)Have you considered having your employer ell you pay for NNTD?
Here is a flyer from Nanny Biz Reviews that can help start the conversation.

**Stay tuned, as we will be raffling off a free ticket on ur Facebook Page**

Details: This training is designed to help nannies address the unique challenges of working in a private home, to improve and expand their childcare skills, to stay current on new trends and resources within the field, and to connect and share with colleagues. Our National Nanny Training Event offers a unique mix of education, resources and networking in an informal, welcoming atmosphere. Registration includes 5 “learn today, use tomorrow” workshops, continental breakfast, lunch, networking and of course, FUN. You will receive a certificate of participation.

Topics: Brain-based Strategies for Better Thinking, Mood Management and Better Behavior, Using Music to Accelerate Learning, Toddler Naps and Behavior, Cooking a Mediterranean Meal and Making Organic Baby Food, and How to Look and Feel Your Best.

REGISTER HERE!

NNTD 2013

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Central & Glendale in Phoenix: A reliable, kind nanny is needed to care for 2 sweet girls, ages 3 years and 4 months old. One week night per month will be needed (with advance notice depending on the parents’ schedules) and then every other weekend on either a Fri or Sat night from 5:30-10PM with flexibility. Duties include helping the girls with their evening and bedtime routine, including dinner, baths, etc. Salary: $15/hr. (REF#SGSAT)

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Ray & 101 in Chandler: A patient, kind, hard-working, loving full-time nanny is needed to care for active, energetic 3 year old twin boys for a full-time schedule of M-F, from 8AM-5PM. Must be punctual, dependable, and have great initiative. The boys’ grandfather is present at the home. Both parents work. Boys will be starting preschool 2 mornings a week. Salary: $675/week. Starts ASAP(REF#AREV)

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Jenny Riojas, our Family Placement Counselor, was chosen as Mom of the Month by a local blogger! Here’s the story!

I met Jenny a few years ago at a moms group at church.  She was unbelievably sweet.  She and her sister in law were just so open and considerate.

Our kiddos are the same age as mine and it’s so nice to see a mom handle these ages so great.  Especially with two boys.

Jenny is funny and kind and takes great joy in her boys and it shows all over her face!
She is very dear to me and reading her answers below you can see why.

Here is Jenny’s story…..

1. How many children do you have?

List ages and names I have 2 rambunctious yet loving boys.  Carter Preston is 9 and Chase Kelan is 7.

2. Your occupation: I am the Family Placement Director at Caring Nannies in Scottsdale.  I place nannies and domestic staff with families all over the Valley.  I love my job!  It’s a business I am passionate about and it gives me the flexibility to be with my children when I need to be.

3. What is your most strict parenting rule?

At the ages that my boys are right now, I am strict about back talk and disrespect.  To anyone.  If that type of behavior is displayed, an immediate consequence is given.

4. What is the best motherly advice you have received? From who?

My parents were all about “creating memories” when I was growing up.  I have very fond childhood memories of camping, RV road trips, BBQ’s, my Dad’s silly magic shows, family game nights, and so forth.  I think that was the best advice: to create memories with your children.  It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant but I try to do things that they will remember when they are older and will tell their children about.

5.What is the biggest challenge you face balancing yourself and being a mom?

The key word there is ‘balance.’  I’m like every other Mom with lots of things to juggle every week and sometimes I feel if I’m putting too much time and energy in one area, then things are falling through the cracks in another. More often than not, I don’t feel like I have it all together.  I just do my best to fit in quality time whenever I can.  For me, that may mean leaving the laundry and sticky floors for another time….and going out for a family bike ride.  Or putting away the work laptop so I can snuggle with the kiddos before bedtime. Every little bit counts.

6. Can you share any mom tips with us?

#1  Carve out Mommy time. It’s a natural thing for Moms to put everyone else’s needs first.  I believe it is also important to remember to take care of yourself and do some things that you enjoy so that you are a re-charged and happy Mommy.

#2  Don’t beat yourself up.  We all have bad days (or weeks) and it’s easy to go to bed at night and beat ourselves up for what we feel we did wrong in our parenting.  Let the bad days go.  Moms are their own worst critics.  The next morning, those little munchkins are still going to run up to you and give you a big hug, regardless of how the prior day went.

#3 Don’t compare.  It’s great to get advice from fellow Moms but if your child isn’t reading and conjugating verbs by the age of 3 like your friend’s kid is, don’t feel like you’ve failed as a parent.

#4 Be spontaneous sometimes.  All moms need structure and routines to their days or they’d go insane; but many, many times things do not go as planned in mommyhood.  When that happens, throw the plans out the window, be spontaneous, and make the most of it.  A lot of times those turn out to be the best days.

#5  If you have more than one child, plan special one-on-one Mommy dates with each child.  My kids really look forward to this and I’m always amazed at the special conversations that take place when I am focused on them one at a time.

7. What is the hardest part about being a mom?

Moms worry a lot.  That’s a given.  We want the best for our kids.  When they are hurting, we are hurting.  We want to always protect them and shield them. But we can’t.  That’s the hardest thing.  And seeing them grow up so fast!

8. What is your favorite part about being a mom?

I’m one of those people who dreamed about being a Mommy when I was a young girl.  I’ve always loved kids, especially babies, and I simply could not wait to be a mom myself.  It’s the most rewarding yet challenging job!  I love that my kids melt my heart and keep me laughing everyday.  I love how forgiving they are of me.  I love that it is ever-changing.  Once you think you’ve mastered one stage, you’re on to the next.  I love experiencing things through their eyes.  I love that they teach me just as much, if not more, than I teach them.

9. Tell us a story….. it can be something funny your kids did, it can be an embarrassing thing that happened to you as a mother, it can be your proudest moment, the moment you felt like you were  a good mother…anything you want.

Story:

Whenever I am away from my kids or I’m traveling, I’ll leave prizes hidden throughout the house for them to find each day that I’m gone.  I’ll call with a clue that will help them find the prize. So once when they were gone for a few days and I was home alone, they surprised me by hiding notes and prizes for me.  I was cracking up with what they came up with.  One note said, “Mom, I know you are going out with your friends.  Here is a piece of gum.”
Thank you Jenny for sharing your story with us today!
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CHILDRN ARE BORN MUSIC-MAKERS: Hard Wired for Music

Research shows that musical training affects brain development in young children. Children are hard wired from birth for many things: language, physical development, social-emotional skills and . . . music.

Children are born music makers!  Children are born to sing and move; infants even as young as a few months of age can show rhythmic and tonal responses to music. Babies will often coo or sound on the resting tone of a song (usually the last note).  Toddlers can bounce to the beat and preschool age children can learn entire songs.  If this is so, why do we have such a large amount of adults who do not feel comfortable singing “Happy Birthday” or dancing in public?  The answer lies in a child’s early childhood years.

Little musicians need to be musically nurtured to develop their potential. Musical training to benefit the brain later in life

It is true that a child who is exposed to many languages will gain the phonemes of the many languages and conversely, a child who is not given adequate verbal stimulation will grow up with a limited vocabulary.  Similarly, to develop musically, a child needs to be in an environment with a wide variety of musical experiences.  The easiest and most natural time for a child to gain their basic music competence is between birth and age five.  During these years, the window for developing accurate rhythm and singing in-tune is wide open.  If a child’s musical atmosphere in their early years is filled with rich music experiences, a child will be fortunate to grow up with all the music potential they are born with!
Children get their disposition for being a music-maker from their parents.

How do I nurture this inborn music in my child?  Many parents are worried that they themselves are not musical and might destroy their little one’s possibilities of being a confident music maker.  Actually the very opposite is true.  A child gets his disposition to be a music maker by seeing the grown ups in his life joyously make music.  If your child sees you having a blast singing and cutting up the rug, they will see it is safe and they may even imitate you.  Parents are the best music models for their children!

Ways to nurture your child musically.

There are many easy ways to incorporate music into your child’s life:
  • Sing, sing, sing!  Sing in the car with the radio, make up songs (or change the words to familiar songs) about whatever you are doing with your little one, changing diaper, going to the store, eating some broccoli.  Lullaby time can be the most precious time, singing your child off to sleep with love.
  • Dance, dance, dance!  Put on your favorite dance music and move your bodies. It’s fun to invite friends over and dance together.  While playing a CD in the car is a good, your child is buckled in tight and can’t get the large movement experience that is important for rhythm development.
  • Play, play, play!  Get out the pots and pans and have a jam session to some fun and inspiring music that you enjoy.  Wooden spoons on plastic bowls and shakers of dried beans in a sealed up water bottle can make some interesting sounds for children experiment with.  Children benefit by having different sensory experiences of tapping, shaking and scraping.
If you find yourself wishing for more ways to play with your child with music, join one of the great early-childhood music programs in town.  Children learn best when they are in a relaxed atmosphere that is non-performance oriented, developmentally appropriate and lots of fun for both the children and the adults.
Active music making is a whole brain experience.  It helps children regulate their emotions; it can soothe the soul and sometimes bring peace to an over-cranky toddler.  Lastly, music is a meaningful way to bond with your child.
Kathy Rowe from Phoenix Music Together
With a MA in music education, Kathy plays flute and has joyfully taught over 20 years of music in a wide variety of settings: K-8 general-vocal education, private lessons, as well as band and choir. She discovered the joys and importance of early childhood music while working with kindergarteners in the Chicago area and noticing how so many children enter school unable to find their singing voice or move with accurate rhythm. As the founder and director of an early childhood music and movement program in Phoenix since 1999, Kathy has immersed herself in the world of music for families with young children. She is continuously learning more about the benefits of music for young children and the most recent findings on best practices in the field. Kathy has developed Drum Sing Dance, an Orff-Kodaly program for 7 to 11 yr. olds. She has completed both the Level I and the Level II Certification from Music Together LLC, studied classical guitar under Gabriel Cornella and really loves to tend her small flock of chickens, dig in her garden, and play in a mother-daughter ska band on the weekends!
Kathy will hold a Music Workshop at our National Nanny Training Day April 12. Kathy’s told us that our Caring Nannies are consistently interactive, attentive, and involved when they bring children to her classes!!!!! We’re so proud of all of our hardworking nannies!
Kathy Rowe from Phoenix Music Together
With a MA in music education, Kathy plays flute and has joyfully taught over 20 years of music in a wide variety of settings: K-8 general-vocal education, private lessons, as well as band and choir. She discovered the joys and importance of early childhood music while working with kindergarteners in the Chicago area and noticing how so many children enter school unable to find their singing voice or move with accurate rhythm. As the founder and director of an early childhood music and movement program in Phoenix since 1999, Kathy has immersed herself in the world of music for families with young children. She is continuously learning more about the benefits of music for young children and the most recent findings on best practices in the field. Kathy has developed Drum Sing Dance, an Orff-Kodaly program for 7 to 11 yr. olds. She has completed both the Level I and the Level II Certification from Music Together LLC, studied classical guitar under Gabriel Cornella and really loves to tend her small flock of chickens, dig in her garden, and play in a mother-daughter ska band on the weekends!
Kathy will hold a Music Workshop at our National Nanny Training Day April 12. Kathy’s told us that our Caring Nannies are consistently interactive, attentive, and involved when they bring children to her classes!!!!! We’re so proud of all of our hardworking nannies!
Kathy Rowe, Music Together, Phoenix
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Having a nanny when you have a home office seems ideal. But it takes a lot more communicating, flexibility and respect. When my children were younger, I wanted a home office so I could be close to them.  I loved being home and working from my laptop in the garden. Having a home office may seem like the perfect answer to balancing the demands of work and family, but it takes more communication between you and the nanny. A nanny who takes on this job needs to be more flexible and easy-going. It’s more challenging for a child to bond with the nanny when parents are in the next room, but not available. Here are some tips we’ve learned to make it work.

Present a untied front and back up the nanny.

Say goodbye in the morning just like you’re going to work, and keep it short. Have confidence in your nanny’s decisions and don’t micromanage her. If you check in frequently, the children will feel your concern and act up. Don’t reverse a decision the nanny’s made when she’s trying to get them to eat their vegetables or get them down for naps. It will undermine her authority. Your presence puts pressure on her because she’s second-guessing her tone of voice with the kids and evaluating whether that cry is rattling you.

Use your daily, weekly and monthly meetings to discuss your preferences.

Create a workspace and a schedule for your work.

Let the children know that your office is off limits and the nanny is in charge, but you can leave your door open when it’s OK for kids to wander in. Think before you  wander out right in the middle of an activity. Respect that it’s the nanny’s workspace and the kids may not want to continue their project if you come in. Let your toddler know you’ll eat lunch with her and read a nap-time story, then go back into the office.

The nanny may think she can come in a few minutes late, since you’re home, so be sure to let her know the first time she’s late, how important it is for you to start on time. You may get an important phone call right when it’s time for her to go home. Set an alarm on your phone and wrap things up on time.  When you’re done with work, stop taking calls or multitasking.

After work focus on the children completely and spend a half hour just playing with them.

Encourage Outings and field trips.  A trip to the zoo or the Children’s Museum will give them an enriching time together, allowing you to concentrate better on your job.

I loved having a home office when my children were little, but I think it was hard for my nannies. It eliminates commuting and keeps you close to your children, but  you’ll need more patience, respect, communication  on both sides.

If you have more tips or questions about working from home or hiring feel free to contact us!

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