NANC Gazette - The Temporary Nanny
Transcription
NANC Gazette - The Temporary Nanny
January 2008 National Association for Nanny Care NANC Gazette Thank You to Our Nannypalooza Attendees and Sponsors! The Lindquist Group The Katie Facey Agency Homework Solutions and 4nannies.com America’s Nannies Essentia Software And all our program advertisers Please remember these sponsors when choosing services this year. Refer them to other nannies and families! These sponsors show their support of Nannypalooza and help us keep costs low! Big Changes for NANC Many exciting changes are happening at NANC right now. After Nannypalooza this year, we met with Sharon Easterling, Executive Director of DVAEYC. This group started out much like us, a few dedicated volunteers with a dream. Now it is one of the largest affiliates of NAEYC and employees a full office staff. This is the direction we need to go with NANC in order to support the credential. Our first job was to reorganize our committees and increase our board size. This first board is our transitional board and we will be adding to it at our next Nannypalooza. Nannypalooza has now become our annual conference and there will be an annual meeting held at the end of Nannypalooza. Also we have refined our job titles. Lora Brawley will be heading up all credential work, while Sue Downey will be planning and running Nannypalooza. Other board members will take over membership duties and publicity. Please visit our website at www.nannycredential.org. There you will find bios for our new board members, information on our new committees and new ways for you to be involved in NANC. We are really counting on all our members who have shown us such great support to help take us to the next level. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead NANC Gazette Nannypalooza 07– Wrap Up! When we hatched the idea for a conference, we were thinking only one year. Then this year we thought we would try it one more time. But as we feel the positive energy and great thoughts that everyone is sending to us, the fabulous offers of help and the comments from “vintage” nannies and newbies alike, we are sure this will be an annual thing. We are officially making it the yearly conference for NANC. Our mission was and always will be to afford a professional rejuvenation for nannies of all types. We want to bring quality training to nan“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting nies atoraquotecost affords sentence from thethat story here.” everyone, from first year or part time nanny to seasoned veteran the chance to participate. This goal is crucial. At the same time we wanted to provide businesses with essential information at a price every business could afford. And we wanted to encourage nannies and businesses to communicate on issues. We wanted to encourage a friendlier, more cooperative relationship between all parts of our industry. At Nannypalooza, I am encouraged by the fellowship that happens. I have seen ideas being shared and friendships being formed. It makes all the difference for many nannies. Some things about Nannypalooza we have got right. It is an informal, fun atmosphere but always professional. It is friendly and inclusive and accepting of all nannies and business owners. We encourage the relationships between Page 2 nannies and businesses and allow for open and honest dialog. We have great workshops overall. We have gotten speakers from outside our industry as well as some of the top names within our profession to share their knowledge and insights. We put the conference on the weekendso that nannies who do not get professional time off can participate. We have kept the costs as low as humanly possible. There is no other source where you could get 6 workshops, three meals, and numerous other benefits for $75 as a nanny. We extended workshop times as you suggested so that there is more time for questions. There are some things about Nannypalooza we are going to try to improve. We are looking at new workshops on topics you suggested- things like infant massage, difficult behaviors, school age kids, contracts and more. We are going to try harder this year to give you more information earlier. The registration process is difficult on our limited budget but we will continue to tinker with it in order to make it more streamlined and user friendly. We will continue to try to bring you benefits such as T-shirts and other like items. I vow that this year coffee will be available first thing in the morning on both days. I learned this lesson for sure! There are unfortunately some things we can not change at this time. In order to keep our costs low, we have to ask speaker to come for free or at a low cost. If we are asking them to give us their time, we must fit them into a time slot that is most convenient for them and sometimes this means the schedule will be a little off balanced. Some of you have asked for more in depth workshops on topics- sessions longer than an hour– however, we want to keep the conference relevant to all nannies. If we offer a wide variety of workshops. While some nannies are ready for 2 or 3 hour sessions on topics , some of our attendees want shorter sessions on as many different topics as possible. We are limited in the food we can provide for the conference. Hotels mark up every food item 27%. We know many of you would like a more center city location in order to see the sights etc… but we want to keep costs low and a center city hotel is much more expensive and you would have to pay for parking or for taxi’s to and from the airport. While many of you would like us to move Nannypalooza – this is not in the cards at this time. There are many reasons, the most important is price. In Philly we can offer the following things which have been essential to a majority of our attendees • A drivable distance for a large percentage of the nannies along the eastern seaboard • An all in one locationhotel, workshops etc. all under one roof • Hotel costs much lower than other metropolitan areas like Washington DC, New York and Boston • A conference planner in the area (that would be me!) So for at least one more year we are planning on keeping Nannypalooza in Philly. We will keep the price the same and offer even more benefits! I would welcome anyone interested in helping to plan the conference to get involved and help out this year. We are forming the committee now. If you want palooza to visit your city- help us plan this year and you can plan it next year in your own back yard. Please continue to give us your feedback. We strive to be the best conference that we can be and to incorporate as many of your ideas as we can. We want to be responsive to your needs. And we have a challenge for each of you. Please help us get the word out. Tell someone in your local area about Nannypalooza- someone at the park or in music class. Tell your agency or tell your nannies. Bring a friend next year and if you are a vintage nanny, bring someone you would want to mentor. The only way to have more choices with things like speakers, locations and the like is to grow! Thanks for making Nannypalooza the success it is. Honestly, your energy and enthusiasm keeps me going! - Sue Downey Save the Date! NANNYPALOOZA ‘08 October 4th and 5th, 2008 New for 2008 Exhibitor Tables ∗ Sat Evening Reception ∗ All New Workshops ∗ New Sponsorship Opportunities ∗ Join us for this fun and exciting conference! Workshops for nannies and businesses! Low conference fees! More networking opportunities than ever! Responsive to your input! Early Bird Registration will start in March! Interested in advertising or sponsorship opportunities? Want to help plan Nannypalooza? Do you have a great idea to make Nannypalooza more successful than ever? Email me! Suedowney@nannycredential.org Photos from Nannypalooza 07 For those who use the IRS standard mileage rate for the reimbursement rate for using your own car, it’s increased to 50.5 cents as of Jan 1st. Page 3 If you have photos from Nannypalooza you would be willing to share please contact Sue Downey. NANC Gazette Celebrate! January Birthdays As the holiday excitement wanes, keep the winter blues away by continuing to celebrate. In fact, you could have cake and candles almost every day this month if you want to observe the birthdays of Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Louis Braille, Jacob Grimm and Martin Luther King Jr. If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm. -Bruce Barton Here's a suggestion: bake a double batch of cupcakes the first week of the month, pop them in the freezer, and take out enough for your family each day you want to celebrate a birthday. Besides cake and candles, read (or have your children write) a quick bio of the birthday person. There's all sorts of other projects you can do as part of these birthday festivities. * Read Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" and then check the National Endowment for the Humanities site [link at the end of the article] to answer the question, "How accurate was Longfellow?" * Check an encyclopedia at the library or on the Internet for photos of the different American flags, starting with the one supposedly crafted by Ross. * Have each member of your family research a different one of Franklin's inventions and discuss how this portly statesman might Page 4 have tried out these innovations. (Can you imagine him testing swim fins? Did he use an odometer with a horse and wagon? How do you suppose he made the first pair of bifocals?) Another day, create your names in Braille by pressing a pen point into paper, or read one of the Brothers Grimm stories like "Cinderella," "Hansel and Gretel," or "Rapunzel." Older kids may want to research how these folk tales have been revised through the years to be gentler and more moral; a National Geographic web site has some of the early versions [link below]. Most communities have events to observe King's birthday. In addition, consider the example of cities and states that are asking citizens to use the day for community service. In Bloomington, Ill., for example, the city is sponsoring "A Day On! Not A Day Off!" to honor King's philosophy that "everybody can be great, because everyone can serve." For Jan. 18, "Winnie the Pooh Day," observe the birthday of Winnie's author A.A. Milne by reading some of Milne's stories--maybe with a teddy bear picnic! Or, pull on rubber boots as Christopher Robin used to do, and stomp around in the puddles in Hundred Acre Wood. Teenagers (or baby boomers) may be interested in the biography of Milne (see www.wikipedia.org, which says that Milne's country cottage was later the home of a member of the Rolling Stones) or the memoirs of the real Christopher Milne, which are discussed at The Page at Pooh Corner [links below]. Links: - National Endowment for the Humanities: http://edsitement.neh.gov/ view_lesson_plan.asp? id=393 - National Geographic -Grimms' Fairy Tales: http:// www.nationalgeographic.co m/grimm/index2.html - Wikipedia article on A. A. Milne: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ A._A._Milne - The Page at Pooh Corner: http://www.pooh-corner.org/ index.shtml Reprinted with permission from Parenting Press News for Parents, copyright 2008. For a no-cost subscription, see www.ParentingPress.com/ signup.html Sensory Stimulation Ideas! (or ways to make a mess and have fun!) Share fun and giggles with your children. These engaging ideas will captivate and stimulate your child’s senses and ignite your child’s thirst for learning. 1. Fingerpainting with a twist. Try different fingerpaints besides the traditional store bought kind. For example: Chocolate pudding paint. Just buy a can of ready-made pudding from the grocery store. Or Jell-O finger painting: Mix together 1 package of Jell-O and 2 Tbsp hot water in a small bowl being careful not to over mix. Let cool 5 to 10 min. before using. Paint on tin foil for a neat effect. For some more edible food craft ideas visit http://create-kids-crafts.com. 2. Play dough. Play dough is fun to squish, squash and create with. No need to go out and buy some, there’s a great recipe be- low. Make an easy playdough rose for an idea: 1. Roll out a thin, long snake and press it flat. Loosely roll it up like a rug from one end to the other. Spread and press each layer out a bit. 2. For the leaves, flatten a piece of play dough with your hands. Cut out 2 leaf shapes with a plastic knife and press them onto the bottom of the rose. For a photo of the playdough rose and other cool playdough creations for kids(little and big) visit my web site below. 3. Bubble blowing without tears. Here’s a great recipe that uses “tearless” baby shampoo that won’t sting eyes if bubbles get splattered in little eyes. 3 cups water, 1 cup baby shampoo, 1/3 cup light corn syrup. Mix all together in a large bowl. Kool-Aid Playdough Recipe(Adult assistance and supervision required) 4. Oobleck. Who says small children have short attention spans? This alone fascinated my 2 yr. old at the time for 45 minutes. Recipe: 1 cup cornstarch, 1/3 cup water, 5 to 7 drops food coloring (optional). Mix water and food coloring together. Slowly add cornstarch. Do not stir. Let the mixture stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Pick a handful of the oobleck up and squeeze it until it forms a hard ball. Open your hand and the oobleck will turn from a solid back into a liquid. If it gets too dry after awhile, just add a bit more water. 1 cup flour ½ cup salt 1 small pkg. unsweetened KoolAid (6 g pkg) 1 ½ Tbsp cooking oil 1 c boiling water Mix flour, salt, oil and Kool-Aid. Add boiling water; stir and knead until cooled and smooth. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. This playdough will be the color and scent of the Kool-Aid you used. Remember to supervise little kids with these ideas to ensure that with some of the ideas they don’t put things in their mouth. Gift Membership Special! As we make our changes to the structure of NANC we have a great need to grow the size of our organization. We need a strong membership to accomplish our next major goal of getting the credential up and running. In order to accomplish this we are announcing a new initiative. We are asking each of our members to really work on getting the word out about the benefits of NANC and the credential. For a limited time, we are offering the chance for you to really help us in a meaningful way. You can buy gift nanny memberships for only $10 each. You can give these memberships to friends, colleagues, or nannies from your support group. There are only valid for nannies that have never been a part of NANC before- new members only. You can also buy a bundle5 memberships for $45 or 10 memberships for $90. Businesses- this is a fabulous chance for you to include memberships with your placements! What a great perk for any nanny! This is a great opportunity for you to help us increase our membership and help to increase the professionalism within our industry. We challenge all members to buy a gift membership for a deserving colleague! If you believe in the work we are doing to make the credential a reality, if you have experienced the enthusiasm that it Nannypalooza, if you know someone who could benefit from our newsletterthis is the time to spread the message. Email us at info@nannycredential.org now for more info and to order your gift membership today! Special thanks to the following agencies that have been generous in giving out gift memberships! We appreciate their leadership in helping NANC to grow! • American Domestic Agency • NannyCare Connections • Elite Nannies • Nannies Plus NANC Gazette Making a Newsletter By Stephanie Felzenberg, Best Nanny Newsletter Why bother? Because the rewards are there for those who use newsletters to keep in touch with clients and nannies and those who market to potential clients and nanny candidates. Nanny agencies can combine marketing and education to potential clients and nanny candidates and maintain relationship and interest from those they have already had a business relationship with. Nanny support groups can keep members current on organization activities, calendars, deadlines, and meetings. 1. Build loyalty: Send out a regular newsletter to your clients, nannies, or members to build loyalty. Better informed clients, nannies, or members are better customers. 2. Educate: A regular newsletter can educate clients, nannies, members, or prospects. 3. Boost credibility: Publishing a newsletter is a way to send out great information with your name on it. 4. Stay in touch: Advertising not in your budget? Exhausted your public relations options? A newsletter is a low-cost advertising opportunity and can keep the business or organization name in front of a small, well-defined audience. 5. Repeat your message: Repetition is an important facet of a successful communications program. A newsletter is another way to deliver your message. 6. Control. Control. Control: Audience. Message. Timing. You control it all with a newsletter. 7. Cost efficiency: Send out an electronic newsletter, to save on time, printing, and postage. Plus, email newsletters can be used as content on your web site. Why use a newsletter instead of just relying on a web site? Web sites are intended as a gateway to information and subscriptions. The focus of a web site is ease of use and as a tool to learn more about the newsletter offered. A newsletter is more like a personal communication between the user, the publisher, and the columnists. The newsletter must address a need in the busy life of a subscriber. A subscriber is the person who receives the newsletter, even if the newsletter is offered free of charge. Standard Topics For Inclusion -- The newsletter's contact information, key staff details and contact information, and the company or organization contact information, and after-hours numbers if relevant. events such as a monthly or quarterly listing of free events, educational opportunities, agency activities, and conferences. -- Write about a partnership you have built with a business or a person outside your industry and explain how and why you did it. -- Create a list of learning opportunities in the nanny industry. -- Write a profile of a great nanny or family in each issue. -- Book review or product review. -- Children's craft or recipe. News and information The sort of news they would want in their newsletter might include: -- Debunk a trend in the industry. Explain why you think this trend is temporary, foolish, impractical, etc. -- Any activities offered by your business for nannies, children, or parents. -- Articles, together with pictures, covering recent events. -- Reminders about membership benefits, discounts available, and so on. -- Recaps and analyses of past events and comparisons to current ones. -- Requests for volunteers, subscriptions, donations, and membership renewals. -- Stories, including pictures, about individual members, staff, volunteers, donors, people helped by the organization, local and visiting celebrities linked to the principal organization, and corporate sponsors. 'How-To' Articles and Features -- Health and safety of children. -- Crafts, activities, recipes, and projects to do with children. -- Communication with employers and/or children. -- Any aspect of the nanny/family relationship (interviewing, contracts, benefits, and so on). Balancing Material Last, but by no means least, nearly all newsletters would be better 'balanced' by use of some of the following: -- Photos of clients and families, activities you sponsor, activities, and so on. -- Quotations, proverbs, and other 'pearls of wisdom'. -- Photo essay or layout and use detailed captions to get your point across or see what happened at an event. -- Include a liberal amount of the above types of material into your newsletter and readers will actually look forward to each edition. Be the Best Nanny Monthly Guide is America's favorite color nanny magazine. The 16-page nanny trade publication is written for all child care providers who strive to help children reach their best potential. Be the Best Nanny Monthly Guide discusses the most important issues for all nannies, au pairs, doulas, baby nurses, mother's helpers, babysitters, group child care providers, family home care providers, and the parents who employ them. www.bestnannynewsletter.com -- A specialized calendar of Congratulations to NannyCare Connections for receiving their employment Page 6 agency license allowing them to place in NYC. Ask the Expert– Infant Sleep Schedule place on a flat still surface in the crib or bassinet. As children’s sleeping patterns mature this is the most restful, restorative sleep. All sleep is not equal. Sleep in the swing, bouncy seat I was recently asked this ques- or car is not the deep restorative tion by a new sleep that baby mother of triplets, needs to grow “I have found but all new mothers and thrive. The have this same goal. appropriate sleep, which key is to put the From all of my rebaby down for leads to a well rested sleep in the crib search as well as practical hands on baby, is the foundation while drowsy but experience, I have awake, allowing upon which proper found appropriate them to drift off sleep, which leads to growth and development to sleep on their a well rested baby, as well as overall health own. This makes is the foundation the crib become a upon which proper throughout life is built.” familiar, comgrowth and developforting place to ment as well as be. Jodi Mindell overall health throughout life is the associate director of the built. Sleep Disorders Center at ChilNewborns can and will sleep just dren's Hospital of Philadelphia about anywhere. As they ap- says an inconsistent bedtime proach four months of age this routine, need for parental preschanges as they become more ence after lights out or expectasocially aware. They want to be tion of being lulled to sleep in more involved with their sur- the car can interfere with natural roundings and tend to stay patterns. awake if not in a quiet desig- 2) Follow a routine of nurse or nated sleep place like the crib. feed, a brief awake time and then Their brain is also maturing down to sleep. For breast fed which allows baby the biologic newborn babies this will be ability to control his own sleep, a b o u t including a longer single sleep every 2-3 period of up to nine hours, which h o u r s , usually occurs at night. bottle fed So, how do we promote sleep should be and lay the needed foundation? around 3 Begin by establishing good hab- h o u r s . its from day one on the first day This may home from the hospital. Be as be difficult consistent as possible. By start- in the first ing these habits early, sleep couple of problems can be prevented. It is w e e k s . easier to create good habits than Let’s face to break bad ones. it, newThe four key elements to creat- borns are ing good sleep habits are 1) put s l e e p y baby to sleep on a flat still sur- heads, however they will soon face 2) a feed, wake time, sleep become more alert for brief periroutine, 3) full feedings during ods during the day. Keep the the day, and 4) putting baby playful wake time to no longer down drowsy but awake. than one hour. Start the soothing 1) Sleeping should always take process before the baby reaches What can I do to ensure the optimum growth, development, sleeping & eating habits, etc. for my babies when they come home from the hospital? Page 7 an overtired state. It is recommended to have a consistent daily wake up time, regular naps and a bedtime that fits your family and baby’s needs. This schedule should remain the same everyday, as much as possible, as this provides predictability for the babies, helping them know what comes next and develops along with their immature circadian rhythm. 3) Feed your baby every three hours during the day, even if it means gently waking the baby. As your baby grows he will be able to consume more at each feeding. Encouraging full feedings every three hours makes it possible for your baby to consume the needed calories during the day, lessening the need to feed during the night after six weeks of age when, according to Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, night sleep begins to lengthen. 4) Establish a “sleepy time” routine that will provide predictability and help the babies settle for sleep. This can include rocking, cuddling, a lullaby and/or story. Use a shortened version for naps. Be watchful for the babies’ sleepy cues and begin 6:30-7:30pm, proceeded by the full “sleepy time” routine, establishes bedtime. By 2-4 weeks of age your baby’s elimination will begin to decrease at night making it no longer necessary to change diapers unless it is dirty. All night feedings should be done in a darkened quiet room with as little interaction as possible to lessen stimulation and promote a return to sleep. Around the four month mark, mentioned earlier, day sleep begins to develop into 2-3 longer naps. First to develop is a morning nap of usually 1-1.5 hours duration at around 9:0010:00am. A few weeks later the afternoon nap of 1.5-2 hours duration develops around 12:002:00pm. A short catnap of 30-45 minutes duration will most likely continue to happen in the late afternoon as well, until somewhere between six to eight months of age. This is a natural time to adjust to a four hour feeding schedule. Always keep in mind that all children develop differently, have individual temperaments and your circumstances and family structure will vary. Illness and emergencies occur causing the need to make adjustments. All of these variables must be considered when setting and following your child’s daily schedule. Jamie Chamberlin, Monitor on Psychology, Vol. 35, #2, APA, 2004, page 44 Dr. Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Random House, 2003, page 14. the “sleepy time” routine early rather than late. It is recommended that babies NOT be rocked to sleep as this impedes their ability to self soothe. A final “day” feeding between Clelie Bourne is the Temporary Nanny! She is a newborn care specialist with almost 20 years of nanny experience. Visit her website at www.temporarynanny.com National Association for Nanny Care Goals of NANC Contact Us: General Information National Association for Nanny Care P.O. Box 23387 Federal Way, WA 98093 202 318-9156 / Phone 815 366-9765 / Fax Email ~ info@NannyCredential.org Have a specific questions? Membership/Credential ~ Lora Brawley, Lora@allaboutnannycare.com Newsletter/Nannypalooza ~ Sue Downey SueDowneyPA@aol.com • To raise the overall quality of nanny care. • To raise the public’s awareness of the nanny as a childcare professional. • To provide real world guidelines regarding hiring practices, working conditions, and compensation for nannies. • To maintain an inclusive, responsive professional organization that represents the needs of all segments of nanny profession. • To develop and maintain a comprehensive 3 tier nanny credential system built on research-based, generally accepted standards of care and essential core knowledge areas. Also, to support the individual nanny in her pursuit of credentialing. • To promote the credentialed nanny as the standard for in-home childcare providers. www.nannycredential.org The Credential Corner As we get ready to really get our three tier credential up and running, there are many things we would like to highlight and discuss. We would like to answer any questions or concerns that you have with the credential or the credentialing process. Please submit these questions to info@nannycredential.org and keep watching the newsletter for your answer! Q: What if I am a bad test taker? Why is there a test involved? Why isn’t the credential just a test? Many people have asked me what will happen with the NANC credential test. There is a great deal of anxiety for some people when it comes to standardized tests. These tests are essential to the credential. If you have no test- how will you judge if a candidate has knowledge of childhood nutrition, development, or really how will you judge any of their professional knowledge? A test is an impartial way to ascertain a nanny’s knowledge. There is not another effective way to accomplish this. But a test can not tell you everything about a person. A test is a COMPONENT of the NANC credential because it is a part of the puzzle and not the whole picture. The other components of the credential, the resource file, the continuing education hours, the opinion papers, observations, written competencies and all the rest will give us a much broader picture of the nanny as a caregiver. and available to everyone. The goal of the credential is not to separate out nannies that know from those who don’t but instead to provide the information so that all nannies know! One thing that is truly tantamount to our success with the credential is that we support the nannies going through the process. It is our responsibility as professionals to encourage others in our profession. Mentoring is the key. The other equally important way to support the candidates is to provide written materials and study aides that teach- that are accessible, affordable A test is surely a tool to use to make sure this happens, but it is not the end of the story. There are more parts to the puzzle and many more people need to be involved. In lifting up each other we elevate us all! As a nanny I am ashamed every time there is a news article on a nanny who is irresponsible or even dangerous. Those nannies should not be hired it is true- but often I feel like those nannies had good intentions. They were trying to work to support themselves and their families. But they did not have the skills or information to do the job correctly and safely. As a profession, we should be making sure that every child that is left at home with a nanny is cared for by someone who has a minimum standard of care skill set.