Things Your Babysitter Wish You Knew

When I started looking for a sitter for our 3-month-old, I was thankful that I had spent a few years as a nanny and babysitter. I knew what it was like to be on their side of the interview and knew what I could realistically expect as far as their abilities went. Then I realized perhaps not every parent was a babysitter at some point in their lives and therefore may not understand what it’s like to be a sitter and watch someone else’s kids for a living. So I went to social media to ask sitters and nannies for things they wished the parents knew.

Here’s some of the best:

·      They are only one person

o   If you and your spouse can’t find the time to watch the baby, make dinner, and clean the house, you shouldn’t expect the sitter to be able to either. “Babysitting” is not code for “cheap housekeeping.” It’s one thing to ask them to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, but asking them to clean out the garage is a little much! (Yes, that actually happened to one sitter).  

·      You don’t have to pay them the exact amount down to the penny

o   If your sitter is there for 2 hours and 37 minutes and makes $10 an hour, you do not have to give them $26.16. But rounding up to $27 would be preferable to rounding down! (84 cents won’t break you, but it will flatter your sitter!)

·      Let your sitter know what they can and can’t do once the kids are asleep.

o   I always felt uncomfortable just “making myself at home” so usually sat there awkwardly doing nothing. Tell them they can watch tv (and if there’s a parental code, give it to them so they aren’t stuck watching Bubble Guppies all night) or leave a couple of magazines out on the counter for them.

·      Do tell them what your kids can and can’t eat, but don’t expect them to cook a gourmet meal from scratch

o   A friend once had parents leave her a detailed recipe to make a meal from scratch for the kids. Not every sitter can cook well. It’s much easier to leave leftovers for them to warm up or just have them make a quick sandwich.  

·      Sitters appreciate punctuality just as much as you

o   You expect them to show up at 5:00, and they expect you to come home at 9:00. If you’re going to be late – call. It’s no fun sitting in someone else’s house wondering where the parents are and having them show up an hour late. But on the flip side, if you tell them you’ll be home at 10:00, don’t show up an hour early. They may have been planning on making a certain amount of money that night, and losing out on that hour’s pay can really hurt. (So if you are going to come home early, let them know in advance or at least pay them for that time anyway).

·      Be organized and informative

o   Make sure to provide your sitter with your contact info and any emergency numbers as well. And it’s always nice to give them the wifi password so they can use it while the kids are sleeping. Letting them know what any noises or gesture your baby makes mean or what little quirks your child has can be helpful. And please, tell your sitter when your baby had a rough night, or when your little one is suddenly starting to fuss during diaper changes. It’s never nice to get surprises like a baby that screams all day and you don’t know it’s because he’s over-tired.

·      Set your sitter up for success

o   Your sitter wants to succeed – they want your kids to like them just like you want your kids to like them! So don’t give them an exorbitant amount of rules to follow or too many things to accomplish. Don’t set them up to fail by leaving them a list of 50 rules and a long recipe to a meal made from scratch for the kids’ lunch. Just let them relax and have fun with the kids – if they’re stressing out about your too-detailed list and high expectations, they won’t have as much fun with your children (which is the main reason you hired them, right?)

In the end, you hired your babysitter to watch your kids – and to have fun with them. Having them do a thousand other things is going to take away from their time with your munchkins. Just let them do their job and you both will be happier.

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

Drama Queens and Kings

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I was involved in theater and acting from a very young age and even pursued it as a career before my son was born. It is my belief that theater is one of the best things a child can get involved in, and I am not the only one that thinks so! There are many benefits to being involved in theater, from confidence building, to better posture, to improved academic performance and more.

Me and a cast mate as Desdemona and Iago in Goodnight Desdemona, Goodmorning Juliet.

 2005

Theater helps children to be more creative and stimulates their imagination. “Pretend play” is one of the best forms of play a child can participate in, even at home, but becoming actively involved in drama expands on it. Children learn public speaking skills and confidence. Corey Latta, a Teaching Artist at Adventure Theater Musical Theater Center in Maryland says, "One of my favorite parts of being a theater educator, is watching how much each child transforms during their time in a class or production! There is something about the collaborative nature of theater classes that really helps kids come out of their shells, use their creativity, and take ownership over something they have created.”

Acting helps children learn to empathize and read body language. As an actor, if only for a moment, you can experience what it’s like to be someone else. Actors also learn how to hold their own bodies; acting creates wonderful body awareness. When you are required to portray a sprightly child, an elderly person, and a fairy, you learn how to use your body in different ways and become more in tune with it. Actors also tend to have wonderful posture; in order for your words to reach the very last row, you have to know how to stand to facilitate good projection.

Children learn to work as a team in theater. It is never a singular effort; most plays are not a one-man show. When learning to act, you also learn to share your thoughts and ideas as well as give and take constructive criticism and feedback. Actors also have to learn how to handle rejection - you won’t always get the part you want. As I learned as a child, even if you get the lead one year, it doesn’t guarantee you will get it the next year. Disappointment doesn’t really get easier, but you do learn to handle it better.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, acting and theater involvement can also boost academic performance and reading skills. Studies show that children that participate in dramatic activities show significantly higher scores on Reading Comprehension Tests. Consistent participation in drama greatly improves academic performance and significantly bumps up standardized test scores. When involved in theater, you have to read and re-read scripts. (I can’t even count the number of plays I have read in this lifetime). Student actors are also more involved in community service, and less likely to drop out of school.

The best benefit, however, is that it is thrilling and fun. Your kids may not notice all of the skills acting is giving them, they will just enjoy it and want to do even more. As Ms. Latta says, “Take a chance on the arts, and come play!"

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

Fodada Commitment and Free Dad's Shirt

Fodada is "a celebration of what a great dad can mean to a child... and hence what that relationship could mean to a dad." It is a company that sells tshirts and also works with many great causes and organizations like the American Heart Association, Autism Speaks, and more. They also have their own programs which raise money for worthy causes - one of which helps provide books for a library at a small school in the country Suriname, which previously had none. (Close to my heart - I am big on literacy and reading. Especially since my mother is a school librarian and reading specialist).

Well one of their other programs, the Dad and Me campaign, is "a crusade to bring fathers and their children closer together," having them commit to spending time together. By making this commitment, dads can get a free t-shirt. 

To get this free t-shirt, all you have to do is have your kid sign the commitment form, then have dad sign it. They are committing to spend 3-hours together every month: 1 hour doing something outdoors, 1-hour doing something educational (like going to a museum or library), and 1-hour doing something silly and fun. 

I printed the form off and stamped baby G's handprint on it (his signature!) and then had my husband sign it before I sent it off.

His shirt just came in the other day - and I think it's pretty awesome. :)

Although the free shirt is pretty cool, the commitment is even cooler. I love that this company (founded by a dad!) is always working for a cause - and getting dads and kids to commit to spending time together - especially committing to doing something outside and doing something educational! - is awesome!

And this makes a great Father's Day gift - a Super Dad t-shirt and a promise to spend time with the kids! :)

Let me note though, that my husband didn't need to sign a piece of paper to commit to spending time with his boy. He already spends every moment of his free time with G. :)

Two thumbs up to Fodada!

Free Magazines!

I am a little bit obsessed with magazines. I used to buy one or two (or three) every time I went out, and always looked forward to their arriving in the mail. I would hang onto old magazines for years sometimes, thinking I would re-read particular articles (but never did). A few years ago, I started ripping out favorite pages and putting them into a binder. That one binder has become three - my original one which contains pages on hair, makeup, fashion, health, exercise, etc. Generally from magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Redbook, etc. Then a second one on my future dream home - articles on buying a house and inspiration photos of kitchens and stuff. From HGTV and other such magazines. Then my most recent binder on pregnancy, baby, and parenting - Fit Pregnancy, Parents, Family Fun, etc.

Most recently though, I have been reading all my magazines digitally. A new baby takes up a lot more space than I thought and my magazine collection had to go. (Still have the binders though!) Reading magazines on my Nook allows to save specific pages to a digital binder/scrapbook and then there's no clutter. I found a few new magazines I hadn't heard of when searching my Nook store - Parent & Child and Kiwi. And then I decided to see what other little-known magazines I could find (preferably for free) and found quite a few on pregnancy and parenting. Here's the best of the list:





Green Child
Exactly what it sounds like! Articles and tips on raising green and eco-friendly kids, with cool products, healthy recipes, and unique ideas!























Breastfeeding Today
La Leche League's free breastfeeding magazine, with recent news on breastfeeding and lots of helpful articles.











Thriving Family
A family magazine with a Christian focus. You can read it for free through the iTunes store.

Attached Family Magazine
Through Attachment Parenting International, this free quarterly magazine offers a lot of stories from parents as well as lengthy articles that provide a lot of research-based information.










Free Baby Magazine
No recent or current issues, but there are a handful of past issues that you can read online.  On all things pregnancy and baby, including DIY projects.