Finding the right type of childcare can be a hard decision for any family. We are pleased to share our newest guest posts by Rebecca from BabysitterSearch.com.au! Today’s post is for those looking to perhaps hire a Nanny. I know when Addi was little and I needed to start working on the business a bit more, hubby and I hired a nanny. Some of these tips would have been great to make the transition smooth and easier for everyone! In the end, Addi loved her Nanny and she was well taken care of! Good luck in this new chapter for you! ~Janell

Preparing your child for a new Nanny

Are you looking for hire a new nanny or babysitter for your child to return to work? If your child isn’t used to other carers, the process can sometimes create anxiety within the family but using these tips can help ease the burden:

• It’s important to get your child used to being away from you.  Try leaving your child with friends, your partner or relatives for short intervals. You can work them up to longer sessions in the lead up to introducing the Nanny.
• Communicate positively. When you first introduce the Nanny, keep the experience positive, even if you’re feeling apprehensive. Acting naturally will allow your child to act naturally too. Keep eye contact up and allow him/her to warm up to the Nanny. Don’t push it, just let the relationship unfold.
• Talk constantly and enthusiastically about the new Nanny before he/she starts and discuss all the positives in the situation.
• It’s recommend to spend at least one day together with your Nanny and child before leaving them together alone.  This will give you a chance to run through routines, meet any playmates, friends that might be involved in their lives. Do your best to keep your child’s routine unchanged.
• It’s a good idea to work a short week for your first week back, to allow everyone to adapt slowly.
• Ask the Nanny to arrive early for the first few days so that they can have a little time together while you’re still in the house. Your child might like to show the Nanny his/her favourite toys or games to help settle in.
• Don’t prolong the goodbyes when it’s time to go. Leave happy and leave quickly. Call from work if you need to ensure your child is ok. Seeing you anxious or worried when departing will create stress in your child.
• If possible, when you arrive home from work, try to spend 10 minutes with your child discussing their day (with no distractions) before starting the evening dinner rush.

With a gap in the childcare market, babysitters and nannies are becoming an increasingly popular choice for parents.

Rebecca created www.babysittersearch.com.au, a website connecting parents with babysitters and nannies, because of her industry knowledge and also her passion for helping children and mothers.

At www.babysittersearch.com.au, there’s an extensive database of babysitters and nannies to help you find the perfect carer for your child. Parents can sign up to the site with a one month free trial.

On the site, you’ll also find tips to help you travel through the journey of parenthood. Enjoy!

Most of my clients have an issue with storage and knowing how to use it efficiently, so in this month’s instalment we will be looking at some basic principals for maximising the usefulness and accessibility of storage spaces. If your problem is having too much stuff to fit into your storage space – then refer back to my September instalment for my top tips on de-cluttering.

My Top 5 Tips for Effective Storage:

1. Don’t store what you don’t need to. Often it is more a case of having too much stuff than not enough storage space. Time to de-clutter! (See September post  Kids, Clutter and Chaos Part 3: Getting rid of stuff properly)
2. Categorise your items in terms of how often you need to access them, then store them accordingly. Primary storage is for items you need easy access to on a regular basis – this is space (shelves, drawers etc) which is ideally between knee and eye level, or at least within easy arms reach. Secondary storage is for items you need to access occasionally – top and bottom shelves, the back of deep cupboards, under-bed storage etc. Tertiary storage is for items which you only need to access infrequently, once a year, or on special occasions (archived tax records, snow gear, or Christmas decorations for example) – roof or under-house storage, in the shed, or offsite storage unit.
3. Store items vertically to avoid piles and improve accessibility (use wall-mounted mail sorters for paperwork instead of piles on your desk; stack platters and baking trays vertically in the cupboard, etc).
4. Use labels for easy reference – a quick glance in the pantry or playroom storage shelves and you can easily see where something belongs. This makes putting things away much easier, as well as locating items when you need them.
5. “A place for everything and everything it its place” – create designated homes for itemsand return them there when not in use. Use drawer or shelf dividers to delineate zones with specific functions (then use labels as per the previous point). This helps maintain order by avoiding things being ‘dumped’ just anywhere.

Don’t forget to also check out my Pinterest boards (<http://pinterest.com/LifelineDesign/>) for some inspiration and clever storage ideas. Next month we will be looking at some ways to reduce chaos in your home and life. Till then…

Beverley is the founder of LifelineDesign – a professional organising company specialising in helping expectant parents and busy families plan, prepare, and organise. From setting up the nursery and advising on baby products, through to child-proofing, de-cluttering and systemising, she can be that extra set of hands and clear mind when you need it most and get things sorted.

Breaking the News! When and how tell people you’re pregnant

The moment you see a plus sign on your pregnancy test (or the word pregnant if you used a digital one) your body rushes with excitement as you are about the experience the most wonderful life changing event – you are about to be a parent! As the news settles in, you may begin to wonder how you share this with your family, friends, coworkers and everyone else. Is there a right time, a right way?

You may have heard that 12 weeks is the right time and many women wait 12-13 weeks to share their exciting news since this is when the likelihood of miscarriage drops significantly. However, when you share the news is up to you so here are some pros and cons of sharing the news at different stages through your pregnancy. Read more →

Oh boy, how men must feel like a shock wave hit them when it comes to pregnancy! Through the hormone changes, mood swings, cravings and swollen feet, they have a lot of changes to deal with. I felt my hubby took the pregnancy in stride and understood by the end, I was grumpy because I was uncomfortable! But I wanted to share with you and for your partners some information that may help you both through pregnancy and the early times with bubs!~Janell

What to Expect for Dads

There is a lot of information out there for women on pregnancy, child birth, and caring for a newborn but what about for first-time dads? But when your wife or partner gets pregnant, she’s not the only one expecting. There are a lot of exciting changes that happen in a man’s life, his relationship with his spouse or partner and in himself when he becomes a father. Here are few important things first-time dads should know. Read more →

A big “No” !

One of the toughest challenges many parents face with young children is saying “no”. As a parent, you want to give your child whatever he wants but sometimes it is necessary to say “no.” Many parents are afraid of using this word since they believe it may result in negativity and hurt their little one’s self-esteem. Here are some ways to say “no” to your little one in a positive way.

A lot parents support distracting their little one rather than using the word “no”. When a baby goes for something unsafe or a toy is taken away, many parents believe in giving their little one something else to compensate them. While this is a great way to avoid conflict early on, it’s less effective for older or more excitable toddlers.

Some parents suggest explaining to a child why you are saying “no”. For example, if your child is pulling on the cat’s hair, you could explain to your little one why his action is bad and how it hurts the cat. Other parents believe in using other words or phrases to say “no” such as “please don’t do that”, “I wouldn’t do that”, or “that’s not a good idea”. Taking away a toy or giving a timeout when he doesn’t listen may help show your little one that there are consequences to his actions.

If you’re a new parent you may wonder why so many parents are afraid of using the word “no” in front of their little ones. Well, the word “no” catches on pretty quickly and most toddlers go through a phase where they say “no” to everything.

If you have a child who’s favorite word has become “no”, simple tasks can become very difficult such as getting him to drink his milk, or change for bed. Some parents suggest phrasing requests in a way that yes or no are not answers. For example, instead of telling your little one to drink his milk, you have him choose which cup he would like to use. Other parents suggest methods such as making simple tasks into games (who can eat their peas first?) or using humor to get help get through this phase. Choosing your battles can also help resolve issues. Giving up brushing your two year olds hair temporarily may make it easier to get her to brush her teeth.

While different techniques work for different children and some children can be very stubborn, remember to stay positive as your attitude plays a huge role in how your little one perceives things. Frustration or anger can lead to more anxiety and if your little one is particularly opposed to listening to you, try giving him a couple minutes to calm down or forget before you tackle the issue again. Every child goes through difficult phases and this one will soon pass! Good Luck!

Day Care Options and Costs

One of the toughest challenges of parenthood is saying bye to your little one in the morning and not being able to be there to make sure everything is alright and that your little bundle of joy is safe and happy. However, finding the right child care that suits your and your child’s needs can set your mind at ease. Whether you are returning to work, or looking for some personal time finding the best child care option for your family takes a lot of research and thought. Here are some common child care options the benefits and drawbacks that come with each.

Day Care Centre

Day Care at a state approved or registered day care center is the most common and easiest option for most parents. These centers are required to follow strict government regulations and employ people with experience in early childhood care, infant CPR, and other important credentials so you know your child will be in safe hands. Your child will also get to socialize with other children his or her age and learn important skills such as sharing and playing together. However, since most day care centers have a 1 to 8 caregiver to child ratio, your child may not receive individual attention and care. Also, day care centers generally have strict times for drop off and pick up and do not take sick children. However, this is one of the more affordable options for child care at $83/day.

Nanny

While hiring a nanny can be expensive with the average pay being around $20-30/hour, there are many advantages. First, your child gets to stay at home in an environment he/she is comfortable and familiar with. He or she will also get individual attention and care and your nanny will likely be more flexible about time than a day care center. In addition, many nannies also help the children with homework and can arrange outings to the park, zoo, or play-dates. If you have a live-in nanny, you may pay less and also get additional benefits like light housework. If cost is an issue you can combine child care with another family, and hire a single nanny to care for all the children. This will allow your child to socialize with other kids his/her age as well.

Home Day Care

There are many day care centers run at a home, usually by a stay-at-home mum with children of her own. Home day care is generally less expensive than standard day care and also has the benefit of having your child in a home like environment. Hours are generally more flexible as well. Your child will also get to socialize with other children his/her age and will likely get more personal attention than at a Day Care. However, it is important to interview your care-giver to make sure that they are equipped with all the skills required to care for other children. Many home day cares are registered with the state and the caregiver is licensed. Remember to run a background check and try to aim for a caregiver to child ratio over 1:8.

Our Guest Post today is by Beth who has great ideas and tips for how it is possible to still breastfeed even when a toddler is running around! I know I struggled when Addi was a baby just keeping her focused, muchless with a sibling playing nearby! Great encouragement and ideas that can help through the process. ~Janell

                When I found out I was pregnant my first son Stephen was 9 months old.  I was still breastfeeding him at the time and while I wasn’t using that as my form of birth control I thought it might at least help!  One of my concerns when I found out I was pregnant was that I wanted to continue to breastfeed Stephen.  I had the personal goal of making it to 1 year of breastfeeding.  I knew that it would benefit the both of us to continue that nursing relationship that long.  As my milk supply decreased due to the pregnancy I still nursed him, no matter what, because I wanted to keep what little supply I had.  If he seemed hungry after that then I would top him off with some thawed breast milk from the freezer.  I had a totally complication free pregnancy and so it was safe for me to continue breastfeeding as long as I wanted.  I ended up being able to breastfeed Stephen until he was 12 months 3 weeks and 1 day old.  I was 18 weeks pregnant when we stopped.  He transitioned great without any issue and I was happy to have my breasts back to myself for at least a few months. Read more →

The first time I had heard about Baby Lead Weaning was when Addi was c lose to 18 months old. Since then I keeping hearing of various fried who use this form of feeding and I simply had no idea when it came time to feed Addi her first solids. So, if you are a bit in the dark on what Baby Lead Weaning is, this could be the post that clears it up! ~Janell Read more →

Welcome Back Beverley for your next addition to clearing the clutter from your life! I better get started on a few rooms in my house! ~Janell

We’re on to part 3 of our series already – first we looked at life with “stuff”, then we spoke about how to weed
out some of the clutter, and now that you have decided what you no longer want to keep, the next step is to get
it out of your house – but many people are not sure where or how to do this. We want to avoid sending items to
landfill as far as possible, but what are the other options? Read more →

Encouraging your toddler’s independence

From the moment your little one starts walking he or she has a new found sense of independence – the ability to get places without you. This major developmental milestone not only brings joy and tears to your eyes, but also new responsibilities for the parents. As babies grow into toddlers and learn to accomplish things by themselves, they gain a level of independence, curiosity, self-awareness and attitude that may come as a surprise to the parents. While watching your little one learn how to play and explore things by himself is exciting, cleaning up his messes, chasing after, or dealing with tantrums isn’t. Learning how to balance encouraging your toddler’s independence and setting boundaries for him is perhaps the most difficult aspect of parenting during this phase.

Here are some positive ways you can encourage the development of individuality, personality, and independence in your toddler. Read more →