Austin

Happy Summer!

These last few weeks before school let out have felt like a whirlwind and my brood is thrilled to usher in some serious R&R, lazy days with a lot less schedules and deadlines! Though we would like to travel and escape the heat, we are going to take the opportunity over the next few months to enjoy the ever so popular concept of the Staycation! There are so many local, fun activities to enjoy, both in and outdoors.

If you want to take your charges and enjoy some local flavor, consider taking on the role as your employers' Staycation tour guide! Much more exciting than summer camp, very flexible, and budget friendly (many attractions are free), you can can help ensure your charges have the best summer ever this year!

Whether you are traveling with your employer on summer vacation or staying closer to home, let MBF be a resource for you! Join other nannies and participate in a playgroup or attend a Meet Up event and gather some creative ideas on ways to enjoy your time this summer with your charges!

Best,

Kathy Dupuy

Q: It’s 103° outside. What can I do to keep my charges cool this summer?

A: As a nanny, it can be a challenge at the best of times to keep active little minds busy. It can be even more difficult during a long Texas summer. It’s time to get creative and beat the heat.

Indoor activities can be a great way to have fun and stay cool. Take your charges roller skating or to the ice rink, with parents’ consent, of course. Knocking down some pins at your local bowling alley can make for a lot of fun, too. You can also take kids out to the movies. Many theaters offer free G and PG rated movies for kids during the summer, so why watch a DVD at home when you can get the full movie theater experience instead. Check with your local theater for information and show times.

Libraries and bookstores are a great way to stay cool on a hot day. The kids will love reading, story time and participating in the many activities offered by your local library. Another way to keep the kids cool and engage little minds is to go to the museum. If there is not a children’s museum near you, try an art museum or natural history museum. Many museums have special days where admission is reduced or free.

If you choose to stay at home with your charges, it’s time to try some new activities. Turn off the TV, put away the video games and have an indoor picnic. Have the kids help you make lunch, then take it to the living room and spread a blanket out on the floor. If the parents don’t mind, see if the kids would like to rearrange their rooms. Once you’re finished, make some homemade popsicles. Remember, if Martha can do it, so can you.

If you’re looking for outdoor activities, but still want to stay cool, swimming is one of the best ways to do it. Dermatologists recommend outings before 10AM and after 4PM. If you take care of a wee one, bring a couple of extra swim diapers. Shady parks are also a great way to have fun with your charges without getting overheated, but be sure to check playground equipment before letting the kids climb on. If it’s hot to your touch, it’s probably too hot for them. Don’t forget to check your local paper for free concerts in the park and enjoy some live music.

Getting out and about in summer requires a little extra preparation on your part. Keep an extra towel or two in the car. They’re bound to come in handy at the pool, and are also good for laying over the metal buckles on car seats so they don’t get too hot. Make sure everyone, including yourself, is using sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or higher. Most importantly, take breaks and keep yourself and your charges hydrated. And lastly, if it’s just too hot to go outside, put on Mary Poppins and kick up your feet up with a big bowl of popcorn.

Kathleen W. Atwell

Time Outs Are Okay
Becky Lennox, a family coach with Mom's Best Friend, offers parenting advice on timeouts and more. CBS, channel 11 in Dallas.
April 24, 2009

Not So Perfect Parent: Temper Tantrums!
Mom's Best Friend family coach, Becky Lennox was interviewed on Good Morning Texas, channel 8.
April 15, 2009

These 3 fun crafts have been pulled from crafts.kaboose.com:

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag
Materials:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk or half & half
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons rock salt
• 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc) 
• 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
• Ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

• Paper towel roll tube
• Tacky glue
• Scissors
• Roll of red ribbon
• Roll of blue ribbon
• Roll of white ribbon
• Roll of striped red, white, and blue ribbon
• Hole punch
• Measuring tape, ruler, or yardstick

Instructions:

1. Wrap the striped red, white, and blue ribbon around the paper towel tube, applying tacky glue under the ribbon as you work. You can wrap the ribbon at an angle or horizontally, whatever you prefer.
2. After ribbon is applied and glue has dried, punch 9 holes in the bottom of the paper towel tube with the hole punch.
3. Cut three strips of red ribbon that are 46 inches long.
4. Cut three strips of blue ribbon that are 46 inches long.
5. Cut three strips of white ribbon that are 46 inches long.
6. Tie a knot in the top of each strip of ribbon.
7. Pull each of the strips through the holes so the knot is on the inside
   of the tube.
8. Enjoy!

    

    

    

Coffee Can Drum
Materials:

• Aluminum coffee can with plastic lid
• 2 sheets yellow construction paper
• 1 sheet tan felt
• ½ sheet magenta felt
• Magenta yarn
• 1 rubber band
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• White craft glue
• 2 wooden dowels
• 2 small foam balls
• Blue yarn

Instructions:

1. Remove lid from coffee can and set aside for a later step.
2. Cover the side of the can with yellow construction paper. Use glue stick to apply glue all over construction paper then press on to the coffee can.
3. Using the white craft glue, “draw” diagonal lines onto the yellow construction paper. Start at the bottom, go up at a slant to the top, and then go down from there at a slant, creating a triangle. Continue this pattern all the way around the can.
4. Using magenta colored yarn, follow the glue lines and apply to the can. Do not cut the yarn into pieces; simply follow the lines, gently pressing the yarn into the glue as you go. Cut only once at the end.
5. Lay tan felt on the work surface.
6. Pipe white glue around and on the top of the plastic lid.
7. Place the plastic lid upside down in the center of the tan felt.
8. Use scissors to trim around the plastic lid, leaving a 1-2” border.
9. Place the felt-covered plastic lid onto the coffee can and secure.
10. Wrap the rubber band around the coffee can, securing the tan felt border to the side of the can. Gently pull the felt tight so that the top is smooth.
11. Cut two ½-inch wide strips from the magenta felt, enough to go around the coffee can at the bottom as well as at the top, around the tan felt, covering the rubber band. Glue in place with white craft glue.
12. To make the drumsticks, gently insert the end of a dowel into the foam ball. If you press too hard and the dowel goes through, just glue it back together.
13. Remove the dowel, and then add some white glue to the hole. Reinsert the dowel.
14. Cover the foam ball with white glue and wrap blue yarn around it until the ball is completely covered.
15. Put some glue on the dowel just below the ball and wrap some excess yarn around it. Trim and smooth in place with your fingers, be sure the end of the yarn isn’t sticking out.
16. Allow everything to dry before playing your new drum!

MBF always has wonderful job opportunities! 
We all know that we're facing a tightening economy, and what could be a better option for both job and housing stability than a live-in nanny position?! Use your fantastic nanny experience to help out one of our loving families, live-in or live-out.

Position 70463
This great nanny position is for a 1 1/2-year-old girl and a baby boy coming soon!The family is looking for an engaging, creative, detail oriented nanny who is knowledgeable in childcare & child development. They want someone who will teach age appropriate activities with children in a open, casual environment. The nanny must have infant & toddler in home experience. The parents would like their nanny to recap the day's activities and discuss the plan for the next day as well. Ideal nanny will have college background. Bilingual a plus! Some errands & driving to playdates w/children requested. At least one parent works from home. The schedule is from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday with one overnight stay every two weeks and pays $13 to $15 an hour. The family has 1 cat.

Position 27822
This loving family is looking for an experienced, energetic and caring nanny to look after their sweet 2-month-old baby girl. They're looking for a nanny to integrate some structure in the child's day and add age appropriate activities.The nanny must have infant experience!! In addition to infant care, the caregiver will be in charge of preparing and cleaning bottles and baby's laundry. The parents do work from an in home office on certain days. There is one indoor dog (very sweet Golden Retriever). The schedule is Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm; some days may require 7:30 - 4:30 or 5 (flexible on hours) and pays $11 to $16 an hour.

Position 28716
This family is searching for an outgoing, educational and caring nanny to look after 2 busy children (9 and 7 years old) after school. Nanny duties will consist of picking up children from school, supervising homework, preparing a snack, playing games, integrating learning into fun and taking children to activities as needed (1 - 3 days/week). Children are very active and love sports, cooking and art. Being able to speak Spanish is a plus! There is one indoor dog. The hours are M-F, 3:15pm to 6pm and pays $11 to $15 an hour.

If you or someone you know is interested in one of the fabulous positions above, please contact Kate Joubert for additional details at 512.346.7628 or kate.joubert@mbfagency.com.  Don’t forget to check out the job board for a comprehensive list of all of the current opportunities we have available! Many of the positions are live-out as well as part and full-time. Please let us know if you know anyone who might be interested in any of these positions, as we are always offering referral bonuses.

"The sitters that we have had long-term relationships with have become like family members and they are truly cherished. They have afforded me the precious free time that allows me to be a better/refreshed Mom." --Saira John, Sitter Client

"Just wanted to drop a note and thanks so much for all of your help arranging the sitters for last weekend. Chelsea and Kelly were great and our kids had so much fun with them. Thank you!" --Julie Cordua, Resort Sitter Client

"The access to Mom's Best Friend's staff is exceptional. I had lots of questions and felt MBF would be there for me if and when I needed them." --Barbara Antal, Nanny

"We had a fabulous vacation thanks to your sitter. She exceeded our expectations. Her fun, energetic attitude got the kids interested in her immediately. Her maturity showed in the way she tended to the house -- she jumped in wherever cleaning or straightening up needed to be done. Overall, I think you have a star sitter!" --Melissa Moriarty, Resort Sitter Client

"You sent us a perfect nanny manager, helping my husband with meals, light cleaning, laundry for the girls, washed and dressed the girls and styled their hair, but, most importantly, was very affectionate, attentive, and authoritative at the same time, which she does with love and fairness. I have to thank you for that!" --Anne Fillaudeau, Temporary Nanny Manager Client

"I just wanted you to know that the nanny worked out well yesterday and has agreed to sit for us for a couple hours during dinner tomorrow night. Thank you so much for what you do to make our lives easier. We will be back in April and during the summers. So we will be NEEDING you!" --Kalani Meffe, Resort Sitter Client

Summer is the perfect time to clean out your closet for a good cause! Mom's Best Friend supports the Settlement Home, one of the premier children's agencies in Texas.

The Settlement home's mission is to care for and promote the healing of troubled children and their families. The healing and learning can take place when a child's deepest needs are met, both physically and mentally.

During the month of July, we will be collecting girls clothing(age 7-18) and any of the wish list items below at the Austin office:
http://www.settlementhome.org/WishList.asp
Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of children!

---