Dallas

IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from the Owner | Ask the Expert | MBF Superstars
Craft Activity | What Clients and Nannies Are Saying
Job Openings at MBF | Serving the Community

A Message From the Owner

Summer Greetings!
As I speak to nannies, I continue to hear themes of partnership and teamwork between you and your employers. MBF families place a great amount of dependence on you to help “run their lives.” As amazing caregivers (the title is no coincidence as you do indeed care for the whole family), you are always stepping up to the plate to take on greater responsibility, ease the often heavy burden of your employers and walk alongside them to assist in whatever capacity is most needed.  In my household, that may change on a daily basis! 

My precious nanny of 2 years functions as camp director, driver, chef, trainer, personal assistant, project manager, travel companion, activities coordinator, personal shopper, and much more!  I can barely function a day that she is not a part of this parenting team responsible for molding and shaping the character and development of four little lives!  Many hours have been spent brainstorming together on creating goals and plans for fine motor skills, large motor skills, language development, cognitive development and social/emotional development.  Together, we work toward achieving these goals and then together, we celebrate the victories!

Thanks for doing a great job and contributing to a wonderful partnership with your families!

Kathy Dupuy, Owner and Founder

Wedding Congratulations!
Congratulations from Mom's Best Friend to Carrie Zuber, formerly Greil! She and her husband Robert were married on May 24th. Carrie has been a long-time nanny with our agency, and we wish her the best!

A New Way to Stay Connected!
A message from Angel Crow, Dallas/Ft. Worth Nanny Network Coordinator

A: Going over developmental goals on a daily basis can be a little daunting and probably unrealistic. Most homes are hectic at the end of the day with children being excited to see their parents and parents being tired from work. A better time to discuss setting long term developmental goals would be at a monthly one-on-one meeting. This meeting should be set up without the children being present and at a time when mom and dad can focus on you and the meeting.

There are a couple of steps you can take to make these meetings a success and therefore help your charges succeed:

• Wow your boss by being prepared for the meeting! Do some research about child development. Look up what some of the developmental milestones are for fine motor skills, large motor skills, language development, cognitive development and social/emotional development for a child the same age as your charge. Remember, all children develop at different rates. Assess your charges' abilities in these areas and set some realistic goals for the next month or so in these areas.
• Put your thoughts on paper so you can keep the conversation on track and not lose your train of thought. (We have the perfect form for this at MBF- email me at ctaoftx@aol.com for a copy.)
• Provide your employers with a copy of your plan to help your boss better visualize the goals you have set and also give them a place to put their ideas down too. Keep an open mind about what they might want you to work on and don’t take it personally if they don’t agree with some of your observations or goals you have set. This is their child after all, so you want to be mindful of what you are saying about the child and always try to avoid statements that would imply the parents have done something wrong. You may not always agree on what is most important for the child to be learning, as long as you end up agreeing what goals you will be working toward together.
• Keep a daily log about your activities as a great way to track milestones.
• Celebrate their accomplishments, whether it be with a hug, a high five, or a trip to TCBY.
• Make a big deal about a success to help your charge want to succeed. Don’t forget to reinforce good behavior and show enthusiasm, as well as having the children with you when you are talking to mom about the child’s accomplishments.
• Lastly, remember to write down these accomplishments so that you and your boss can go over these accomplishments at next month’s one-on-one meeting and also so you all can celebrate your success as a team. Hey, go to TCBY- you deserve it!

Cecelia Zapalac, Austin Nanny Network Coordinator

Dallas/Ft. Worth Permanent Nanny Diane		Dallas Temporary Nanny Missy		Ft. Worth Temporary Nanny Amanda
Diane is an experienced nanny who was placed with one of our permanent families over 8 months ago.  Previous to her placement, Diane had nanny experience with all ages, as well as children with learning disabilities.  Her current employers have given her incredible evaluation marks, and they say that "Diane is always on time, very reliable and flexible--even with our crazy work schedules...we are so blessed to have found her!" Keep up the wonderful work, Diane!		Missy is from Plano.  She is always requested back by the families MBF sends her to.  Missy is very engaging with the children she nannies for.  She is always looking to go the extra mile for the families by helping with other things around the house.Missy has been a great asset to Mom's Best Friend and we are thrilled to have her for the entire summer!  Thank you Missy for the wonderful way you represent Mom's Best Friend and our core values!		Amanda has been with MBF since March and has been so great at picking up last minute jobs, hotel jobs, church jobs, and corporate jobs. Wherever MBF has needed her, she has been available!  She even pulls doubles when needed! She is also leading one of our special events, where she will be in charge of 7 other nannies and over 25 children!  Amanda is very mature, proactive, reliable, and our families love her!  Thanks Amanda for all you do, you have been a lifesaver!

Bubbles with Bubble Blower

Materials Needed for Bubbles: 

• 1/2 cup Dish soap 
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 2 teaspoons Sugar 
• Mixing bowl or cup 
• Spoon 

Mix all 3 ingredients together and pour into pan, bowl or plate.

Materials Needed For Bubble Blower: 

• Drinking straws  
• 1 plastic six pack can holder (6 plastic ring holders which hold cans together)
• Tape
• Pan, Bowl or Deep Plate (to hold bubble mixture)

Instructions: 

1. Cut the 6 pack holder into three rows of two.
2. Tape the holder to the straw. 
3. Pour bubbles into bowl or pan. 
4. Dip into bubbles and wave threw the air 

MBF should be commended for its response time to requests and availability.
--Derek A, Nanny Client

The sitter was great. She really interacted well with my son. They played board games, hide and seek, and much more. I was very pleased with her service. Thanks so much! It really eased my mind knowing I could leave my child in very capable hands and feel comfortable doing so. I appreciate your time helping me in a time of need.
--Angie J, Sitter Client

You work very hard to make sure that I get all the jobs I can. You also make sure that the clients who request me, get what they ask...you are my great agent working very hard on my behalf and looking out for my best interest.
-- Temujin Scott, Sitter

MBF is always offering fantastic opportunities with great families!  Currently in Dallas we have an amazing Executive Housekeeping position with family 10175.  This family is offering a wonderful pay and benefits package for that perfect candidate!  We would love to have more qualified household staff candidates, so please let your friends know that we have really great positions opening up and would love to help them find that perfect fit!

Also don’t forget to check out the job board for all of the amazing opportunities we have available!

Heroes for Children Fun Run
Bring the Kids! Mom's Best Friend will sponsor a team (10 people) for the Heroes for Children 1 Mile Fun Run / 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 13, 2008. Send an email to kim.winblood@momsbestfriend.com and you have a spot with no cost to you! The event will be held at the Shops at Legacy in Plano. The 1 Mile Fun Run begins at 7:45 am and the 5K begins at 8:15 am. The event will also feature a live concert performance from children's singer and songwriter Eddie Coker!