**Summer Special**: Book a week of summer care & get a date night free!
See the Announcement Section for more details...
IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from Kathy| Announcements & Special Events|
MBF in the News| Client Corner| Tax Tips | Ask the Expert
Organizing Tips | MBF Superstars | What Clients are Saying
Happy Summer!
These last few weeks before school let out have felt like a whirlwind and we are thrilled to usher in some serious R&R, lazy days with a lot less schedules and deadlines! While we plan to travel later in the summer, we are going to take the opportunity over the next few months to enjoy the ever so popular concept of the Staycation! Houston boasts so many fun activities to enjoy, both in and outdoors.
If you are working and want your kids to enjoy some local flavor, consider hiring a summer nanny as your kids’ Staycation tour guide! Much more exciting than summer camp, very flexible, and budget friendly (many attractions are free), an MBF summer nanny can help ensure your kids have the best summer ever this year! Let us help you enjoy your summer this year too by giving you a night out without kids to reconnect with your significant other, or book an MBF nanny for the weekend and take that romantic trip you've been putting off. MBF nannies can also travel with families on summer vacation and provide an extra set of hands so that you can have some down time and really rest and recharge. Best,
Kathy Dupuy, Owner and Founder
 Book one week of summer care and get a date night free!
We know that a number of our families are building their summer schedules with vacations, camps and activities, and there's always those one or two weeks where things just don't fall into place. If you book that week* of care with a caring, sweet Mom's Best Friend nanny, you'll not only get a wonderful caregiver, you'll also get free agency fees on your next date night! Just mention code SNS09 when you book your week of care and we'll get you set up with that date night! Also, be sure to check with your company's HR department to see if you have backup childcare benefits you might be able to use this summer!
*5 consecutive days must be booked at once Book Your Night Nanny!
For working parents or parents with more than one child, night nannies are a saving grace. Many of our families attribute their sanity to this great service. These newborn specialists help new parents achieve a restful night’s sleep so they have more energy to devote to their families and their work. Newborn specialists work 10 hour shifts, helping new parents to achieve a restful night’s sleep by getting up with the baby, feeding or bringing the baby to the nursing mom, changing the baby, rocking the baby, doing the baby’s laundry and more. Our pool of caregivers has recently grown as MBF Austin held an all-day night nanny training on Saturday, May 23rd. Angel Crow, Certified Newborn Care Specialist, taught the class using dolls, blankets, formula, and other hands-on activities to further train our experienced nannies on night nanny-specific duties. Traveling to Colorado this Summer?
If you're visiting the Vail/Beaver Creek area, remember that we have a local office that can serve your babysitting needs using your existing membership!
 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
 Busy parents who need to travel without the kids, especially for work, know the potential for guilt and stress those trips bring. Mom's Best Friend client Phaedra Cucina has written a new children’s book titled My Mommy’s on a Business Trip to help both kids and parents feel better about their time apart. The book tells of the “adventures” of business travel from a young child’s point of view, with the endearing message that mom misses her and is coming home real soon. Available exclusively at www.mommytrip.com, the book is receiving rave reviews from working parents across the country.
Q: If my employee files for unemployment benefits, do I have to pay for it?
A: Unemployment benefits are funded through an employer-paid tax. Therefore, if you pay your employee legally, you are already contributing to the state-managed unemployment fund. If your employee is let go due to no fault of her own, she will be eligible for unemployment benefits to help her make ends meet between jobs (the exact amount and duration of benefits is determined by a case worker at the state). Two important notes about unemployment benefits: 1. If she quits or is let go for cause (negligence, tardiness, poor work quality, etc.) she is typically not eligible to collect unemployment benefits. If an employee files for unemployment, the state will notify the former employer to verify wage information, start date, termination date and reason for termination. The state will determine whether or not the employee should receive benefits and will alert both employer and employee of the determination.  2. If an employee is paid “under the table,” the employee is not eligible for unemployment benefits because the employer has not contributed to the fund through the tax process. (Additionally, the state unemployment office will charge the employer with back taxes, penalties and interest – and report the tax infraction to the IRS). For more information or a free phone consultation compliments of MBF, call 1-888-273-3356 or visit www.breedlove-online.com.
Q: What is the process or steps to hire a nanny, whether I go through an agency or attempt to find someone on my own?
A: Hiring a nanny can be a daunting process and, for many, the idea of bringing someone new into their home and leaving their kids in the sole care of someone they don’t know can be scary. It’s very important to identify each step needed to carefully navigate this search, the end result of which yields comfort and peace of mind...Read the full article in our Nanny Employer Blog. See Kathy Dupuy's Blog for additional Nanny Employer topics, such as:
Are You Ready for the Summer? We're shifting once again from school time to summertime. Are you ready? Here are some things to think about: Getting Away from It All: - Have you asked off time from work?
- Do you have travel arrangements made for flights and lodging?
- Do you have your passport if needed?
- Do you have someone to care for the house & pets while you're gone?
Kids Are Afoot: - If you work outside the home (or work from home), have you finalized your plans for child care? If sharing custody, have you worked out plans for the kids spending extended time with dad or mom?
- Have you figured out the driving arrangements for getting all of this accomplished?
- Have you thought about a new summer routine for the household, accounting for a different pace and bedtimes? You want to stay open and fun, but have some structure too.
 - Using up tons of drinking glasses? With everyone around and the summer heat and activities, your sink may pile up quickly with dirty glasses to wash. Read this previous post for our tip on reducing the glassware consumption!
- Are there rules you should think through about use of a neighborhood pool or park or how to interact with the neighbors and their kids and homes?
- Do you have a place figured out for the pool gear and other sports equipment that might be frequently used this season? Make it as simple as possible for the kids to use & put away these items by using hooks and open shelving whenever you can.
Lorie Marrero, owner and founder of clutterdiet.com and author of her new book The Clutter Diet, shares more of her summer tips on her blog.
| 
|
| 
| | Joyce has experience as a long term, in-home nanny with two families, from 1995 to the present. She had one temporary assignment between the two families. Families rave about her reliability and overall abilities. "She did everything for us; she was a housekeeper, a nanny, and a friend." Joyce is comfortable with all ages, including infants and teenagers. She loves to do the grocery shopping and/or cooking. | | Eulene has several years of childcare experience ranging from working at different schools to being a night nanny. She has been both a part-time and full-time nanny. Eulene is consistently requested by several temp families. She has experience working for children of all ages including newborns, infants, toddlers and school-aged children. Eulene is one of our expert night nannies. She is night nanny certified and has experience working with multiples. She has been our "Nanny of the Quarter" multiple times. | | | | |
"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
|