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---------------------Nanny Net News------------------------ A newsletter for Parents, Nannies and Agency Owners ----------------------------------------------------------- Vol. 3, No. 12 February 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------- Deborah Smith, Editor at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE
Hi All, In this issue, we will be hearing
from one of our resident experts, I have a few announcements
regarding new additions Second, we have introduced real
time customer service through is available, a message window will pop up and we will assist you in real time. If no one is available at the time of your visit, you will be prompted to leave a message via email. It really is a great way for us to stay in touch with our visitors in a much more personal way. So, please spread the word about our new service and give it a try the next time you are passing through. That’s it for me this month. As
always, I welcome your comments Deborah Smith, Editor
Advice on how to be the best Nanny Kudos for wanting to be the best nanny you can be! Here is the definition submitted by a career nanny in 1999 that 4EverythingNanny uses on their t-shirts. Nanny (nah-nee) n. childcare provider, activities director, teacher, dresser, beautician, nutritionist, chef, hygienist, janitor, nurse, dramatic reader, performer, entertainer, costume-maker, arts-and-crafts instructor, dance partner, chauffeur and stroller pusher, personal shopper, secretary, historian, detective, confidant, companion, counselor, coach, bodyguard, self-defense instructor, tutor, cheerleader, appreciative audience, hugger, boo-boo kisser, potty trainer, learner, listener, helper, arbiter, peace keeper, honorary extended-family member, lifelong influence, shaper of the future. This is not an exaggerated definition. If you become a nanny, you truly will be the shaper of the future! Here are some pointers for success Maturity and communication is key to any relationship. You will need to be able to openly and honestly communicate with the child’s parents. Understand what the parent expects of you, and fulfill these expectations. Communicate your strengths, challenges, questions/concerns, ideas, and joys with the parent in a timely, calm, and respectful manner. A thorough understanding of the ages and stages of child development, and the ability to apply this knowledge will be key to interacting appropriately with the child during every part of the child’s day. Please remember that children behave based on their developmental level, and that they demonstrate behavior as a result of how you interact with them. As such, instead of disciplining a child, you will be teaching behavior guidance. This is an on-going process and means you will teach a child to develop the skills of self-control, independence, and responsibility while fostering the child’s own self-esteem. Punishment, on the other hand, is usually performed out of anger or frustration and a poor understanding of child development. When an adult punishes a child, the adult may feel better, but the child’s self-esteem erodes. Instead of learning self-control, independence, or responsibility, the child learns to build mistrust and other negative feelings toward the adult. With that said, I would focus on doing the following 1. Become very familiar with the developmental stages of your child. This will help you develop appropriate and consistent expectations for the child. There are lots of great child development books and checklists available, today. AND, everyone seems to have his or her own favorite. Just look for one that is visually appealing and organized in a way that makes sense to you. Keep it with you and refer to it when you need reassurance. 2. Remember that discipline guidance is a process of learning by doing. It does not happen over night. In fact, humans continue to develop self-control and independence throughout their entire lives. Since children learn by doing, it doesn’t work to simply tell a child how to behave. He must be shown through example. Then he must be given opportunities to practice the newly learned behavior. Be sure to offer encouragement by praising his efforts. (Don’t hold your praise for perfection, humans aren’t perfect. Praise even the small steps toward the end result.) 3. Anticipate the child’s needs. I believe children "misbehave" when they aren’t getting their needs met. (Are adults much different in this respect?). Have you studied Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? If so, you remember that Maslow believed people are internally motivated by five basic needs. They must first have their physical needs met, then feel safe and secure, then feel a sense of belonging and affection, then develop a positive self-esteem all before they can use their talents and abilities to become independent (self-actualized.) So, when a child acts out, one must determine which need is not being met. For example, a two-year old * Is not having his physical needs met if he feels hungry or tired, has a soiled diaper or otherwise dirty body, or has to go potty and is forced to wait. * Will not feel secure if he is expected to do things that he is developmentally unable to do. He will feel stress if he is frightened. He will not feel safe if he is being abused or witnessing abuse. * Will not feel a sense of belonging and affection if he isn’t held, hugged, kissed, told he is loved, and given appropriate responsibilities. * Will not develop a sense of positive self-esteem if he does not experience success. * Will not become self-actualized if others constantly do things for him that he can do for himself. 4. Set up the child’s environment so he has no choice but to be safe, stimulated, and successful. This is an area people tend to overlook. Maybe because it takes some time and thought. Trust me, the time you spend with this really pays off for both you and the child. You will be avoiding so many problems. For example * When you childproof the house, not only do you provide a safer environment, you immediately eliminate many things that could tempt you to develop unreasonable expectations. (You no longer have to expect the child to refrain from exploring that interesting electrical outlet. Swatting at little fingers that are just about to grab the crystal vase from the coffee table will be a thing of the past. etc.) * Obviously, a stimulated child is not a bored child. A typical bored two-year-old will find a way to let you know he is bored. (You won’t like it.) It is much more fun to engage a child in stimulating activities. * When a child feels successful, he does not act out. (You will like this.) 5. Avoid spanking and other non-supportive actions. When the child is spanked, he learns that violence is ok. I will strongly argue this point with anyone. If you believe in spanking, or you simply haven’t decided whether spanking is effective or appropriate, please read the book, Ghosts from the Nursery. I firmly believe that anyone who reads this book and still believes in spanking should not be a nanny. Many people make the common mistake of telling a child he is bad, when what they really mean is that they do not approve of the child’s actions. Never EVER tell the child he is a "bad boy". When he hears this often enough, he will fulfill the description. 6. Cherish your little one and realize how very privileged you are to be sharing his/her world. If you follow the above suggestions, you will be taking a supportive, mature, professional, and pro-active approach to the responsibilities of a nanny. Good luck and ENJOY !!! Sandra Van Horn American Family Cooking in English and Spanish by Susan Hess For Spanish-speaking nannies who also prepare meals, and for children and adults learning a second language, this book provides all the basic American favorites. The book is laid out in side-by-side English and Spanish on opposite pages for daily fare such as rice, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, oatmeal cookies and more. I love the recipe for Mac and Cheese, see below I package macaroni and cheese ½ stick margarine 1 Cup milk
Macarrones En Salsa De Queso 1 paquete de macarrones con salsa de queso ½ barra de mantequilla o margarina 1 taza de leche We’ve got another family favorite on the website and a link to order the book. Even if you do not have a Spanish speaker in the family, this is a fun way to cook with the kids. Follow this link http//4nanny.com/book_of_the_month.htm About the Author Susan Hess Hess spent 25 years as a manager for the federal government (U.S. Department of Agriculture) in communications and organization development. During her busy professional career, and wife and mother, Hess was fortunate enough to have a live-in nanny and cook. Most notable was Nhora Serrano who lived in with the family. Able to cook in her own culture, Nhora was willing to cook but didn’t know American family recipes. Susan had no tool to teach her and relied on working with Nhora through repetition and her note-taking. The idea for the bilingual cookbook was born of practical necessity. Bilingual cookbooks existed but the recipes were of the culture of the author, not American food. Nhora provided the first translation that has been polished by a translation service. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to our New Expert After finishing her nurse training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Anne Merchant founded Primary Nursing, Inc. A Home Health Care Corporation, and Professional Nanny, Inc., a nanny placement & training service in Wellesley, MA. She has written training curriculums which have been offered at the college level, including the first expanded Home Health/Child Development curriculum approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality. For nannies who could not attend school full time, she developed the first Weekend Associate Degree Program for nannies in conjunction with Wheelock College in Boston, MA. Read more about Anne or submit your question by following this link http//4nanny.com/experts.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T-SHIRTS New Sizes and Styles In response to many requests, all of our sweatshirts now come in size 2X. in addition to M, L, and XL. And our kids shirts now come in boy and girl designs. Great gifts for Nanny's birthday or her anniversary with your family. Take a look at our one-of-a-kind line of nanny shirts and sweats. http//www.4nanny.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv? _______________________________________________________ Get $20 in FREE Gifts for Your Child from Brighter Vision Learning Adventures (TM) that Child Magazine highlights as a "gotta-have 'em, can't live without 'em" parent product! Brighter Vision invites you to try out the LEARNING ADVENTURES program with a free shipment of educational books and activities that are worth over $20. Get fun, educational, and age appropriate activities designed to prepare your child aged 1 through 6 for success in school. Click here for this free offer! http//www.4EverythingNanny.com/brighter_vision.htm _______________________________________________________ NANNYPAY HOME PAYROLL SOFTWARE
NannyPay 2003 is now available for download. Also, purchase W2 forms right off the web at http//www.NannyPay.com Use NannyPay to calculate all federal and state withholding taxes for your nanny and other domestic employees. Print paystubs and liability reports right from home. Download a FREE 30 Day Demo. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please feel free to pass this e-zine along to your friends. However, we ask that you keep it intact and forward it in its entirety. ************************************************************ Copyright - 1999-2003 Parents With Nannies,Inc. http//www.4EverythingNanny.com http//www.NannyClassifieds.com To unsubscribe send a blank email to NannyNetNews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com To subscribe send a blank email to NannyNetNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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