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While Halloween has a reputation for being spooky, it can also be sweet – and we don’t just mean with candy. There are tons of creative ways to celebrate, and our Nanny Islanders are sharing their best tips for enjoying this engaging time of year:
- Cook Up Some Gruesome Green Toes! – Nannycarols, TX
- SERVINGS: 22 cookies; METHOD: Microwave; TIME: Prep: 25 min. + standing
- Ingredients: 12 ounces white candy coating (coarsely chopped), green paste food coloring, 22 peanut butter cream-filled sandwich cookies, 11 Crows candies (halved lengthwise)
- Directions: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth and tint green. Dip one cookie into candy coating. Let excess drip off and place on waxed paper. Immediately place a candy half, cut side down, on the cookie. Repeat. Let stand for 15 minutes or until set.
- Fun with Numbers: Countdown to Halloween! – Tara, MI
Near the first of October, I have the kids help make a paper chain with orange and black paper links...one for each day until Halloween. I number them, counting DOWN. We pull one link off each day, and then we count what is left to see how many days until Halloween.
- Celebrate the Spooky Season – Tara, MI
I googled "cider mill" with my county and state name and found a page that listed ALL the cider mills in our county...along with their websites and contact information. Several also had orchards, pumpkin patches, and "spooky barns" for kids. Great way to spend a morning or afternoon!
Looking for a quick escape…and more Halloween tips? Join an online community of hundreds of nannies who’ll chat up any topic you can imagine. Visit Nanny Island today! |
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Ever wish there was a direct line to great nannies and the families who need them in your area? If so, it’s time you discovered the Nanny Agency Locator at www.4EverythingNanny.com. Designed to connect nannies, agencies, and families, the site offers a host of resources that drive heavy traffic every week – to the tune of more than 8,000 families.
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It’s not easy being a household employer. For some, the legal, tax, and insurance issues make paying their employees “under the table” seem easier and cheaper. But this decision can be penny-wise and pound-foolish if you get caught. Even if you don’t get caught, you’ll be missing out on legal and tax advantages that you can’t use if you’re paying illegally.
Make no mistake, getting caught paying someone “under the table” is easier than you think. For example, if your household employee files for unemployment, social security, disability, or workers compensation benefits, you’ll likely get caught for not paying her employment taxes.
Or maybe your employee quits and turns you in – or tries to blackmail you. Or a disgruntled neighbor reports you. Under any of these scenarios, the result is the same: YOU GET CAUGHT and face the consequences. And what are the consequences of paying illegally? They can include:
- Paying all back taxes, penalties and interest
- Charges of perjury and tax fraud
- Up to $250,000 in fines and up to 5 years imprisonment
- Ruining your reputation and career
There is no statute of limitations for failure to report and pay employment taxes. Follow this link to continue reading and discover the benefits of paying legally… |
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I am 33 weeks pregnant and have a 17 month old daughter. She is well behaved and listens 80% of the time. My problem is that I am currently taking her bottle away (she's down to only getting it at night), and moving her into a small toddler bed. I am also trying to get her on a nap schedule. I successfully moved her from our room to her crib in her room, but I have to put her to sleep at night. She can't put herself to sleep. I either sit by her bed, or rock her to sleep every night. I would really like for her to be able to put herself to sleep…especially with the baby coming. Also, she won't let her father have anything to do with her at bedtime. (He works long hours and doesn't get to do it very often.) Please let me know if you have any advice on these matters.
What jumped out at me was all the transitions you're making on your 17-month-old: you're pregnant and she senses the change; taking her bottle away; moving her into a small toddler bed; trying to get her on a nap schedule; and having her moved from your room to her crib in her room. Whew! That's too much all at once for a wee one.
I know you're trying to get everything in order before the second blessing arrives, but perhaps you can take one change at a time. Do just one thing with your daughter, then after a couple weeks introduce another change. You see, toddlers thrive when their life is comfortably predictable. They need routine. Too many changes all at once rocks their world. but I have to As for putting herself to sleep at night I advise you to either sit by her bed, or rock her to the point of her becoming drowsy but not asleep. Leave her room with an assurance like, "You go to sleep. I'm in my room sleeping." Expect some crying and protesting. Go into her room after a few minutes just to reassure her, but keep all the lights out and do not get her out of her crib.
Then after you leave, wait for a longer period of time before you go in her room just to reassure her. Again, keep all lights out and do not get her out of her crib. Each time you repeat this process for the first night or two; stretch out the time you respond. You will gradually be able to leave her room for more than an hour. Finally, she'll fall asleep. Repeat this process every night with longer and longer periods of time between responses. Eventually, you'll teach your toddler that once she's in bed, she's there to stay -- without you.
The refusal of Dad's help at bedtime is a temporary developmental phase. I know it's a nuisance -- my younger daughter went through the same thing -- but it's time-limited. In my upcoming THE BIRTH TO FIVE BOOK, you'll find other bedtime tips and lists of normal development phases. If you can't wait until the book is in bookstores, go to amazon.com and pre-order it now.
Brenda Nixon, M.A., http://www.BrendaNixon.com
Speaker to Parents & Professionals who serve children; Author, THE BIRTH TO FIVE BOOK (Revell, '09) and PARENTING POWER IN THE EARLY YEARS (WinePress, '01)
For the first time in two years of working for a family they are going on vacation and not taking me with them. Are they required to pay me even though I didn't voluntarily miss work? Should I be forced to take an unpaid day off?
I always suggest to employers that if the nanny (or employee) is available to work and the employer doesn't need her, then the employee should get paid for the day. Nannies count on earning their full salary to pay their expenses and should not be penalized if the employer tells her/him not to come to work whether it is for a day or a week or two while they vacation.
Pat Cascio, President
Morningside Nannies
Have a question for one of our experts? Ask it now or read past Q&As. |
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Postcard from Nanny Island: Halloween Tips
Agencies: Find Families – and Nannies – Fast with the Nanny Agency Locator
According to the National Education Association, many children spend far more time watching TV than hitting the books. While balance is essential (no one suggests that homework should be an all-night affair!), it often takes adult input to strike the right balance.
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