Strollerderby : nanny

Want Free Childcare? We Can Help

JeanneSager — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:05:00 GMT

So the economy is getting worse, and you have to work more hours . . . but you can't afford to add extra daycare for the kids? We might have the answer for you.

Host and Care was set up to link students in need of accomodations with people they can help - primarily parents who have a guest room in their house and could use eight to sixteen hours a week of someone extra watching their kids.

The free site doesn't run background checks on care seekers or care providors, nor does it determine the terms of a care/accomodations deal. It's simply a conduit - and one that's gaining attention in an economy where every little bit helps.

Daycares have been announcing enrollment drops since the economy took a turn for the worse, in part because there are more laid off parents at home to watch their kids. But the bigger reason? Parents just don't have the cash - and while some babysitters have taken paycuts to keep their jobs, most daycare costs are contractual. There's no break for parents, leaving them with options that range from bad to worse. Like reports that an increasing number of parents are simply leaving their kids home - alone.

So instead facing of a mountain of bills to pay, they'll be facing a pile of child neglect charges . . . or worse - their kids could seriously hurt themselves.

Host and Care could be an option for parents with guest rooms, rooms they already pay the mortgage on and heat, rooms that won't be filling with guests any time soon considering friends and family are hurting financially too. It's akin to having a live-in nanny - without the cost - while the students get a leg up on paying their way through school with the burden of rent off of their shoulders.

Is there a college near you where there might be students looking for a room? Check out the site - they also connect families for house swaps, a great way for bigger families to save on accomodations on the road.

Image: MilitaryMoves

Nanny Dumps Kids in Daycare

KeriF — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Roxanna Patricia Villamarin seemed like the perfect nanny, until her clients found out that instead of taking their children on fun outings to the zoo, she was dumping them at another in-house daycare. Villamarin paid this unlicensed daycare provider $10 per day.

Her own salary? $16 per hour.

Now she's facing five counts of grand theft, one count of intimidating a witness and one count of annoying phone calls (is that a real crime?).

How did she do it?

Villamarin encouraged her clients with her focus on educational outings and strong opinions on child-rearing. She even offered to make organic homemade baby food for the little ones. But according to officials, Villamarin had been leaving at least five clients' children in a rundown apartment over five years.

"She would pick up the children; she would drop them off at an unlicensed daycare center. And she would pursue other goals," City Attorney Will Rivera said. Goals like working other jobs, in a farmer's market and in her family's restaurant.

Villamarin told the kids they were going to "the library," so when the kids relayed that information to their parents, no red flags were raised. But there weren't many books in "the library," a small, rundown apartment with barred windows on a busy street in East Hollywood.

I know if my kids told me their nanny was taking them to the library all the time, I'd be thrilled. But I like to think I'd ask them a little more about it. What did you read at the library? Did you go for story time? Did you see any of your friends there? Where are the books you checked out? One child told his parents he took a shower at the library. Villamarin told the parents their son was being silly, but that certainly would have given me pause. My children shouldn't be showering anywhere I'm not.

According to Villamarin, the parents deserved it. "They treat me bad, I treat them bad," she says. Among her complaints: she was underpaid, didn't receive health insurance, and was paid under the table. Did she ever raise these issues? "No, it's not my style to complain," she says.

Outsourcing her work and taking advantage of trusting parents, however, is her style.

Mumbai Hero Nanny May Get Top Israeli Honor

JeanneSager — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:32:00 GMT

When we leave our kids with a sitter, we always hope they'll take at least as good a care of them as we would. Risking life and limb to save theirs isn't too much to ask.

In the midst of the terrible tragedy of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, nanny Sandra Samuel has stood out for her bravery - and her devotion to her charge. Now Israel is considering conveying one of its highest honors, an award reserved in the past for Holocaust-era heroes.

Samuel had a "special connection" with toddler Moshe Holtzberg, the son of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka. After hours locked in her room, hiding from the attackers, Samuel says she heard Moshe calling for her. Despite terrorists still on the premises, Samuel unlocked the door and followed his voice, finally finding the boy covered in blood beside his dead parents. She grabbed the child and ran outside. She escorted the boy all the way to Israel, where his grandparents have taken in the toddler and the country is discussing the possible conference of the Righteous Gentile award. It's an award given in the past to non-Jews who helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust, including Schindler's List inspiration Oskar Schindler.

It should help the Indian native stay in Israel if she so desires, and it's one of the brighter stories coming out of the tragedies. In some ways, it's even more amazing than Hannah's story earlier this week about the dad who snuck into the hotel under siege to bring milk to his wife and children. This wasn't Samuel's child. She could have stayed locked up safe in her room. She could have assumed the child's parents would take care of him.

I love my babysitter, but if anything ever happens, I've got to tell you - I wouldn't mind having this woman watch my daughter.

Image: The Age

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The Anti-Day Care Contingent

Jen Chaney — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:02:00 GMT

Am I the only person who finds this post on MomLogic a little surprising? In it, the author writes about her decision to place her son into fulltime daycare and how that has provoked extremely negative and judgmental reactions from other moms.

"I would never send my kid to day care," one supposedly said. "Isn't that going to traumatize him?" asked another.

To which my response is: Whaaaaa? Where are these people living? The majority of moms and dads in this country work, and quite a few of them send their kids to daycare. Plus, studies show that children develop just as well, and in some cases even better, when they are enrolled in a daycare center. Given how common this is, it's hard for me to fathom how any one could possibly find it strange or misguided if another parent decides to go the daycare route.

So am I crazy, or are there people who a. are ignorant enough to think a daycare center will actually traumatize a kid and b. are rude enough to say this out loud to someone's face? Obviously every parent makes his or her own choices based on what he/she believes is best for the child. Will we ever reach a point where all of us accept those choices -- whether it's stay at home, get a nanny, sign up for daycare or some combination of these options -- and not judge each other for them?

Frankly, I thought most of us were already mature enough to have gotten there. Either I'm horribly mistaken or this MomLogic blogger is hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Image: Lilsugar.com

Nanny Market Shaken Up By Current Financial Woes

SunnyChanel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:55:00 GMT

Sometimes when I hear the impressive salaries that professional nannies make, I think to myself, man, I should totally go out and raise someone else’s kid instead of my own. But that’s just when mine’s having one of her tantrums. And then I realize that I’d, in turn, have to get a full time nanny. So it would all be kind of a wash wouldn’t it?

But the days of the high-end nanny salaries reaching almost up to six figures, may be a thing of the past in our fragile financial marketplace. Reuters reports that the “credit crunch sends shivers across nanny market”, based on recent changes in the London nanny market. A nanny agency there stated that “Nannies are among the first to be hit when times start to get tough. It has been a boom time for nannies in recent years, but that looks to be ending. Many of the people who employ nannies are bankers and they are suffering now,"

(source Reuters)

Best of FameCrawler: Week of August 29th

Whit Honea — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Holy Crap! Is That an Engagement Ring on Jennifer Aniston's Finger?

Jessica Biel Pregnant!!?

Is Michelle Obama Pregnant?

Julia Roberts Goes To Hawaii

The Obama Text: Barack is My Booty Call

Zuma Zuma Zuma Zoom

Matthew McConaughey: Nanny Ain't Alright, Alright or Little Levi and the Longboard

Ashlee Cries At The Doctor's Office?

Is Dolly Parton Dead?

Minnie Driver - HUGE Bump TINY Bikini - Photos

Guess Which Celebrity Rebecca Romijn is Naming One of Her Twins After?

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 18th

Whit Honea — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Angelina Jolie Twins Photos: SOLD!!!

Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman Wreck One Home Too Many

Exclusive Sketch Of Angelina's Twins!

Pictures Of Nicole Kidman's Sunday Rose-Two Stories

Drea De Matteo Sobbed When She Found Out She Was Pregnant

Jennifer Aniston's Obsession With Baby

Jessica Alba Already Wants Another Baby

Jessica Alba's Honor Marie - Photo!!!

Name Change: The Jolie-Pitt Twins

Miley Cyrus Leaked Shower Pics: Blame Lindsay!

Best of FameCrawler: Week of July 11th

Whit Honea — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Preg-a-licious! Is Fergie Expecting?

Photos Of Maddie Briann, They're Official

Sexy Superhero Parents: The Top 10

Is Michael Jackson Dying?

Nicole Kidman's Dad Reveals Secret of Sunday's Name!!

THESE Two Are The Hottest Celebrity Parents, For Seriously

Photos! Who Is Diana Bianchi?

Wanted: Nanny for the World's Most Famous Family

Angelina's Due Date - Got It!!!!

Angie And Brad's New Baby!

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Baby Names!

Angelina's Paparazzi Proof Room

Top 5 Things You Want To Tell Your Babysitter But Are Too Conflict-Avoidant To Say

Amy S.F. Lutz — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:34:00 GMT

5. Don't make me the bad guy. Please don't tell the kids, "Mommy doesn't want more than one kid on the trampoline at a time because she's afraid you might hurt yourselves," or, "Mommy doesn't want your brother to have raisins because she's afraid he might choke." Enforce my rules as if they're universal laws recognized by every adult on the planet.

4. Leave your gadgets in the car. I know it's important for kids to play independently and to play with each other, but that doesn't mean you can talk. text. or surf the web the moment my kids stop requiring your immediate attention. There's always stuff to do: straighten the playroom, throw those lunch plates in the dishwasher, etc.

3. Don't believe my kids. When my five-year-old tells you that yes, Mommy lets her eat an entire sleeve of oreos half an hour before dinner, or yes, she's allowed to watch four back-to-back-to-back-to-back episodes of Hannah Montana, stop and think: how likely is that?

2. Never say to my kids, "This will be our little secret."

1. DON'T GIVE IN TO TEMPER TANTRUMS! Even if you ignore every other rule, please, never, never, ever, give my kids what they want just to calm them down from the heights of hysteria. If my two-year-old throws herself on the floor screaming because her twin brother has the yellow sippy cup with the blue lid and she desperately wants that one instead of the yellow sippy cup with the purple lid you innocuously handed to her, just walk away. DO NOT SWAP SIPPY CUPS. If so, you will guarantee my daughter will grow up to be Leona Helmsley.

Best of FameCrawler: Week of April 18

Whit Honea — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

CONFIRMED: Ashlee Simpson is Pregnant

Nicolette Sheridan Pregnant At 70!

Rob Lowe's Former Nanny Speaks Out

David Beckham Really Likes Miller Lite and/or Ass

Minnie Driver's Baby Daddy: Revealed!

George Clooney Hates Kids. Yes, Yours Too.

Ashlee Simpson, Pregnant and Happy(?)

Jennifer Aniston Names Her Son?

Tom & Katie Split, Fighting For Suri

Ashlee Simpson's Baby Bump! Sort Of.

Best of FameCrawler: Week of April 4

Whit Honea — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Kate Hudson Is a Strict Mom

Video of Celebrity Babies with Secret Super Nanny: The FameCrawler April Fools

Robin Williams and His New "Nanny"

Katie Holmes' New Haircut: Fug, Or Just Sorta Fug?

Courteney Cox Wants Another Child

Jamie Lynn Spears in Hustler!

Future Mother Of George Clooney's Children Skanks It Up

Piping Hot: Giada De Laurentiis Has a Baby Girl

Suri Sighting! Suri Sighting!

The Bonham-Carter-Burtons Talk a Walk With Baby

How Much Should You Pay Your Babysitter?

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:26:00 GMT

The first time I babysat by myself, I was in sixth grade and I cared for two preschoolers. At the end of three hours in which I’d run circles around the house (literally) to keep the children happy, their father handed me $1.50. I still remember staring dejectedly at the quarters in my palm and vowing never to babysit for that family again. That was more than a decade ago and I’ve never been so underpaid since then, but negotiating babysitting costs continues to be a sticky situation.

I’m sure the parents I’ve worked with over the years dread the awkward money conversation as much as I do. I meet the kids and connect well with them, I provide good references, I get along with the parents. Then comes the unpleasant, “So, how much do you charge?" As someone who’s had this conversation more times than I count, here are some guidelines, from a caretaker perspective, for developing a comfortable relationship with your babysitter or nanny.

Above all, the money transactions should be seamless, so that you and your sitter can discuss more important things—like your children. Develop a clear payment plan right away and stick to it. As a nanny, I was sometimes paid in cash at the end of every day, sometimes paid in check every two weeks. Either way was fine with me, as long as I knew what to expect and never had to remind the parents to pay me.

If you ask a sitter how much she charges, be prepared to cheerfully pay that rate (unless it's exorbitant) or find another sitter. Negotiating down or grumbling about the expense will only create ill will between you and the sitter. If you know that you cannot afford to pay more than a certain amount, let the sitter know right away. Instead of asking how much she charges, say, “We pay $13 an hour. Is that all right with you?” The sitter should feel comfortable saying no if the rate is too low. Personally, I will gladly sit for a family that pays a little less if I connect well with the children and the parents are friendly and appreciative. No sitter worth their salt with treat children better or worse based on how their parents pay them—but there are lots of babysitters who are not worth their salt, so never try to get away with paying less than you can afford.

And you will definitely get the royal treatment from a babysitter who feels she is amply compensated for her time. I currently sit for a family that always rounds up, always casually hands me a wad of cash without any nitpicking about the exact amount of time I was there (a sure-fire way to create awkwardness), and often leaves out dinner money for me along with a takeout menu (I never use it, but I certainly appreciate the gesture). For this family, I am more than willing to change my schedule to accommodate theirs and to do extra housecleaning without being asked. And I never feel even a shade of resentment if, for instance, the baby is sick and crying the whole time I’m there—if anything, I feel glad to give the parents a well-deserved break.

So, let’s talk actual numbers. This useful post on babyslumber.com recommends paying between $15 and $20 an hour. Although I’d be thrilled to be offered more, the amount I feel comfortable charging to develop a good rapport with a family is $15. I don’t want to charge so much that going out for a fun evening will be a hardship on the family, but I also need to charge enough that I feel my time is being valued. So I never babysit for less than $12 an hour; in fact, I would be wary of hiring a sitter who accepts less than that. Babysitting is, and should be, difficult work. I take pride in being extremely attentive, playful, and loving—which is how you want all of your babysitters to feel. In most cases, if your sitter is accepting less than $12 an hour, either she’s not working hard enough or she’s getting underpaid.

What do you parents think of these rates? How do you handle it if you feel a sitter is charging too much? And what do you do about childcare if you genuinely cannot afford to pay more than, say, $10 an hour?

Photo: babyminestore.com

Best of Famecrawler: Good Help is Hard to Find

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:10:00 GMT

Post by Bad Kitty

Victoria and David Beckham, here with 4 year old son Romeo and Victoria's incredibly expensive handbag, are having some domestic troubles. That is, "domestics" trouble -- their two nannies just quit in a huff. I hope you're sitting down, because this will be shocking: it seems that Victoria can take a tone at times. And she expected them to be her hand maidens, doing dishes, laundry, cooking, and probably whatever else came into that so stylish head, like going to fetch a blow up doll to fool the paparazzi. I know. The shaking just stopped for me, too.

Puhleez. I call candyass on the nannies. They knew what they were getting, and they knew what they had. The girls were with the Beckhams for a while, six months for one, a year for the other. It's not like Victoria woke up last Monday and said, "Those nannies need a firm grip. I'm really going to put them through their paces, starting now."

Even if the world (including those nannies before they started the jobs) didn't have the benefit of a 24/7 chronicle of the Beckham's every move, just look at them. You can smell the air of dissatisfied nouveau riche emanating from them. They want things a certain way, they paid damn good money to get their faintest desire, and they will have it, so stop sniffling and get cracking!

I have to respect that Victoria, she's a woman who knows her mind. She's famous, loaded and doing Becks whenever she wants because of it -- that's her talent. She might be a pain to work for, but the woman is an inspiration for the rest of us.

Source: Celebs and Bubs

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