New York Nanny Center » Sitter Diaries

Henry in Hawaii

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 17:33:39 +0000

When your parents offer to take you to Maui, you don’t turn it down, even if it you have to travel all that way with a very energetic 14-month old! Bob and I thought long and hard about how we were going to keep Henry happy, comfortable, and entertained for a 15 hour travel day. We purchased him his own seat, bought new toys and books for the airplane ride, planned our lunch/dinner breaks, and trained him to want to watch Bubble Guppies quietly on our iPads (even though I said I’d never be “that parent”!)—you’re welcome, fellow passengers. The anticipation for the trip was far worse than what actually transpired. The first half of the trip from Chicago to LA was the hardest part. Henry wanted to sleep but it was a daytime flight with a lot of announcements and movement in the plane. Oh well! We met up with my parents and brother and sister-in-law in LA and Henry was pumped to see his family! Everyone took a turn running with him around the airport and keeping him entertained. Bob and I appreciated the help! The second half he slept the whole way–way to go, Hank!

Henry on his first plane ride!

Henry surprisingly adjusted to the time difference with no problems. I think he knew that he had a fun day at the pool planned and didn’t want to miss it. Traveling with a child definitely changes the dynamic of a vacation, but it’s an entirely different kind of fun. Watching him splash around in the pool and play in the sand was awesome. He had a blast and never wanted to get out of the pool. The most challenging part was getting him to sit still long enough to lather him up with sunscreen! We visited the Maui Aquarium, took long walks on the beach, and went to some really cool parts of Maui–Henry loved it all! Especially all the whales jumping out of the water.

Henry splish splashin’

Thanks to the concierge in Maui, we were hooked up with the Lucky Lil Darlings of Maui called The Nanny Connection. They provided us with two amazing sitters for our time in Hawaii. I was so thankful for Andrea and Audrey so that we could go out for dinner and have some child-free adult time! My uncle Bill came from Oahu to visit us in Maui. It was so great to see him after 3 years! Henry immediately bonded with him and the two formed a fast friendship. We can’t wait to go back and visit him again soon! Everyone in Hawaii was so friendly and accommodating to us. We LOVED it there and can’t believe the trip is over!

Henry soaking up the last bit of sun before heading back to chilly Chicago

Getting back to Chicago in the middle of the “Polar Vortex” was challenging. Our flight from LA to Chicago was cancelled on Sunday and we had to find a hotel room in LA for the night. I’ve never been so thankful for having such a “chill” child. He handled the travel delays and change of plans/airlines like a champ. My husband wanted to get home but I enjoyed the extra day in the sun. We were able to meet up with an old friend in Manhattan Beach for lunch and enjoyed the unavoidable travel delay. Despite not having a good rest in over 15 hours, Henry enjoyed himself too! I’m so proud and thankful for his calm, happy demeanor. He made a really stressful, chaotic situation tolerable.

We’re back in cold Chicago and getting back into our regular routine! Aloha!

-Maureen is a sitter2mom, our Chicago City Coordinator, and proud mother of Henry!

P.S. Post-it Notes are an awesome quiet activity for a toddler. Henry stuck those things ALL OVER! (Mahalo, Cosette and all those who provided us with entertainment).

To Swaddle, or Not To Swaddle

Alison Gore — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:56:03 +0000

With two new nieces, my mind has been completely taken over by all things BABY.

One thing in particular that I have been obsessed with is swaddling. The twins were literally taken from the womb & placed immediately into a swaddle.

Here is what a swaddle looks like.

This simple technique mastered by many hospitals to comfort a newborns is preached to new moms as they take their lil’ ones home & boy does it work. The twins stay nestled in a swaddle all day & night. They are completely at ease. It’s when they are taken out of the swaddle for one of their many changes that it gets loud.

Swaddling is quick & easy. Most swaddle blankets even include instruction. Check out these photos to show you how to properly swaddle a baby.

Why swaddle?

Keeps baby cozy and mimics the womb
Helps reduce nighttime scratching
Helps regulate baby’s temperature until that fully develops
Can soothe an overstimulated lil’ one

This technique definitely isn’t a one-size fits all solution for helping a lil’ one sleep, but it sure works on my twin nieces & was highly recommended by the nursing staff at Mount Sinai.

-LB aka Aunt Linny

Diaper Diaries Week # 2

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:14:21 +0000

Oh, those sleepless nights as I sit here writing this with heavy eyelids.My days are filled with diaper changes,every three hours feedings,swaddling, bathing, all those innate behaviors that have come back with a vengeance.The inside of my daughter’s house is a cross between a florist and Babies R Us. I’ve definitely been getting my exercise waiting on everyone, but that’s okay, it’s nice being needed. It’s also fun listening to my daughter and son in law trying to figure all this out.

My grand babies bundled up for their first doctors visit.

Until next week,

Second hand of eyes, ears and hands

-Mama Bell

September is National Literacy Month

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:27:08 +0000

Did you know according to the National Center for Family Literacy, more than 30 million Americans have reading skills below basic literacy levels?

Mom, Dads & Sitters let’s get the kids reading!

Check out this FREE READING EVENT in honor of literacy month September 8^th and 9^th at Theater 80 in NYC. It’s called Boogaloo! Watch reading come to life with dance, music & song. RSVP is mandatory, email boogaloo_the_fairy@yahoo.com

Or if you find yourself in our nations capitol, the Library of Congress hosts its annual National Book Festival, in Washington September 24-25, 2011. It is free to the public and features 80 of the country’s most renowned authors.

Let us know if you hear of any other events to celebrate reading!

-LB

5 Easy Activites to cure “I’m bored…”

Lindsay Bell — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:44:10 +0000

Who’s sick of summer? I know how could we possibly feel this way? But we do…

When you feel at a creative loss during these dog days pull out our go-to list of five activities sure to engage, inspire & create laughter.

1. Host a Hoola Hoop & Limbo contest with the neighborhood kids! Have the kids make signs & promote the contest. Invite parents to attend, set up & play!

Props: hoola hoop & some music

2. For the car ride, play rounds of “I Spy”

Props: Nothing necessary!

3. Play a game of Keep it Up! This is classic, get a balloon or pool ball & play rounds of keep it up. This game can be played anywhere & it can go on for hours. Make teams, play-one-on-one & more.

Props: Balloon or pool ball

4. Duck, Duck, Goose. Okay another classic. This gets the kids outside or can be played indoors & encourages them to be active!

Props: Nothing necessary!

5. Hot & Cold Treasure Hunt. Designate one person to be ‘it’ & direct the other person to go find the hidden treasure by following the map. ‘It’ is responsible for telling the other when they are ‘hot’ or ‘cold’

Props: Treasure map style-hide toy(s) through the house & then map it out for them to follow

-LB

Make Travel Easier for the Family with a Routine!

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:05:48 +0000

This July I spent two full weeks in gorgeous Martha’s Vineyard babysitting for a family I’ve known for nearly six years. I cared for two young girls in the small village of Edgartown, MA.

Each day was a new adventure, but each was carefully mapped out to make sure we got everything we wanted accomplished. We’d start off the day at The Katama Store with a freshly brewed cup of Joe & some delicious pastries. Then it was off to take the youngest to camp. We packed her up for the day: sunscreen, towel, lunch, sunglasses, etc. Everyday we’d ride over to island on the Chappy Ferry where Jessie the driver would pick up passengers & take them to the beach club. Parents & sitters would set up shop on the beach while the lil’ ones were at camp until 1:30 p.m. Then it was family beach time followed by play date, another lesson, ice cream or bike ride. We’d take the kids back abound 5 p.m. to shower and then make or go out to dinner. Then it was wind down time. Read the complete article here on MommyBites

LLD Sitters Participate in our Quarterly CPR Training

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:35:48 +0000

We wanted to give a shout out to all our sitters that attended the Lucky Lil’ Darlings quarterly CPR & First Aid Training seminar hosted by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) & sponsored by Pure Yoga NYC.

The FDNY has been educating our troupe of sitters & staff for over three years now, their team is both passionate about saving lives & eager to teach the community.

Our sitters learned the 411 on CPR & First Aid from Lieutenants Dave & Mike, followed by our speaker Renee Pena, a local Parent & Child Educator, who eagerly informed our sitters on being the best childcare provider they can be and finally we ended the day with a relaxing class of yoga.

-LB

Sanity in the City: End of the Summer Treat

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:50:35 +0000

I can’t believe July just flew by and as always it is tough to say goodbye. It has been a joy and an honor to write for Lucky Lil’ Darlings Blog. My best tips for good-byes are preparation and to leave lasting memories. So as the summer comes to a close. I wanted to leave you with a treat to do with your family to remember this steamy summer.

Key Lime Pie Popsicles

1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of plain yogurt

Juice of 4 limes

Zest of 2 limes

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 6 large Popsicle molds or a dozen Dixie cups. Freeze overnight or longer (the thick mixture takes quite a while to freeze!)

Add chopped strawberries or raspberries to the mix for added flavor and color. Enjoy!

-Renee

Renee is a Parent & Child Educator through and through (7+ years of education/family industry knowledge!) She becomes a sounding board for overwhelmed working parents to help guide them toward creative parenting solutions.

Happy Chaos Friday’s:Top 5 Bedtime Stories

Lindsay Bell — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:44:01 +0000

In our house we are firm believers in routines and our nighttime routine is one of my favorites that I do not like to break. We call it the “3 B’s”…BATH, BOTTLE, and BEDTIME STORY!!!! I started this routine with my daughter when she was very little and it has paid off for a very easy bedtime, she even asks to go to bed sometimes, it is great! I am hoping that this routine will also work with my son, who is about to turn one.

When choosing my top 5 bedtime stories, I had a bit of trouble narrowing it down, so I got some advice from my three year old. Here is what we agreed upon as our favorites:

5. Good Night, Gorilla by: Peggy Rathmann
4. I Love You, Good Night by: Jon Buller and Susan Schade
3. I Love You Forever by: Robert Munsch
2. Goodnight Moon by: Margaret Wise Brown
1. Guess How Much I Love You by: Sam McBratney

I love that each one is a little different and also that my daughter can pretty much tell me the story from memory because we have read them over and over again. “Good Night, Gorilla” is a ton of fun because there are not a lot of words in this book; one can tell a story as you go along. Look for the balloon as you turn each page!

“I Love you, Good Night” is not one of the most popular ones that you think of when thinking of bedtime classics, but it has been a favorite in our house because it was from Grandma and Grandpa. Plus this book has a lot of things in it that my daughter loves; blueberry pancakes, milk shakes, splashing in puddles, and kisses & cuddles. Everything starts with “I love you like…”!

An all time classic and favorite of many is “I Love You Forever”…Even daddy can’t listen to the entire book without getting a bit emotional! Reading this one with my daughter now is even better because she can repeat the last four lines with me, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll Like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.” Now as a mom I understand all four of these lines completely. I always tell each of my children that they will always be my baby!

“Goodnight Moon” is a classic & favorite. I have always pointed out each item as I have read this book and we try to find everything on each page as we read. It’s a great book to start helping lil’ ones learn rhyming words. As a teacher I of course have to point out the words that rhyme and we talk about how words sound alike! Of course my daughter always likes to point out the balloon in this book too, kids and balloons…

Last, but not least, our all time favorite…”Guess How Much I Love You”. All kids love to do what mom and dad are doing and in this book, the little bunny called, Little Nutbrown Hare loves to do everything that Big Nutbrown Hare does, while comparing it to how much they love each other. They start off with small comparisons and then at the end they say…”I love you all the way to the moon…and back!” This statement is said each and every day in our household, especially at bedtime! Every night when I tuck in Riley I say…”I love you to the moon…and she ALWAYS responds, AND BACK! I LOVE IT!

Well there are 5 of our favorites; I would love to hear what your favorites are too! I am always looking for a new story to read at bedtime!

Kelli K. is our Happy Chaos Friday’s editor. If you’d like to get your product or brand in front of this mom of 2, please email info@luckylildarlings.com

Sane in the City: MORE Tips & Tricks to Keep Your Child Busy this Summer

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:05:57 +0000

Last week, I had the pleasure of sharing some online sources with activities to keep you and your child connect with one another this summer. Today, I would like to share one word that would help you stay sane in this heat.

The word is routine.

I know it seems counter intuitive to have a routine with your child when summer seems to beg for be carefree. However, being carefree may bring your child anxiety as they do not have the comfort of knowing what happens next. And the nature of growing up for children is change in itself, but without a consistent schedule, a child cannot do what they are meant to do and that is to develop a sense of mastery in handling their lives.

The best way to prepare your child for mastery is to create a routine that is loosely structured. An example: Camp until 1pm with lunch, nap (rest hour), play (with a friend/ free play with sibling), dinner, bedtime, and do again.

Please let me know if this tip worked for you on Twitter @enrichingkids

Here’s to your sanity.

-Renee is a Parent & Child Educator through and through (7+ years of education/family industry knowledge!) She becomes a sounding board for overwhelmed working parents to help guide them toward creative parenting solutions.