Why Your Children Should Have a Pet

I'm sure if you don't already have one, at some time or another your children have asked you to get a pet.  I'm not advocating that you buy something like a cat or dog, even a fish or a pet bug can have the same benefits for your children.  If you do get an animal, I suggest that you look into adoption first.  There are many wonderful animals that need a second chance in life from birds to dogs and you local humane society or any other rescue group can help you find the right animal for your family.  In fact shelter animals are some of the most healthiest animals, if they don't get sick being caged up in an area with a lot of illness and disease, chances are they won't get sick in your home.  Anyway I'm getting side-tracked about how awesome rescues are. 

Having a pet teaches a child responsibility.  You might think "How?  I'm the one that cleans the cage, baths the animal and feeds it."  Your child can assist you with all of these things.  He or she can also be the one to remind you that it is time to do those activities.  As your child gets older he or she can take over more and more of the burden of taking care of animals.  You can make charts of when and how the pet care needs to be done.  The animal now depends on that child to take care of the animal otherwise, it might get sick or even die.  This is a big responsibility for children and a great lesson in showing how we are all connected and if you are Christian about how God put us on Earth to look after all of the other creatures. 

Having a pet also teaches a child about death.  This may seem morbid to some of you, but death is an important part of life and it is something that everyone has to experience at some point in their lives. It's much easier to explain to a child that their bug has passed on and gone to a better place, or will no longer wake up again, than it is to explain a grandparent did that.  By the time, God forbid, a grandparent does die, hopefully your child will be familiar with the concept of death and able to grieve and understand what is actually happening.

If you have the right kind of pet, like a dog, it will also encourage your children to get outside and get active.  Dogs need to be walked and played with, so do kids.  Having your kids go outside and play with the dog might be just the right excuse to get your own kids outside to play.   

Most importantly, having an animal is fun.  If your child has trouble socially, or just needs a little extra love, an animal will always love their owners.  Animals are a great tool for reading.  Your child can practice reading out loud to their pet.  The pet obviously isn't going to judge them if they stutter or struggle to read, this builds confidence and builds their reading skills.  Many libraries even have a reading to fido day so even kids without pets can practice this technique. 

A pet is a wonderful addition to any family.  Just make sure that you do the research to figure out what pet is the best option for your family.  Even if you pick the right pet, make sure you pick the right breed for your family.  When you find the right pet, it can enrich your child's life and make your home a happier place.  Your pet can bring love and teach your children many lessons that cannot be taught in school, and all they ask for in return is a couple of meals and lots of love. 

Tips to Find the Right Nanny or Babysitter

Well since my previous post on finding the right childcare facility a couple of people have sent questions about finding babysitters or nannies.  I thought it was only fair to offer my advice on finding those as well.

What qualifies me to give these tips?  I have been a career nanny for the last 7 years.  Before that I had been doing babysitting for 5 years.  I have worked for many amazing families and I love dedicating my life to providing quality childcare for families. 

Anyway, let's jump into finding the right babysitter for your family.  Not all of us are lucky enough to have parents nearby to babysit when we want a date night.  For some families it's important to have a really amazing, trustworthy person to watch their kids, and for others they just need the kids to be alive when they get home because they will only use the babysitter for maybe a couple hours a month. 

Before you even start looking for a babysitter you need to think over and decide a few things with your significant other:

• How many hours a week will you use the babysitter/nanny?
• Does age or rather experience matter to you? 
• How much were you thinking about paying?
• Are you ready to pay for extras like gas and entertaining the kids, or do you want the babysitter to take that out of his/her salary?
• Do you need someone to do educational things with the kids or just someone to watch them for a few hours?
• Are you open to someone bringing their own kids or sharing a nanny with another family or do you want only your kids to be in the house?

When you have those questions sorted out, it's time to start your search.  Depending on what you are looking for you can try an online nanny website, a service, putting an ad in the newspaper or even just asking around if anyone has a good babysitter that could use some extra hours.  After you find a couple good candidates it's time to schedule interviews.

From the nanny's perspective it's much more pleasant to meet in a public place like a coffee shop or a park if you haven't met the babysitter before.  As a nanny you never know what to expect when an employer you met online just gives you an address to a house.  I always feel much more comfortable when I know it's a public place and I'm not going to wind up on the 5 o'clock news.  You can decide if you want to bring your kids or not.  Ask the person you are interviewing to bring several references and a resume if they have one.  You may ask for the references and check them before the interview, but I find it's more polite if you weed out some of the candidates in person before you bother all of the references. 

You should come with a list of questions ready to ask the candidates.  Print out a different sheet for each person so you can write their answers down if you want to review later.  Here is a few questions if you are stuck on what to ask.

• What are you looking for in compensation?
• How many hours a week are you interested in working?
• Are you available for last minute emergencies?
• How do you discipline children?
• What would you do if you were playing in the park with my child and he/she fell off the swing and his or her head started to bleed?
• If I were to look in your car right now, how clean is it?
• What are some of your favorite hobbies or activites?
• What activities do you do with children?
• How much tv do you allow children to watch?
• Do you have any first aid or cpr training?
• Are you open to a background check and submitting your driving history?

If all of these answers are to your liking and their inteview went well it is time to pick your nanny/babysitter!  If you are still unsure after references are checked, have an audition.  Either leave the house and let the babysitter audition, or just stay in the house and see how the sitter interacts with the children.  Feel free to post any other questions you may have!