Could Toys Be Harming Your Child’s Hearing this Holiday Season?

In the midst of Chanukah and just days before Christmas, the children’s presents are bound to be piling in. Many of the toys they will receive have a very prominent characteristic in common—they’re LOUD. In fact, each year the UCI Medical Center in California conducts a test on the year’s popular holiday toys to see how harmful their volume can be. Doctors have noted that children often hold toys right next to their ears, and so anything over 90 decibels can be quite harmful. All ten toys tested at the UCI Medical Center this holiday season produced more than 90 decibels. So while they may seem appealing, you may want to shy away from popular gifts this holiday season, such as the ‘I am T Pain’ microphone and Let’s Rock Elmo.

America’s Super Nanny or Super Business Woman/Mom?

America’s Super Nanny has recently debuted on the Life Time Channel. The new “super nanny” is Deborah Tillman.   She has little in common with ABC’s former “super nanny”, Jo Frost. Frost was British and gave off a Mary Poppins-feel and boasted twenty-one years working as a nanny as well as the author of three childcare books. Frost has often been referred to as a “child whisperer”. Deborah Tillman, on the other hand, not only has no formal nanny experience but has had a successful accounting career.  She was in the midst of her career as a when she became so dismayed at the daycare system that she decided to do something about it. She opened several child learning centers; working to successfully run the business operations rather than working directly with the children. Tillman, as a mother, she is the author of two child-rearing books.

This replacement of sorts has been the source of many debates, especially online. Many members of the industry are offended that Tillman has assumed this role as the “super nanny” without any actual nanny experience or qualifications.   In fact, nannies have pulled together and started a grass-roots petition to get America’s Super Nanny removed from TV.  The petition can be viewed here http://www.change.org/petitions/shedmedia-take-americas-supernanny-off-the-air.  The nannies who have signed this petition site a variety of reasons such as “As a nanny I don’t believe in her practices and would never recommend them to a parent and would never use them on a child” and “She lacks warmth and kindness.”

Many supporters of Tillman, however, say she is more qualified than Frost simply because she has the practical experience of raising her own child and she holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education.

Regardless of your opinions on Tillman or Frost, this will most likely continue as a topic for much debate and Tillman will certainly bring a different flavor to the series. Stay tuned to see how this story plays out.

Nannies, It’s Cold Outside!

One week into December, and it’s a cold one here in Philly; especially compared to the spring-like November we enjoyed. With the cold weather upon us, we needed to get creative to find fun indoor activities to get the kids off the couch and away from the TV.  We scoured our favorite websites for some fun ideas that will keep your kids active and creative. Here are some of our best finds!

·         Tabletop Soccer

o   “An empty pizza box gets a sporty transformation into a tabletop soccer arena. No need for shin guards, as the kicking is all blown air and the ball is a puff of cotton.”

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/7588b8y for full instructions, courtesy of Disney Family Fun

·         Tag-Team Drawings

o   The name speaks for itself! “This quick-paced game encourages group creativity. Players contribute to drawings begun by other family members, with often hilarious results.”

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/7kofq8c for full instructions, courtesy of Disney Family Fun

·         Tornado in a Bottle

o   Learn about science and have fun by recreating the effects of a tornado with soda bottles

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/d6ywtdz for full instructions, courtesy of Family Education

·         Flower Press

o   Create beautiful pressed flowers you can frame and enjoy with simple household items, such as coffee filters

o   Visit http://tinyurl.com/d46anz6 for full instructions, courtesy of Family Education

And don’t forget about the classics as well, such as freeze dance, limbo or building a fort.

Thank You, Nannies! (and Happy Holidays!)

Last night, The Philadelphia Nanny Network hosted our 2011 Holiday Get Together. It was so nice to see so many of our fabulous nannies. We were also thrilled and awed at their incomparable generosity. Thanks to the wonderful network of nannies, we were able to gather a large donations for Cradles to Crayons, a very deserving charity in the Philadelphia area. 

Cradles to Crayons works in the community to help provide children with the essentials they will need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn and valued. We feel their mission is incredibly important year-round, but especially during the holidays. For more information, visit http://cradlestocrayons.org/ . The Philadelphia Nanny Network will also being accepting donations at our office until next Wednesday, December 14, 2011.

Again, thank you to all of our nannies for your hard work all year and for your continued kindness, both of which inspire us!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Common Phenomenon Landing Toddlers in Burn Centers Nationwide

Today’s Morning Edition on NPR (National Public Radio) featured a very interesting topic—severe burns that are landing toddlers in burn units all across the nation. Some burn units see as many as 5-6 youth patients per week with this particular injury. And what is the cause?

Cup of Noodles.

Yes, eight out of twelve burn units reported that this is a “common phenomenon” and that they see this particular injury multiple times per week, especially during the colder months.  The design of the cup is what makes the soup particularly dangerous. “The cups are tall, lightweight, and have an unstable base that makes them tip over easily.” Additionally, any noodle soup has been called “strangely perfect” for resulting in serious burns. The noodles are sticky, which makes them cling to skin and causes a deep burn, especially when compared to hot liquids alone. These burns can result in in permanent scarring and/or joint problems, such as limited mobility.

They refer to all the hot noodle soups that are prepared in the store-bought package where you just add boiling water as “Cup of Noodles” but the brand Nissan “Cup Noodles” is one of the worst designs. The doctors interviewed said that a small child hits the lightweight cup at an angle that tips in over spilling on their torso, legs and in their lap.

If you do choose to serve your child any sort of instant soup made in the store bought packaging, please be certain to remove from the original container and place the soup in a bowl. Also, be certain to watch your child carefully if they’re eating any type of noodle soup. Take action against preventable injuries. The Philadelphia Nanny Network encourages you to stay up to date with safety studies and product recalls that are pertinent to your charge’s well-being, health and safety.

For more information, you can access the full article , Why Burn Doctors Hate Instant Soup. 

A Must Read for Anyone Hiring Child Care Online

Just how reliable are online background checks? Not Very.

We have told our children time and again, not to talk to strangers on the internet. So why is it that so many parents are meeting strangers on the internet, and leaving their children in the care of these strangers?

In light of recent events, the online background checks run through many online websites, such as sittercity.com, are coming under fire and rightfully so. What are these recent events? A 19-year old man is in police custody on suspicion of sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10 years. The boy is eight to be exact, and Jordan Liu had been caring for him for the past eight months. Detectives have also been investigating allegations that Liu sexually assaulted the victim’s three year old brother. The parents found Liu on sittercity.com, a site that completes “background checks” on member caregivers. Liu also had a care.com account. And why are online background checks coming under fire? Online background checks are database searches.  They may not show any misdemeanors the candidate has on record. And they offer no further personal screening. Parents who haven’t been trained or experienced in interviewing and reference checking may end up with a false sense of security about the extent of their knowledge about a caregiver found on a website.

Every candidate presented to families by The Philadelphia Nanny Network has gone through in-house screening, in-depth interviewing and extensive reference checking; and no third parties are used. They have also been cleared by a private security firm that conducts a criminal check, a driving check, a credit check and social security number verification. They have been checked against the US Justice Department Sex Offender Registry. And finally, PA residents have passed a PA Child Abuse Clearance.

We do recognize that families use many different resources to find nannies, sitters and other domestic employees, but we cannot express enough how important it is to rigorously check the backgrounds of these individuals. If you are employing on your own, we urge you to use our expertise! Call us for a Candidate Check Package or a Basic Security Check. Please remember you cannot always trust individuals you meet on the internet. For more information on why this is so important, please read the full article here; and please read the developing story of the string of Craig’s List murders spree that has taken place in Ohio here.