Can Women Have It All?

These past few weeks, the internet has been abuzz discussing “the working mom”, as though it’s a new concept. And while the concept has existed for decades upon decades, the strong opinions surrounding the Mommy-Wars are as fresh as ever. Thanks to Anne-Marie Slaughter’s anything-but-brief article, entitled “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All”, feminist ideas are coming under fire and maternal guilt is on the rise. Slaughter argues that, as the title suggests, women cannot have both a successful career and a successful family life. It comes down to a choice: either your career or your family can flourish, but not both. She notes that many successful career women, now in their 50s and 60s, have had to sacrifice time with their children and spouses to push against the glass ceiling; while women in their 30s and twenty-somethings are hesitant to begin a professional career because they someday want a family and have already come to the realization that they will never be able to have both. Naturally, her opinions received some opposition including many response articles. One of which, written by Jacoba Urist for Forbes Magazine, unveils the very solution to creating a manageable work-life balance. A solution that The Philadelphia Nanny Network, Inc. has been long aware of-

A really good nanny.

Urist discusses a novel idea that maybe women CAN have it all, if they just spread “it all” throughout the day. Between 6p and 8a, a woman can be a mother and raise a loving and successful family. Then from 8a-6p, she can be a lawyer, a writer or whatever her professional calling may be. And she can do all this by finding a nanny that is the right fit, an extension of her family and someone she can trust to raise her children while she is in her other role. As Urist states, “The key to a stronger family unit isn’t trying to juggle parenting and being something else. It’s about letting go and trusting the person or people who raise and educate your kids while you’re not around— and believing that your bonds with your child are strong enough to withstand your workday.”

A Good Sitter Is Hard To Find

The babysitter crisis is in full swing according to a survey conducted by the American Red Cross and many local parents interviewed by 3 CBS Philly. The survey, conducted over the last 24 months, found that parents seek responsible babysitters with references. Upon hearing this, CBS came to the source—The Philadelphia Nanny Network, Inc., Philly’s oldest domestic staffing agency. Reporter Anne-Marie Green came to the agency, located in Ardmore, to interview founder and owner, Wendy Sachs, in hopes to tap into her expertise about what makes a good babysitter and how to find one. Click here to watch the news story!

According to the survey:

• 69% say good babysitters are hard to find
• 55% stayed home because they could not find a babysitter
• 30% rejected a babysitter because of safety concerns    

In order to find vetted, experienced childcare providers, visit www.nannyagency.com or call us 610-645-6550.

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.

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

New Year’s Eve can be the most difficult holiday of the year for children. All of the waiting, as they’re growing tired, for excitement that typically doesn’t begin until far past their bedtime. There are a variety of ways to best handle this situation, which have been perfected by the nannies at The Philadelphia Nanny Network. If the children want to stay up until midnight, and it is okay-ed by you, the nannies come prepared with many activities that will keep the children’s spirit up for hours. Some ideas include arts and crafts time to make homemade noisemakers or countdown number signs, or different games and activities at each hour to give them something to look forward to periodically throughout the evening and not just at midnight.

Or you could celebrate the holiday with your children and still make it out in time for a party! For example, try celebrating the new year with your children, complete with a countdown and noisemakers (you can even reset a clock to simulate when the clock strikes 12!), in the late evening before you go out for the night and leave your babysitter to put the children to bed at a regular hour.

If you do choose to stay home to ring in the new year, you can find additional games and activities many places online; ie: http://familyfun.go.com/new-years/.

And REMEMBER, it’s not too soon to book a babysitter for New Year’s Eve!! Give us a call at 610.645.6550 to book a sitter now! Or visit www.nannyagency.com  for more information.

Favorite Tips to Fight the Flu

All of us at The Philadelphia Nanny Network have been seeing and reading a lot about how to best prevent the flu, and we’re sure you have too. There are so many good tips out there, unfortunately, not in the same place, so we thought what better than to compile many of our favorite tips (from reputable health sources) in one place! Remember to bookmark this blog so you can always go to this guide.

• Consider getting your child a flu vaccine—remember young children are included in the “high risk group” by the Center for Disease Control 
• Make sure your child washes their hands often with plenty of soap and water 
• Remind your child to try to avoid touching their face
•  Try to avoid letting your child come in close contact with someone who is sick 
• At first sign of flu-like symptoms, allow your child to stay home for 24-hours of rest 
• Prepare healthy meals, take part in physical activities and make sure your child gets plenty of rest—boosting their immune system will do wonders for preventing the flu                   

Sometimes even if you take all of these steps, the flu can be unavoidable. So here are some tips of what parents and nannies can do to help your kids feel better: 

• Make sure the child stays hydrated with plenty of water—as try ice pops or fresh fruit icy drinks 
• Dress the child in layers—making it easier to deal with chills and fevers 
• Make sure the child is getting plenty of rest—encourage them to stay in bed or on the couch
•  Wash your hands and get a flu shot—Don’t let the flu spread around your family!

Do you have any tips that you would love to share with The Philadelphia Nanny Network, other nannies and/or other parents? Please leave a comment on our Facebook or Twitter page for everyone to see!