Keep Summertime Professional

Summertime is a very relaxed time of the year. With warm weather plans filling nanny and family schedules, people tend to become more informal. In order to remain orderly during the more “casual” months, try implementing these professional habits into your daily routine:

Keep off hour activities private.

Employers are proactive when researching their employees to gain further insight. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Check all privacy settings to insure no one has access to private content. Any unprofessional sightings can result in negative consequences.

Be productive during downtime.

When charges are napping, it’s easy for a caregiver to become relaxed and neglect other job duties. When the opportunity for downtime arises, try walking around the house to tidy common areas, prep for upcoming mealtimes, or throw in a load of laundry.

Avoid unnecessary accidents.

Caregiver belongings have become a new danger in the home. Beach bags and pocketbooks contain pill bottles, electronics, sharp grooming items, and harmful chemicals such as sunscreen, nail polish, or makeup. Keep all personal belongings up and out of reach of charges.

Schedule action packed activities.

Research local events and consider creating a weekly calendar for charges. Being outdoors and visiting local attractions help make the most out of the summer months. Try taking a trip to the zoo, aquarium, amusement park, local museum, and maybe a day trip down to the beach.

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.”

Can You Juggle Your Family and Your Professional Life?

Juggling different parts of your life is a difficult thing for any parent to achieve. Finding harmony between enjoying your home life and bolstering the success of your career or professional ventures can seem like a somewhat impossible task. But it doesn’t have to be impossible, or even improbable. The key to having it all is balance. This concept is often referred to as “work-life balance” and is becoming quite a popular subject for speculation and debate online, in print and on television and radio programs. Web MD features an article on this balance that has been reviewed by doctors. In this article, it is recommended that parents consider if any household chores or errands can be outsourced? This is why The Philadelphia Nanny Network has made a commitment to helping families in and around Philadelphia find household staff to assist in creating this balance. Visit our website to learn more about hiring and making the balance a possibility!

Some additional tips from WebMD can be found below.

5 tips to achieve a better work-life balance

1. Build downtime into your schedule
• In addition to scheduling meetings and appointments, also include date nights, outings with your kids and nights out with your friends
2. Drop activities that sap your time or energy
• Limit your time on social networks or talking to the office gossip
3. Rethink your errands
• Enlist help or outsource for household tasks and errands
4. Get moving
• Try to carve out some time to exercise once or twice per week--it will improve your mood and maximize your energy
5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way
• Never underestimate the importance of taking 10 minutes daily just to relax!