Don’t get me wrong, I love my family dearly - however, my opinions on family day are far from positive (and I think some people don’t like that!!)

It is a day that you are ‘forced’ (by the government) to be with your family.  What about every other day or weekend?  Many companies have taken the response to this new holiday by giving the day off, however they have taken away a vacation day or a floating day… Wouldn’t you prefer a floater, to extend that family vacation, or use it when your child is sick and needs you the most?

What about the people that were working?   Government offices were open.  Canada Post was operating. Some private businesses were open.  The entire hospitality sector was open.  What will their children say about what they did on Family day?

My thoughts are that if you are lucky enough to be home on Family Day that’s great!  It’s a new-found long weekend in February.  BUT I strongly believe that families need more than one day a year!  Everyday should be special in some form or another, but in our very hectic and busy daily lives, sometimes it’s easier to spend time with our kids on the weekends… but then every weekend should be special and fun… so the kids have great things to write about in the journals every Monday and not just the day after Family Day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olSyCLJU3O0&feature=related

At this time of year, everyone is facing the winter blahs… and its nice to have one day to look forward to.  The kids have school parties and we get to bake for the kids or send them to school with some treats…. What do you do as a family?

Since I was a teenager, my boyfriend at the time (now husband) use to take me to Pizza Hut… not just any Pizza Hut, but a Pizza Hut that was in his home town… back then it was a small rural farm town…. but it was always a great night… go on a drive, look at the stars and end it with some yummy pizza.  We have done this every year since then.  When our kids were very young, we stopped, I guess because they wouldn’t be able to stay awake (they are bed every night at 7pm).  Last year, we asked them to join us.  Yes, a new family tradition was born!  We drove to the same Pizza Hut…. horrible service drove us right out of there and took us straight to McDonald’s! The kids were in heaven!  This ofcourse put a smile on our faces.  This is the fanciest McDonald’s I have ever been to… it had 4 fireplaces, circular booths, granites tables, LCD TVs…  This year, I think we will try Pizza Hut again, but what I look forward to isn’t the romance, it is spending Valentine’s day with all those I love the most!

Even though hiring a babysitter and going out for the night / weekend is a real treat, you can also have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the kids…. or better yet, save the babysitter and romantic getaway for the following weekend….

If you have any traditions or special ideas for Valentines day, feel free to share them…

If you know when you will be going out to a party, dinner or just while you have to finish some shopping … book your babysitter now or you might just miss out! On MyBabysitter.com we have hundreds of local sitters that are available and waiting for some babysitting jobs!

At MyBabysitter.com we have clients that ask us about lots of different things from Interview questions to ideas to entertain the kids. One of our strongest and basic suggestions that we tell everyone is that you should conduct a full interview and meet with your sitter ahead of time. Perhaps even have a trial run while you are home, before your big night out. When I hire a new sitter, I like to give my kids a “Fun Bag” The “Fun Bag” is a great idea for when you have a new sitter because when your child shows all the fun things in the bag to the sitter, they are breaking the ice and getting to know each other.

It is a bag filled with toys, activities and other entertaining items. These items do not have to be expensive but they will require some thought and creativity.

In a gift bag, back pack or even a reusable grocery store bag, I put in things they will need for the night. I put in their Pj’s so they know what to wear for bed. Along with some activity books with pencil crayons and pencils, a new story book, deck of cards, a few items for a craft, if need be a movie and a cuddly toy… so as you can see it is mostly things that we already have at home, but kids love to have them in their own bag to trot around with. Perhaps you can even throw in a treat for if they are good. Babysitters love these bags, because they don’t have to look for everything, it’s all there. It gives them everything they will need for the night including toys… of course, you should still let them know where things are around the house, this just makes it a little easier for them.

Other things to make sure you have ready are:

Important Numbers. This should be a list of your cell phone numbers, emergency backups (family or friends), neighbours, local police, after hour’s clinic or doctor’s office. Many of our clients also keep a list of rules for your home. This can be a list of do’s and don’ts for the sitter, for the children, and also let your babysitter know when you can be expected to return home.

After all that is done, go out and enjoy yourself!

For the rest of this year, with every membership purchased on MyBabysitter.com if you mention Life with Kids, we will mail you a re-usable ‘Important Numbers’ and ‘Rules of My Home’ list to keep handy for your babysitter.

Online scams are becoming more popular day by day. Not only in the Babysitting community but all the www from identity theft to fraudulent bank accounts.

These common nanny scams have popped up in various places in the online babysitting community, we thought that today we would make our users aware of the scams. The names and email address are often changing, but once you have read a few you will see they all sound similar.

If you receive any of these types of emails, please notify MyBabysitter.com at admin@mybabysitter.com so that we may take necessary action as well as keep our sitters informed. Not all of these scams have happened on MyBabysitter, as a matter of fact most of them have not, we have simply put together popular scams to help you recognize the patterns.

TIPS:

1. MyBabysitter.com does not allow international users. We have systems in place that block IP’s outside of North America, so if you receive an email from someone from overseas, chances are, it is a scam.

2. If a parent asks you to prepay for gifts or parcels etc. They are trying to access your bank account information or are trying to have you send them ash, this is a scam.

3. If the salary, seems overly generous, it is more than likely leading to be a scam.

4. Sitters: please be cautious of online scams. There are thousands out there. If you are nervous or scared or please have your parent come to an interview with you. This is something that we recommend to all sitters and not just young ones. Parents will not think badlly of this, if anything, they will be happy that you come from a loving family.

5. Scammers often mention that they are coming from or going to the UK, Africa and Australia…. this does not eliminate other parts of the world however.

———————————-SCAM 1———————————–

My name is Mrs Ashley Jones. My husband Collins is a Captain of a cruise ship and I have a daughter Angela.We are presently on my husbands ship on a vacation and will not be back untill 3weeks time. We live in a big apartment and I am in need of a babbysitter who would also help me out with buying groceries. We are willing to pay $19 per hour and I would like to know the hours you would be available. I am willing to provide a Toyata Camry for you to ease any transportation problems.

1) What academic qualifications do you possess?
2) Do you have any relevant certificate to back up your babysitting/Nanny career?
3) How old are you?
4) Are you married?
5) Do you have any special attitude?
6) Do you have any crime records?
7) Do you have a valid driver’s license?
Tell us more about your temperament .
9) Can we have one or two reference(s) from you?
10)Can you handle money if you are given an assignment to carry out?
11) Is your husband/boyfriend/parent in support of you doing this job?

Let me know if you will available for the work offer.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Mrs Jones

———————————-SCAM 2———————————–

Hello,
My name is Mrs Stacy Smith wife to Captain John Smith. I am presently on vacation with my family and will be back in a month’s time. I have a cute 2 year old daughter called Kathy who i need to be attended to after we come back from our vacation. I would like to put things in place so that you could start up immediately; we arrive because her former nanny will not be available again.

You will be required to work within the hours of 9am-3pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and occasionally on weekends. If you choose to take care of my child i will provide you with a car to use, your personal room if you wish to stay or spend the night.

Now a little about us, I own a fashion boutique back home and my husband is the captain of a cruiser ship which enables us to travel to different continents on vacations, we live a very simple life and we have a big apartment, though its just three of us in the house, hope you can join us on a trip someday as our last nanny did, we are willing to pay $100(one hundred dollars) upfront (non-refundable in case we change our mind) to show you how serious we need you.

Please get back to us with your resume and references o.k., (your house address and your telephone number inclusive). Illl be expecting your response please do have a splendid day.

Please get back to me .

Mr / Mrs Smith

———————————-SCAM 3———————————–

How are you doing today? Thank you for your response to my add.

Hope you are had a great weekend.Let me start by intorducing myself

My name is Rio Ferdinand,I am 30 years old and i am a single parent,I lost my wife about 2 months ago like i said in my add in the babysitter site,I have a son named Iyke and he is a year old.My mother has been taking care of Iyke since then in London ,UK where she resides and she is going away on an appointment for a long while thats why i need a baby sitter between these periods,As i am bringing Iyke back with me,I have gone through your ,Profile and resume and i think you are perfect for sitting Iyke,Also what are your rates?I would like you to work from Monday - Friday either in the mornings or evenings. In the Mornings From 8.30 am- 6 pm or in the evenings from 6 till 10.Weekends are optional so if you choose to work on Weekends you are to start by 10 am till 5pm.I would pay $14/hour If the times are okay by you do let me know if they are not do let me know a favourable working time by you,So we can work something out.So do let me know what your rates are so we can proceede ,I want you to start working asap okay.I live at 882 Barnett St NE Atlanta GA 30306

I am out of town in London,UK on a business assignment and i would arrive in the next couple of days.I would like to hear from you shortly.Heres my number also its a satelite telephone so you can reach me anytime 0112348028297715.You would need to have an international dialling access or you can use a calling card I would like you to start asap,So please i would be expecting to get a message from you shortly.

.So we can start of asap Thank you and see you soon. Do have a great day and stay blessed.

Rio

———————————-SCAM 4———————————–

Hello nanny/babysitter, my name is sarah tina martins.I am located In london.I have 2 kids,a male and a female and their ages are 2 and 4yrs old.I am relocating permanently to New Jersey based on my family business that is really booming out there and my arrival date is april 15.After a serious discussion with my family concerning a proper care for my children,because I am divorced,So I’ve finally decided to search for a good and responsible nanny/babysitter.Below are the offers

We will be offering weekly,
1) Monday through Friday, from 11.30am - 5:00pm.
And the weekly pay: $960

I will be responsible for your transportation which in exclusive of your weekly salary regardless of the distance.Please calculate the total transportation cost per week from your pl ace to our residence if you prefer to live out and furnish me with the cost so we can add it to your basic weekly salary.We strongly searching for someone of well mannered attitudes, neatness and good sense of relationship.If you are interested in this offer, please answer all the questions below so i can have a brief idea of your personality:

1) What academic qualifications do you possess?
2) Do you have any relevant certificate to back up your babysitting/Nanny career?
3) How old are you?
4) Are you married?
5) Do you have any special attitude?
6) Do you have any crime records?
Tell us more about your temperament .
9) Can we have one or two reference(s) from you?
10) Is your husband/boyfriend/parent in support of you doing this job?

Let me know if you will available for the work offer. If you have any questions as regards this offer,feel free to get in touch.I await a response at your earliest convenience.

———————————-SCAM 5———————————–

Hi Babysitter,

I am Kristin Gundy,i’m a film producer/co-ordinator.I am presently in Australia on a film project.I will be coming back to the states soon on work related matters with my 4years old daughter name Vera. I need a babysitter. She is a good girl,she traveled with her father to Benin Republic when im on work here in Australia.

Her father is very busy this season and my daughter has signified great interest in visiting the US with me.I believe you will like her because she is very lively,friendly and intelligent.I intend to stay in the US for 2 months. During this period she would remain with someone(babysitter) from 9am to 4pm when im off set(work)i’ll come pick her up.Let me know if you are interested and dont fail to commicate to me what your charges are for the duration at which you would be babysitting her.Hope to read from you. Have a blessed day

Kristin

———————————-SCAM 6———————————–

How are you doing, i am Mrs helen cage, i and my 2 kids (a boy and a girl) their ages are 3years and 5years old respectively will be moving to the STATES(Florida) from France.I am due to be in the state in a few Weeks from now and for the next one(1)years for my vacation ,and official appointment.I am coming with my 2 kids ,and i need a nanny to take care of them,because i dont have anybody to be with them.so if available Kindly get back to me ASAP, so we could make arrangement , will be waiting to read form you soon…

Regards
Mrs. Dan Cage

———————————-SCAM 7———————————–

Good Day, I got your info at xyz.com I am Kimmy, I work as an Interior Decorator,I am 28yrs old, i lost my Husband 2 months after i gave birth to this child. I I have a project which i need to do Decorating of office and hotel for my client and i have a baby of 6month. His name is Richard,i will be leaving for my trip soon as i see someone to take care of the baby for me, till i come back..Get back to the full details about how you render service out to customer. What do you want to know from me about Richard? Looking forward to read from you.My email address: khush006@gmail.com Have a lovely day. Kimmy.

———————————-SCAM 8———————————–

My name is Mrs rossy mark wife to Captain Richard mark who work on board the Royal carribean cruiser.We are located in California for now. I am presently on vacation with my family and will be back in a months time. I have a cute 2 years old daugther called Diane who I need to be attended to after we come back from our vacation. I would like to put things in place so that you could start up immediately we arrive because her former nanny will not be available again.

You will be required to work within the hours of 9am-3pm on Monday,Tuesday and thursday and occasionally on weekends. If you choose to take care of my child I will provide you with a car to use, your personal room if you wish to stay or spend the night.

Now a little about us,I own a fashion boutique back home and my husband is the captain of a cruiser ship which enables us to travel to different continents on vacations,we live a very simple life and we have a big apartment with 8 rooms though its just three of us in the house,hope you can join us on a trip someday as our last nanny did,we are willing to pay $100(one hundred US dollars) upfront (non-refundable in case we change our mind) to show you how serious we need you.

Please get back to us with your resume,references,telephone number and address o.k, I’ll be expecting your response please do have a splendid day.

Mr/Mrs rossy mark.

———————————-SCAM 9———————————–

Hello,

How are you doing??? i saw your advert on a nanny site and decided to know if you were avialable ,my name is PAUL WALTERS, i have an adopted daughter her name is Laura she is 2yrs we both are out of the country for a family reunion ,and i really need a sitter for Laura when we return back home okay,

Please do let me know if you are available,if so do send down your resume and references to my personal mailbox at

EMAIL:paulwalters_07@yahoo.com.

I’ll be expecting your response please do have a splendid day.

Best Regards,

Mr Paul Walters

———————————-SCAM 10———————————–

Hello, How are you doing today. My names Andy King .I saw your add on sitter city and i decided to reply . I am looking for a sitter .So if you are qualifiedl please get back to me on andy_king20007@yahoo.co.uk Thank you and stay blessed. Andy

———————————-SCAM 11———————————–

MY NAME IS SYTIA BRIGHT.I AM INTERESTED IN YOU AS A BABY SITTER AND AM GLAD YOU INTERESTED IN ME TOO.MY DAUGHTER’S NAME IS JULIAN. I WOULUD LIKE YOU TO TAKE CARE OF HER WHILE I AM AT WORK IN YOUR LOCATION.I USE TO STAY IN WEST AFRICA, BUT I AM MOVING TO YOUR LOCATION BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE A CONTRACT WITH ISSEY MIYAKE THERE. I WORK AS A MODEL AND THE CONTRACT WILL BE FOR 4 WEEKS.I WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF HER WHILE I AM AT WORK. I GO TO WORK 10 AM AND I GET BACK 4 PM. I WILL LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF HER IN YOUR DAY CARE CENTRE OR THE HOTEL ROOM WHERE I WILL BE LODGING, I AM COMFORTABLE WITH ANY OF THE WAYS.MY DAUGHTER (JULIAN) IS 2 YEARS OLD, I WILL SEND YOU SOME PIX OF ME AND HER AS SOON AS EVERY THIING HAS BEEN CONSIDER A DEAL I WILL LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CHARGE TO TAKE CARE OF JULIAN FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE TIME I NEED YOUR SERVICE FOR IS 10 AM TO 4 PM.GET BACK TO ME WITH THE AMOUNT AND I WILL BE GLAD TO UPDATE YOU AND MAKE THE PAYMENT IN ADVANCE TO SHOW YOU HOW SERIOUS I AM.

SYTIA.

———————————-SCAM 12———————————–

Hi,

My name is Randy Brown and my wife name is Jennie Brown, from Malaysia. I got your contact through xyz.comI choose to talk to you because we are relocating to New York and your location is very close to our house.  We will be relocating to United State on the 15th of November 2009, we need someone who can start working with our family on 15th of November 2009, because we’re going to get very busy when we arrive, that is why we need someone to be in charge of our child.

The name of our child is Maria, 5 years and about 3 months old.

We need someone during the week (Monday to Friday) and another person on weekend (Saturday and Sunday), We will need someone as well for (Wednesday from to Friday evening, 4pm to 7pm) you will be resuming work by 8am and close by 3:30pm from Monday to Friday. On weekend, Saturday you will resume work by 8am to 3:30pm, but on Sunday you will resume by 11am to 3:30pm, because we will be going to church together with her. The third offer is from 4pm to 7pm. Our offer for Monday to Friday is $600.00 and for weekend is $300.00, and the Wednesday to Friday evening is $300.00 as well.

Just choose the one that pleases you or let me know if you can do both, which will be seven days all together in a week, and your money will be added together for you.

Contact me back if you are interested in any of the positions.

Thanks.

———————————-SCAM 13———————————–

Greetings! My name is Boby Maxwell and my wife name is Bridget Maxwell, both of us are living here in China with our Children, but we are from Belgium by origin and we have Female Twins kids and the ages of the kids are 4years 2 Months, we are relocating to USA based on my wine sales in USA, because I’m a wine supplier and we are having more demand in USA, so we decided to relocate to USA finally by 30th of    November 2006. I had a discussion with my friend in United States concerning a proper care for our children and he promised to help me search for a nanny email address on Mybabysitter wed site, so that is how I got your contact. The House address we are moving to is below: 106 Alexander Cir Columbia, SC 29206 We two offer in a week, you can see them below: 1) Monday to Friday, from 8am in the morning to 4pm in the afternoon. —————- PRICE $700.00 2) Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 4pm. ——————-PRICE $350.00USD We are ready to furnish a room for your if you like living with us. Don’t worry if you are far, because we ready to will calculate your transportation and will be paying you alongside your salary, please calculate the total transportation from your end to our resident address and furnish me with the price in a week so we can calculate it with your choice in our 2 offers, so your transportation in a week with your salary will be paying to you together at the end of every week. This offer is for someone of well mannered attitudes, neatness and good sense of relationship, so if you are interested in this offer, please answer all my questions below: 1) What are your academics qualifications? 2) Do you have certificate to back up you babysitting/Nanny Career? 3) How old are you? 4) Are you married? 5) Do you have any special attitude? 6) Do you have any crime records? 7) Do you have a valid driver’s license? Tell us more about your temperament. 9) What is your origination country? And let me know since when have you been in USA? 10) You must present at list 2 referee/guarantor? Let me know if you available for the work offer, and if you have any questions about this offer please contact me through my email address, I will reply upon receipt of your email as my communication network is usually busy. Await your response at the earliest convenient; you can also call me on 011861060899829 for any question. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPIIMbG9R4w

It is a funny commercial, but I am not so sure I would call it THE most wonderful time of the year.  The past weekend my daughter turned 6.  She has a loose tooth with her adult tooth already out behind it!  It is exciting - but 6 years!!  Wow, where did the time go?  She is in grade 1 this year… 6 years old and in grade one… wow…   my little precious baby boy, is now starting JK!  But the cutest thing is he doesn’t want to go to school… although he is already going to a pre-school part time he still wants to “Stay at home with Mommy forever!!”  Aww, he makes my heart melt…. but the commercial makes me laugh…

Back to school to me is a bittersweet time of year.  It is a time to reflect on how big the kids are getting and all the things they can do and yet a time to think about their future and all the things they will be able to do!  It is exciting but it is also sad.    I will be starting to work more since the kids will be at school more… and many of the moms in our neighborhood will also be joining the workforce this year as well.  Which brings me to ‘back to school child care’.  There is one week left to school, many of the moms I  know have made arrangements but others have not.  There are plenty of options.

Some are lucky enough to have grandparents near by that will help tend to the kids before and after school.  If the grandparents are in good health and are able to do this, it really is the best option.  First of all, in today’s society, it is the least expensive way.  But more importantly, a grandparents love is never ending.  It is warm and bold and what more could a child ask for than a big warm hug and a nice snack waiting for you with a grandma’s warm smile after school?

Another option that may work is an after school program.  Many schools, have clubs that kids can join or extra curricular activities that are run in conjunction with the schools.  Our local school for example has a karate school that picks kids up after school.  So after school they are picked up, they get a snack and then they have their karate lesson.  Parents them pick them up from the Karate school and continue on with their evening. This is a great solution, as kids are safe, with an adult, they are keeping active and are not getting into any mischief.

Many parents also choose a before and after care solution.  This is usually run by mothers in the neighbourhood, that either love kids or are looking for a little bit of income or a bit of both.  This is also a great solution if you find the right home.  Things to look for in a before and after care home are:

How clean is the home?

What type of snacks are provided?

What activites will be hosted?

What are the mother’s rules?

Will they be going out on short excursions?

How many other kids will be there?  What are their ages?

If you opt for this solution, do not be shy to take a tour of the home, ask other parents that have children in her care and at the end of it, use your judgement and talk to your child about how he / she liked it when you pick them up.

Another option is to find a tween or teenager to come home with your child after school.  You can ask them to pick them up from school, walk them home, prepare a snack, do some homework with them and perhaps a few board games until you are home.  You can find these types of sitters by asking the counsellors at schools, asking friends and family, at church, online sitting services.

Which ever option you choose, try an call your child after school.  Take out 5 minutes and have a small chat, see how their day was and make sure they are happy and safe.

The MyBabysitter.com Team wishes everyone a happy and safe 2009/2010 school year!

We have just returned from a family vacation.  As my laundry is finishing up, the kids are napping (the late nights from vacation are reflecting in their moods) and I am drinking my first cup of tea of the day (usually this happens are 7:30am, today it is at 2pm - YIKES!) I thought it is a nice quiet time to catch up on my blog!

So, for those who are thinking of a family vacation… is it OK to take along a nanny?  Will the kids think that we don’t want to spend time with them?  Are we bad parents for wanting to enjoy some adult time on a family trip?

After we got married (I call this my previous life - without kids!)  We lived in Kenya for 4 years.  In Kenya, the standard for many families was to have live in nannies.  The cost of a typical nanny in Kenya is about $100 CAD/month.  Many families have one nanny per child, and some just have one.  It was expected that when they go on vacation the nanny will come, unless the nanny refused.  Of course their costs were covered and they would be expected to do all their normal duties with their children.  At the time, not having my own kids, I found this a bit weird BUT now, that I am a mother of two and I barely get to speak to my darling husband without being interrupted, I would jump at any opportunity to take a nanny or sitter along with me.

I would think that parents would like have someone to take care of their kids in the evening so they can enjoy a little night life themselves, but money aside, would wonder if their children would feel neglected?  Well, after doing a bit of research on this… most kids actually like hanging out with the sitter more than their parents… if you think about this it makes sense… not as many rules, not as many stern looks, a younger, hipper person to hang out with!

Although as parents we think it’s a great opportunity for your babysitter or nanny to vacation with you… but you have to keep in mind, for her, it is work.  She must be paid accordingly.  She may not request to be paid while she is sleeping, but her transport, food, and entertainment must be paid for.  It is the same situation as you traveling for business; it’s simply not worth it if you are not being paid for your expenses.

Even though you are there during the day or the nanny is accompanying the family on an excursion, the children may behave differently than they do at home.  Their schedules have changed, they may be jet lagged and full of sugar (that’s always a great combination!) but all in all, if you have taken a nanny with you, she is the one who has to help make the situation more pleasant.  She can either help you or distract the children, whatever she decides as long as she is making it better.  Having a nanny alongside you will also allow you to have special time with one child, while the other is being entertained and then the next day you can have special time with the other child. If you have an older child and a baby, the nanny will be able to be with the baby during his/her nap while you are out and about.

If you are thinking about taking a nanny along with you on vacation, it is important to have guidelines and expectations written down and ready for her prior to your departure.  Some of the things to think about are:

• How much time will the nanny be expected to spend with the children each day and each night?

• Will the nanny sleep in the same room as the children?

• Is the nanny going to be paid her regular salary, or should she expect to be paid more for more time with the children?

• Will the nanny have specific time off duty each day?

• Are the parents going to pay for all the expenses of the nanny, including transportation, hotel or rental accommodation, all eating and entertainment expenses?

When money is an issue, maybe you can work out a deal with a grandparent or a niece or nephew to join you… but it is ALWAYS nice and important to have some quiet quality time with your spouse… and yes, you can enjoy each other in your family room while you watch TV, but no one can deny that it is different when you are on holiday enjoying different surroundings, instead of at home, thinking about work and bills…

All in all, I do not think that your kids will feel neglected if you take a nanny along on a family vacation.  She is supposed to be there to create more memories, add some fun and creativity to the mix and also to help the parents relax… and everyone knows the best kind of parent to have is a well rested, relaxed one!

As the summer is already half way over, if you are taking a trip, with our without a sitter, ENJOY yourselves and be safe!

The first thing you should do is write down what it is you are looking for in a sitter.   The second thing is write down what the sitter will be required to do.  Everyone wants their babysitters to do different things and everyone’s criteria is different. Consulting a friend on this, may give you some ideas, but really it is personal and should be customized to your family’s needs.

Here are a few points to consider.

What to look for in a sitter?

Are appearances important? How important is hygiene - does he / she wash hands frequently etc?

How many years experience do you require?  What age group has the sitter worked with before?

If the sitter is going to be babysitting a lot, you may want to consider if their religious beliefs will blend with yours.

Is their an education requirement for your sitter?  Finished high school?  ECE?  Montessori?

Does your child have allergies, is the sitter able to use and EPI pen or does he/she have CPR?

What is the sitter required to do?

Will you be home when the sitter is babysitting?

Will he/she be required to do dishes, laundry, clean etc?

If your kids are asleep when the sitters comes over at night or still take a nap in the day, what to you want the sitter to do?

Is the sitter allowed to use the telephone / Internet?

These questions are just to help you get started, there maybe many more going through you mind… go ahead and ask your sitter! It is the only way to know the answer!

These day’s there are many ways to find a good sitter.  You can post an ad in the classifieds, ask around the neighborhood or at work, you can often ask your neighborhood school / high school.  You can also put up ads on Craigslist or consult an on line sitting service.  You can ask people at church or check the grocery store bulletin.  All these methods are OK as long as you know what you are looking for.  Do your research. Interview more than one sitter, check a few of their references and perhaps even a few times, ask the sitter to come home when you are home at first, so that you can see how the kids and sitter interact with one another.  If you do all your homework, you will find a GREAT sitter!  If you watch them play together or when your children are excited that he babysitter is coming over you will know you picked the right babysitter!

It was a weekday, so of course, like many families dad was at work.  If I have not mentioned this before, my husband is a workaholic.  We do love to spend time together on weekends, however, sometimes it simply can not not happen.   By any means, I am not complaining, he provides us with a great life and we love him dearly, but over the years, we have learnt that if daddy can not make it - it is OK there is no need to cry, just because Mommy is a clean freak maniac at home, it does not mean that she can not be fun sometimes too!

It seems that I have two sets of friends.  I like them all…but I have the ones that will not venture out with their two kids without either a husband, grandma or nanny in tow.  What are they missing out on -  special memories with mom!  The other set of friends, are hardworking mothers - some work part time and some don’t, we all take care of our houses and kids and we all have husbands in IT that (LOL) live in an IT-based world.  Nothing in an IT world can wait.  Every disaster happens in real time and needs immediate attention. So, often us moms, will do something with the kids so that they are busy and entertained… and not complaining at home…

So, getting back to my story, we went to a farm on this beautiful Friday picking strawberries.  My husband grew up on the neighbouring property which was also a farm… so before getting there we stopped at his old house and took a quick look around.  Then off we went strawberry picking. My husband loves strawberries and cream.  So, even though he was not a part of it, I made him a big part of it in another way.  We only picked the shiny dark red strawberries that Daddy would like.  Both kids would show me the strawberry they would pick.  At first they would ask “Will Daddy like this one?”  By the end they were singing songs about how Daddy will like his strawberries!  We talked about how we will coat them in sugar and pour lots of cream on them and then Daddy would love eating them.  After we went strawberry picking we went on a wagon ride, played in a massive sandbox, looked at the animal and many other things… but when they came home, all they wanted to do was give Daddy his strawberries!  My Mission was accomplished!

We all have our rituals and routines, and no matter what, children will always have fond memories of their child hood.  It is however, our responsibilty to make the little things count.  To make sure when they look back they can remember things we would never thought are important.  I can remember things from my childhood that my mother probably doesn’t even know… the slight scent of perfume she would put on after her bath, her tucking me in every night (she stopped this the night before I was married and moved out!) and the sound of her bangles after being in mosque (I would frequently play and then lose my mom, but the sound her bangles would make would help me find her when I was close), skipping home from school….  I can go on for a long time!

With our kids, we do some silly things…

My husband is famous for his cow kisses  (a cow kiss is when you lick cheeks) This is personally not for me… I much prefer  a Mumo (My daughter used to call Mickey Mouse ‘Mumo’) this is a nose to nose kiss my daughter likes Horse kisses, where she will give you a kiss and then Neigh like a horse…. my son only likes to recieve kisses, and will only really give you one if there is a Sweety Treaty in your hand:)

About 3 times in a week, have a picnic in our family room.  We do this for a weekday lunch or Sunday dinner.

We also hang out in Mommy and Daddy’s bed before tuck in at bed time.  We cuddle and read stories before giving the children their one on one time.  Before we tuck them in we always say a prayer and ask them what their favorite part of the day was.

In the summer, every Saturday morning, we let Daddy sleep in, sleep is something he does not often get! So, we pack up a breakfast to go and look for garage sales.  We listen to The Wiggles, “super duper loud” and the kids scream when they see a garage sale sign and then we go and search for treasure… they often get a toy that they really do not need, but it’s all part of the fun!

I know lots of people that scrapbook or play sports… these are just a few unique ways of creating a small touch of warmth when you are together!

So, now, please stop reading this blog (for now) and go out there and make some memories of your own!

I was trying to arrange a dinner out with some friends this weekend, only to find out, all of them are heading up to their cottages for the weekend.  Summer has officially begun!    Whether you are travelling by train, plane or automobile when you are travelling with kids you need a survival kit.  Each child that is travelling will be a little more entertained if you allow them a small package (shoe box sized) with coloring books, crayons / markers,word searches, activity books and a few toy cars and barbie dolls never hurt either.  IF they have a special toy, as my daughter has her “blankie” and my son has his “monkey” let them carry it, just let them know that if they get lost, they will have to sleep with out them for the whole trip.  This will probably make them glue these toys to themselves… but it might just help them dose off a little and give you a couple of hours without having to hear “Are we there yet?”  Portable DVD players and various Nintendo devices have become popular when travelling… there are also Story Cd’s and Game Cd’s that you can listen to when you are tired of hearing music.     Have the kids play some Imagination games or you can print out important facts about the destination and make a quiz out of it.  The more ways you can think of to entertain your kids while arriving to your destination the easier it will be.

Make sure you have lots of snacks, drinks to last you to your destination.  Be sure to pack a small garbage bag for easy car clean up,a first aid kit, hand sanitizer and a tide pen - they always come in handy!

Once you arrive, everyone is looking forward to having an adventure and seeing new things.   The most important things of all are to create lots of memories, share some smiles and be safe.

Have a wonderful summer!

PS.  If you have any summer travel tips, we would also love to hear them…