4 signs of Kindergarten Readiness

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Children have their own time table for development.   One child may be speaking in full and fluid sentences before she is 2 while another child does not have much to say until after three.  There is nothing wrong with either of those situations.  However parents want their child to be ready for the challenges that school will bring.  There may be a number of standards your desired school requires each child entering Kindergarten but there are other criteria that are equally important for your child to achieve before she hits this big milestone.

• Socially
• Physically
• Emotionally
• Mentally 

Please visit gonannies.com to view the ways in which you will know if your child is ready.  

Many parents today push their children to be ready for Kindergarten.  They often think that a child should be reading, writing and doing math even before they enter the building.  However, Kindergarten is the place your child will learn to do those things.  It is more important to give your child the foundations of achievement in the form of social, physical, emotional and mental readiness.  With these foundations your child will be on the right track to succeed in school for years to come.  

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8 ways to help a new nursing mom return to work

By Marcia Hall

With Yael Stein of La Leche League, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

It is very difficult for a new mom to return to work when her maternally leave is over.  There is a great mix of emotions.  On one hand she might be enthusiastic about returning to a job that she loves and excited to be able to get out of the house again.  On the other hand she almost always feels guilty about leaving her child with anyone even if it is someone that she trusts emphatically. 

There is a maternal instinct that kicks in and cannot be denied.  This guilt is compounded when she is making choices about feeding and breast milk.  It can often be very difficult for a mom to continue to offer breast milk when she goes back to work.  Caregivers that are helping to support her can make it easier for mom to make the choice to continue to nurse and offer breast milk to her baby. 

• Learn the benefits of extended use of breast milk
• Research the storage guidelines of breast milk.  
• Suggest that the hours of work are extended a bit.
• Offer to bring baby to workplace during the day for feeding. 
• Avoid feeding the baby within two hours of mom returning home 
• Find alternative ways to soothe baby without bottle.  
• Ask the mom if you can wear the baby in a sling or a wrap. 
• Be flexible with the introduction of mom’s working schedule 

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4 reasons to let your toddler help around the house

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

You child will naturally want to help you do things around the house.  At times this insistence can be seen like a nuisance because it is generally easier and quicker to do the job by yourself than to have little and clumsy hands help.  However, there are a lot of reasons we should encourage them to help us. 

• It builds independence
• It creates connection
• It develops a great work ethic
• It develops positive self-esteem

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How to Stop a Child from Being Bossy

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Children have specific personality traits.  Some are shy by nature and some are outgoing.  There are children with natural leadership abilities while others find more joy in going along with the crowd.  Some children seem to never be able to sit still or quiet for longer than 10 seconds (if that) while others could play silently with toys for hours without trouble.  With each of these traits there are benefits and challenges for parents to overcome.  Few of the challenges are more frustrating than working with a child that is “bossy” however there are ways to redirect that challenging behavior to something positive.

• Get rid of the negative assumptions about bossy children.  
• Model directives that are kind.  
• Choose when you ask vs. request wisely. 
• Do not always let the child get her way.  
• Avoid making older siblings your “eyes” for their younger siblings.  Ignore tattling.  
• Give her more control over herself.

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4 Ways to Help Your Child Overcome His Fears

By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

Fear is a primal emotion and essential for survival.  Children fear things because they are small people in a very big world that they understand very little of.  It is natural and normal for them to be cautious of new and unknown things.  However, for some children, fear is a serious problem that gets in the way of their normal growth; emotionally, academically and socially.  Parents who want to teach their children to trust their instincts so they will stay safe but also learn to take chances in life can follow these 4 simple steps. 

• Don’t minimize or brush off their fears as not real.  
• Validate the concern that is behind the fear.  
• Encourage the reasoning skills that have brought the child to the conclusion she has reached.  
• Find one new thing to do a week together that is a little scary for you or your child.  

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3 Activities That Build Character in Kids

By Maricia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

One goal that most parents have for their child is to help him grow to have a good character and help people.  A child will learn to have respect and compassion for people from the those he sees around him when he is young.  The activities the child is involved in during the early years of his life will also help to shape these practices.  Here are a few that will help to build that integrity. 

  

Visit a retirement home

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5 Great Family Activities

 By Marcia Hall - gonannies.com nanny expert

One barrier to parents scheduling family time with the kids is that they have no clue what to do.  Parents end up choosing the same activity over and over again.  Which is not altogether bad, but here are a few standard family time activities with a little twist to get you considering ways to invigorate family time. 

• Movie night at home with a projector. 
• Read a chapter book together. 
• Go camping in your back yard.  
• Do a scavenger hunt around your city.  
• Surprise the kids late at night and take them star gazing.  

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