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“Mommy, can we have a pway date with Ewica?” your three year old asks, one morning. “Sure, honey, let me check in with Erica’s mommy, okay?” Erica’s parents work outside the home and have a nanny, so Erica’s mom suggests that you talk to the nanny, Matilda, directly to set up a play date. Just like at […]

The start of school is right around the corner and it’s time to start gearing up for it. One of the things you can always do, to prepare your kids for school and for life, is to help them to develop their reading skills!   Share these ideas with your caregivers: they can help with […]

By Chris Farley Ratcliffe I was a babysitter for many years in my youth. I was the oldest kid in my group in the neighbourhood. At 12 years old I started babysitting the younger kids. It was sometimes an awkward situation since some of them were my friends. I babysat for about five years. Less […]

Most parents know intuitively that teaching their kids to be respectful of adults, including Nanny, is an important part of parenting. But have they ever thought about why it is so important and why it is particularly important to get this right with Nanny? What is being respectful? When you have respect for someone you […]

Hot! Hot! Hot! We spend months bemoaning the cold and dreaming of warmer days. Be careful what you wish for because it can get really hot at the height of summer! If your family is feeling the effects of the blistering sun, try some of these fun ways to beat the summer heat: Running through […]

It’s summer and the kids want to be outside enjoying the sun. Gosh, those wonderful days of summer as a kid. Simply awesome! That is until someone gets burnt! But sunburns – which can bring tears and pain and long-term damage – are avoidable. Here are some tips for Moms and Dads and Nannies and […]

Whether you are hiring a new Nanny or have had a Nanny for a while now, you need to ask yourself honestly if you have been clear about Nanny’s responsibilities. And if you think you do not need to do this because things are going so smoothly, think again. Why? For three reasons: Over time, […]

By Natalia McPhedran Ever have a show-off in your house? Has your child ever had a friend over who hogs all their decisions and decides what they’re going to play, and you wish you could stomp over and tell him that he’s not the boss? (I know you have) Let’s talk attitudes— shall we? While […]

Keeping up with the kids during the summer months can be exhausting! Not just because they are home from school, constantly under foot but also because they have so much energy to burn. Babysitters can be a great way to give you a break but can also be a big part of making summer as […]

Kids don’t come with a manual. Well – that is not exactly true. Search for books on “parenting” on amazon.ca and you will find many manuals. Overly 100,000 actually! But any new Mom (or Dad) who has tried to get through a pile of ‘how to guides’ before the new little one arrives will tell […]

  Encouraging meaningful mealtime conversations with your children is a valuable means to nurture their curiosity and stimulate critical thinking. To introduce an educational dimension to your dining interactions, we’ve assembled a collection of true or false science questions tailored for young minds. These questions not only present an engaging challenge but also cultivate an […]

Rain, rain, go away; come again another day….Remember chanting that as a kid in a futile attempt to bring back the sun and get outside to play? Your parents likely remember it well, particularly as it was often followed by “Mom, I’m bored!” Well, we believe you can easily turn rainy days into fun days. […]