Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Archive for September, 2010

Finding the right babysitter can be a time-consuming process; when you’ve found her, hold on to her.  Paying her a fair wage is essential in ensuring she’s willing and able to come and sit for you.  But what is a fair wage?  Do you take into account the age of the babysitter?  Do you pay per child?  Do you pay more or less for older children?  How much do you pay for overnights or extended periods?  What if your kid is just hard to handle?  Let’s answer some of your questions so you’re prepared for the next time.

If you have found a babysitter from a site like Sitters.com or SitterCity.com, there is a good chance that her rates are posted.  She may charge $8 per hour during the day, $12 an hour after 8:00pm, and $15 an hour for holidays.  Or she may charge $200 for a weekend.  Whatever the case, it is a straightforward process because this is a professional service.

But what if you are paying your neighbor to watch your baby or a teenager from your church to watch your three kids?  What if your babysitter doesn’t have set rates?  Every area will have different rates, so it is a good idea to ask other parents in the neighborhood what they pay their babysitter.  Ask a few people, and this will give you a good idea of the going rate.  In general, though, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $15 per hour.

You can use SitterCity’s rate calculator to help you decide.  You simply enter in your zip code, the number of children you need to be watched, the preferred age of the sitter, and her years of experience.  If, for instance, you live in the 22801 area code (Harrisonburg, Virginia), have two children, and want a babysitter age 18 to 21 with under three years of experience, you will find the average cost is $10.75 per hour.

The rates, of course, depend on your child or children, their ages, their level of need, what baby accessories they'll deal with, how much you want the babysitter to do (dinner, baby bath time, bedtime or just supervising play time?)  Here are some factors that influence pay:

• Experience. An experience daycare provider may charge $20 or more per hour for her services.  A 16 year who is starting her first job can be had for $7 to $9 an hour.  Typically, those with over five years of experience can expect to earn at least $2 to $3 per hour more.
• The number of children. Add $1 to $2 for each additional child.
• Age of the children. If the sitter will be caring for a baby, add another $1 or $2 per hour because it is a more labor-intensive job.
• What you are asking her to do. Do you want her to pick them up from school, drop them at soccer practice, bring them home, and fix them dinner?  Do you want her to come over after supper to play with the kids and then put them to bed?  The rates will be different.  For extra duties, like driving the children, fixing dinner, bathing, or helping with homework, you can add on $1 to $2 per hour.
• Holidays or last-minute calls. If you are going out for New Year’s Eve, you’re asking your babysitter to stay in.  Expect to pay time and a half, at least, for the evening. If you call and want the babysitter to come in quickly, you should tack on another few dollars per hour for the inconvenience.
• If your child is “willful,” “active,” or any other euphemism for hard-to-handle, you’ll need to pay more.  A good babysitter is hard to find, and you want to keep her, especially if your child has earned a reputation as being difficult.  Discuss this with her and get her locked into a rate.

If you want to keep your sitter, be considerate of her.  Always be prompt with your payments, and always pay them for all of the time they have worked.  If you trust her with your children, she is well worth the price.

If your baby is spitting up often (going through countless baby bibs and baby blankets)  and if they wake frequently during the night, you may want to find out more about acid reflux in infants. It is thought that nearly one quarter of all infants experience signs of acid reflux at one time or another, but you should definitely consult a qualified pediatrician if baby has any abdominal pain or reflux symptoms. Only a medical professional can diagnose and treat acid reflux in your baby. There are, however, some facts that will help you learn more about the often frustrating condition.

Your baby won’t sleep through the night even though he’s clean and well-fed. Does he start screaming after feedings? Does he make wet burps and have sour breath? It may be that stomach acid is creeping up his little esophagus and causing him discomfort. Most babies seem to outgrow acid reflux between six and nine months. So, there is light at the end of the tunnel. And today’s modern medicines can lessen baby’s discomfort considerably.

One of the things you can do is sit him upright after feedings. This will help gravity to push the food down and not send the acid back up again. Have baby rest in the crook of your arm for a little while after eating. You certainly won’t mind the extra few moments of time staring into that darling little face.

You can also try feeding your baby less, but more often. An infant’s stomach is tiny, so overfeeding can lead to spit up. Give your baby a smaller portion and when he cries in about two hours for more, go ahead and feed him again. Spacing out the feedings will keep the formula or breast milk from coming back up.

If baby sleeps fine, don’t change his routine, but if he’s waking up with painful cries during the night, you can try positioning the crib mattress at a slight incline. You can do this by placing several rolled up towels under the crib mattress. This will raise baby’s head enough so that the acid stays down in the stomach where it belongs. Make sure baby is sleeping on his back, not his stomach. If baby still won’t sleep, consult your doctor. Never place anything inside the crib with baby such as rolled up blankets to keep him upright. Baby could become entangled in them.

Your doctor may recommend a switch in formula. Some formulas are better than others for infants prone to reflux. Be sure to ask about all your options. It’s thought that breastfeeding is the best option to lessen reflux, but that’s not always possible. Moreover, even if you are breastfeeding, baby can still show signs of reflux. Discuss with your doctor the specific things that you can try for your baby as each child is different and may respond to different treatments.

Join a group of like-minded moms and dads who can offer support. Many hospitals offer support groups and talking with other new parents about what worked for them will help you feel less alone and will give you good ideas. You can also find local groups online who share your concerns.

Just remember that reflux is treatable and is not a life-long condition. Soon baby will be playing upright more and the reflux should resolve itself completely.

The carseat is the most valuable baby gift you could ever give your child to keep them safe. Now, you may be the type of mom who is excited to carry around Winnie-the-Pooh diaper bags and bright pink car seats.  Or you may be the type who wants her diaper bag to double as a chic purse or would love a fun leopard-print car seat cover.  Or you just may be the type of mom who needs to cover an old car seat with a new fabric.  If you have some sewing skills and patience, you can make a custom baby car seat cover that you’ll love buckling your child into.  The safety of your child is paramount, so make sure to follow the instructions carefully and ensure that the cover is installed securely. As for the Winne-the-Pooh diaper bags, well, that's for another day.

Here are the materials you will need:

• Measuring tape
• Tissue paper
• Pencil
• Two yards of fabric
• Pins, scissors, sewing needle
• Sewing machine and thread
• Elastic and clasp holder

After you’ve assembled your materials, it’s time to get started.  Go slowly and carefully, and enlist the aid of a veteran seamstress if you get stuck.

1. The first step is to measure your car seat.  Measure from side to side and top to bottom.  You’ll want to add a good ten inches to the measurements to allow you to wrap the fabric around the seat.
2. Put the tissue paper on the floor and use your measuring tape to draw on the measurements.  Add five inches to the top and bottom measurement, and five to each of the side measurements.
3. Connect the measurements by drawing a circle.  This will give you your car seat cover pattern.
4. Cut the pattern out.
5. Fold your chosen fabric in half and use straight pins to attach the pattern.  Next, cut the fabric to match the pattern exactly.
6. You will have two identical pieces of fabric now.  Turn them so the wrong side is showing – the pattern or front of the fabric will be facing each other – and pin.
7. Sew three sides of the cover using your sewing machine or a sewing needle.  If you  are sewing by hand, make sure to make tight, small stitches for extra security and strength.
8. Once you’ve sewn the three sides, turn the fabric inside out so the front of the fabric is facing out.  Sew the remaining side but leave a one-inch hole for the elastic that you will insert in just a few more steps.
9. Trace a one-inch hem around all four sides and pin to secure the fabric.  Then sew the hem, again leaving a hole where the one-inch hole is.
10. You’re almost there.  Next, attach a large safety pin onto one end of the elastic (sold in a long strip that is looped together) and insert the pin into the one-inch hole.  Push the pin with your fingers through the one-inch hem all the way around the cover and take it out of the other side.   This will allow you to make the cover tighter or looser.
11. Put the cover into your child’s car seat and wrap the sides around the seat.  Tighten the elastic to make sure you have made a snug fit.
12. Use your pencil or a fabric pen to mark where the car seat straps will go through the cover.  If the straps are two inches wide, make a two-inch mark on the fabric to correspond with their position on the seat.
13. Take your cover back off, and use an Exacto or other sharp knife or straight cutting tool to cut slits in the fabric for the straps.
14. Sew the edges of these slits so they do not fray.
15. Put the cover back on, adjust the straps, and congratulate yourself on a job well done. You can be sure you’ll get plenty of complements on your imaginative car seat cover.

Twins are double the fun, right?  For mom and dad, though, they are double the work!  Double the blessings, to be sure, but double the clothing, double the diapers, the bibs, the food... Help mom and dad out with a twin baby shower.  Here are some fun themes that celebrate twins and the double love they bring to a family.

There are plenty of cute baby shower themes for twins, and you could also opt for a more general twin theme for the entire party.  Let's take a look at two popular themes to get your creative juices flowing.

Peas-in-a-Pod. It's very easy to do peas-in-a-pod.  Your baby shower favors, for instance, can be several green jelly beans wrapped in green cellophane.  Twist and tie at the end, and you have an adorable pea pod.  For decorations, you can get balloons and green cellophane.  Wrap an inflated balloon in the cellophane and make little twists at both ends to resemble a pea.  For twins, simply do two balloons – or two peas in the pod!  You can do this with triplets as well.  You can also:

• Bake sugar cookies and frost them with green icing for peas.

• Make several small round cakes and ice them with green frosting, adding a bit of darker green icing for cute vines and leaves.

• Find peas-in-a-pod salt and pepper shakers for your decorations or favors.

• Make peas-in-a-pod with bath bombs and green cellophane.  Just as with the green jelly beans, place two bath bombs in green cellophane and twist the ends and secure with ribbons.  This is a cute, fun favor for guests.

• Look online for sales on favors and decorations. You can find cute pea candles, green streamers and balloons, and much more to add to the theme of your baby shower.

Thing 1 and Thing 2. Another very fun baby shower theme, this Dr. Seuss-inspired party is sure to be a success.  Again, this is a fairly popular theme – and rightly so! Because of this, you will be able to find premade supplies.  You will also be able to make a great deal of the decorations, favors, and food on your own.  When decorating for a Thing 1 and Thing 2 baby shower, use lots of red, blue, and aqua balloons – not pale shades, but bold, bright colors.  Find tablecloths or napkins featuring bold red and white stripes; dishes and flatware can be bright red, blue, bright yellow or green.  Very Dr. Seussian.

• Make Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes.  These are adorable and simple to make.  Make red velvet cupcakes in red liners.  When cool, frost them with white frosting and add blue cotton candy for their hair (you can buy bags of cotton candy at many stores and online). You can make little labels to stick on the liners that say Thing 1 for some cupcakes and Thing 2 for others. Delicious and mischievous.

• For decorations, simply Google “Dr. Seuss pictures.”  You will find printable coloring pages, which may be a fun party activity, especially if there will be children there.  Otherwise, you can color these yourself and hang them around your room, framed with red, blue, yellow, or green ribbon or dangling from ribbons suspended from the ceiling.  You can also buy big wall decals or signs online.

• Find inexpensive white, blue, and red paper lanterns and hang them around the room.
• Prop Dr. Seuss books around the room.
• Make green eggs and ham.  Really!  You could make deviled eggs and splash a drop of green food coloring in the mixture.
• You must get Thing 1 and Thing 2 onesies for the twins.

Twin baby showers are all about double the fun.  Make sure to acknowledge and welcome two babies in all of your decorations and details: twice-baked potatoes, double cheeseburgers, twin pops, two flavors of drinks or ice cream, sets of two stuffed animals, and, hopefully, two sets of great baby gifts!