Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

My husband and I try to sneak a “date night” in at least once a month, and we are lucky enough to have two great babysitting options – our daycare provider’s 14 year old son and 12 year old daughter.  The situation works perfectly for everyone – my kids (ages 3 and 7) have been a part of this daycare family for 5 years, the sitters live close by, and usually their mother is home as a backup in case of emergencies.  Some parents may feel that 12 or 13 is too young for a sitter, but not if you weigh the other variables (experience, maturity level, comfort level with children).  If you are unsure of the proper age for a babysitter, consider the pros and cons of the following age ranges:

Pre-Teen Sitter – Many babysitting courses require their students to be at least 11 years old, and I wouldn’t consider a sitter younger than that.  I would be uncomfortable leaving a 10 year old at home by him or herself, even without being in charge of younger children.  If you are considering an 11 or 12 year old as a sitter, girls are usually more mature at this age than boys.  I wouldn’t leave an infant in the care of an 11 year old unless he or she has a lot of experience with babies (younger siblings or cousins).  I would also hesitate to hire a pre-teen sitter for an older child (9 or 10) because of the small age difference.  The child may see his or her sitter as more of a playmate instead of a responsible caregiver.  I also do not recommend leaving pre-teen sitters with your child(ren) for more than 8 hours or overnight.  When we hire a younger sitter we either feed the kids before we leave or we have an easy meal planned (one that doesn’t require the use of a stove).

13 to 15 Year Old Babysitter -  This may be the perfect age range for babysitters – they cannot drive yet, are not immersed in social activities, and are usually not old enough for a “real” job.  I have found that my boys love to play with Josh (our 14 year old babysitter) because he likes more masculine games like Smash-Em-Up-Trucks and football.  Josh also loves the extra cash and is great with kids – probably because his mom has done daycare his entire life.  Even with Josh’s experience, I’m not sure I would be comfortable leaving him with an infant that requires high maintenance, and I still don’t ask him to cook meals on the stove.

16 to 18 Year Olds – Although this is a great age for sitters, I’ve had a lot of trouble finding an older teenager who is interested or available to watch my children!  They either already have a job, have “plans” for the evening or they are just too cool to babysit.  My close friends do have a 17-year old girl who watches their infant, and it’s great for them because not only does the sitter drive herself to and from their house, they feel comfortable leaving their 9 month old with her for long nights out.  The downside to this is that my friends pay more for this sitter to watch one child than I pay my sitters to watch 2 kids, but it’s a trade-off that they are comfortable with.  I would feel at ease allowing an older teen to use the stove, watch numerous kids at once, even stay overnight if necessary.  I would also allow an older sitter to take my kids to the park or on a play date with other children.

College Age Sitters – I’m not lucky enough to live in a college town, but if you are then this may be a great resource for you!  Every college student I know needs more money, and they can use their down time (after the kids have gone to bed) for studying.  The older your sitter is, the more responsibility you can give them (driving, cooking, etc), but you will also have to pay them more.  If you have a regularly scheduled night where you need a sitter (i.e. bowling night or “girls night out”), this arrangement may work very well because a college-age sitter can pick up the kids from school, help them with their homework, bathe them and put them to bed while you enjoy your time away.

Adult Babysitters – If you are lucky enough to find another mother to trade babysitting duties with, this is a win-win situation for all!  Rather than paying for a sitter you may be able to swap services (just make sure there’s a fair trade).  If you can’t swap sitting you still may be able to find an adult who has time to watch your children, but they may want you to bring the kids to them and they may charge more than a younger sitter.  I’m not lucky enough to live near my parents or in-laws, but many grandparents are providing daycare or babysitting services for their grandchildren – this helps them spend quality time with their grandkids and it gives them something to look forward to if they are retired.  In some situations, parents will not pay for the babysitting but they may perform household chores or buy special gifts for grandparents.

Photo courtesy of www.bgsu.edu

Whether you have recently moved, your old babysitter has retired or you have a new baby, the search for occasional child care can be daunting.  Once you’ve found some good candidates you need to feel comfortable leaving them alone with your children, so it’s a good idea to arrange an interview and possibly even a “trial run” – where you are still in the home but the babysitter is actually in charge of the child(ren).  I have compiled a list of interview questions that are suitable for nearly any age sitter:

• How much experience do you have watching children (as a paid babysitter, older sibling or watching their own kids)? As with any other job, increased pay comes with increased experience so if you have an overall good feeling about your potential sitter, don’t let lack of experience be the deciding factor.  You may find an eager beginner who genuinely loves children but doesn’t have the experience to back it up yet.  Also, new sitters are more likely to be overachievers to impress their new customers – which is a win-win for you and your child(ren).
• Are you certified in CPR/Infant CPR? While it’s not required, you must decide if this is a dealbreaker.
• Why do you want to babysit? If the potential sitter’s only response is “for the money”, I would be cautious.
• Are you comfortable with my childcare situation? For example, “taking care of an infant”, “watching more than 1 child”, “having pets in the home”, etc.
• Do you have a standard rate? Surprisingly enough, many sitters do not have a “going rate”, but prefer to have each parent suggest an hourly wage.  We usually round up to the nearest $5 increment when paying our babysitter, and we’ll tip her if she washes the dishes or does a project with the kids.
• How will you get to my house? Depending on the time of day and distance to your house, the sitter may be able to bike to your home, walk, or even drive him or herself.
• How many and what age children are you comfortable with? This question is especially important if you have more than 1 child or if the child is very young.  Even if the babysitter has a lot of experience they may not have cared for an infant before.
• Do you have any references? Depending on your comfort level with the sitter, you may want to call one or two references before offering them a job.  Ask the references if they were happy with the sitter’s overall performance and if they are still using him/her.

If you get a good feeling from the interview, you may want to ask the potential sitter if they are available for a “trial run” with your kids.  Schedule a time when you have a specific project to do at home (spring cleaning or painting work well) and you want the kids kept busy.  Treat this trial run as an actual babysitting experience, make sure the kids know you are not available during this time and they must go to the sitter if they need anything.  Silently observe the interaction between your child(ren) and the sitter, and make sure to pay him/her for their time.  If you feel comfortable after your trial run then congratulations – you’ve found someone you can trust to be with your kids while you enjoy some grown up time!

When we moved to our new home 5 years ago, the last thought on our mind was finding a new babysitter for our 2 year old son.  But once the dust settled and we had unpacked enough to feel comfortable, my husband and I were yearning for a night out to explore our new town and take a break from the stresses of relocating with a toddler.  Since we had no friends in the area we didn’t know how to even start searching for a babysitter, but luckily our daycare provider pointed us in the right direction.  In case you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few suggestions when you are searching for a babysitter:

1)  Check with the local schools – whether it’s high school, community college or a university, ask if they have a Community Relations department and see if they have any recommendations for you.  Speak to the Community Education Department of your local school district and see if they offer babysitting classes.  If they do, some departments will keep a list of students who have passed this course and will give out names and numbers.

2)  Ask your neighbors – if you haven’t already, this is a great reason to get to know your neighbors.  They may recommend their babysitter, they may have a child of babysitting age, or they may be willing to babysit themselves!  Maybe you can strike up a deal with your neighbor to trade off babysitting services so you can both enjoy some “adult time” now and then.

3)  Contact your local church – speak to the youth group adviser or religious education leader and ask who they would recommend.

4)  Place an ad in the local paper or on a local website such as Craigslist – although this option may produce numerous results, the responses will be quite varied.  Be sure to screen the applicants carefully and check references before hiring someone.

Once you’ve found a few potential babysitters, the next step will be to interview and even give them a “trial run”.  We’ll discuss this more in my next post.  Until then, happy hunting!

Photo courtesy of lovetojazz.com.

 These adorable cakes brought a smile to my face and I hope they’ll do the same for you.  Today I was on the lookout for the best Under The Sea themed cakes that I could find on the net (check out the resource links underneath the photo collage).  I just love these cakes and cupcakes and I hope they’ll inspire you when you are planning an Under The Sea Themed Baby Shower!

There are so many options when it comes to ocean-inspired cakes and desserts.  And the colors of the ocean make for a great display on a baby shower buffet table.  Consider incorporating a snorkel-clad baby or a pregnant mermaid into the dessert to add a bit of whimsy.  If you aren’t ready to whip up a full-blown masterpiece like some of the cakes shown below, have no fear.  You can still create an ocean-inspired dessert by visiting your local cake or craft store and purchasing under the sea themed cupcake liners and ocean inspired sugar decorations.  They even make cupcake sprinkles in the shape of fish, starfish, octopus, and seahorses.  And if you want to leave the baking to someone else, I’m sure that your local bakery would be more than happy to put together an ocean-inspired cake for you.

Image Resources:
1. ocean_cupcake_tower3_small, 2. Under the Sea Baby shower cake, 3. angies shower cake 008, 4. Under The Sea Cake, 5. Baby Shower Cakes Wilmington, NC Carolina Cakes & Confections, 6. Under the Sea Baby Shower Cake

The square shape of classic wooden baby blocks make them the perfect inspiration for a baby shower cake.  I’ve put together the collage of cake ideas below using photographs from Flickr (see links to the individual cakes underneath the collage).  I hope that they give you plenty of inspiration if you are trying to create your own baby block themed shower masterpiece. 

Creating a set of 4 block cakes can be accomplished by simply baking an 8″ or 9″ square layer cake and then cutting it into quarters to make perfect squares.  I’ve found that it is easiest to dirty ice the squares and then cover them in fondant to get a smooth appearance. If you color and roll the fondant out, you can easily create letters, numbers and other shapes to put on each side of the cake blocks.  The other option is to use colored icing to frost the blocks and then use a piping bag to pipe on the letters and numbers for each side.  No matter which option you use (fondant or icing), your guests will be impressed with your creativity.

Image Resources:
1. Baby blocks cake, 2. PINK BEAR BIRTHDAY CAKE, 3. www.cupcakeenvy.com, 4. Baby’s Block Cake, 5. brown and blue bears and baby blocks themed baby shower cake copy, 6. Jock Christening, 7. 1st birthday, 8. baby blocks cakes, 9. Baby Shower Cake (La Torta)

Personally, I’m all about the dessert so it was a pleasure doing some research to find some great looking stork-themed cakes that would be perfect for either a baby girl or baby boy shower.  I found all of the following cakes on Flickr.  It always amazes me just how talented some of the at-home bakers are when it comes to creating cakes. 

What I love about the stork baby shower theme is that it is easily adaptable to a boy or a girl or even twins.  With the cakes, you can simply make the blanket hanging from the stork’s beak pink or blue with one or two babies inside.  The cakes shown in the photos appear to be a created with a combination of fondant and butter cream icing.  Check out the links underneath the photograph for more information on each cake.

Image Resources:
1. 2t fondant bbshower cake stork top, 2. baby shower – stork, 3. Stork Single Tier Diaper Cake With Custom Topper (front), 4. Stork Cake Topper, 5. Stork Baby Shower Cake, 6. stork shower 1, 7. Stork & Umbrella baby shower cake – creativecakesbykeekee@yahoo.com, 8. Stork Cake, 9. Stork’s Delivery

If you’ve recently welcomed a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, or niece or nephew into your family, commemorating the arrival with a beautiful Baby’s First Christmas Gifts is a fantastic idea.  These gifts can be cherished keepsakes that the child will carry with them forever.  Baby’s First Christmas happens only once so don’t miss the opportunity to give them something special.

At Baby Gifts & Gift Baskets, we offer many gifts to mark a first Christmas, but one of my favorites is the adorable Baby’s First Christmas Outfitshown in the photograph.  Baby will look great in all those xmas photos when he or she is wearing this adorable little red outfit complete with a matching red Santa hat and embroidered bib.  We also include a little red stocking, plush rattle, and baby bottle.  You can get this gift today for just $44.

Other fantastic baby’s first Christmas ideas are personalized terrycloth bibs, keepsake ornaments (you can carry on the tradition by giving a keepsake ornament every year until they graduate high school), Christmas stockings, and even photo frames.  For more ideas, check out this baby Christmas gift lens at Squidoo.

I’ve been giving baby shower advice for some time, but I’ve never been able to use my own advice until now.  I have so many ideas for my girlfriend’s Noah’s Ark Baby Shower, but unfortunately she wants to keep things low-key.  Of course, she is the guest of honor so I’ll abide by her wishes and keep things relatively simple.

We are hosting her shower at a local church – they have a spacious “community room” where many bridal showers, baby showers and birthday parties are held.  We are expecting more than 30 guests (she has a large family) and this room will fit them all comfortably.  For decorating, we’ll be hanging crepe paper in green, purple and either blue or pink (depending on whether she has a boy or girl, the shower is being held after the baby is born), and attaching a helium balloon bouquet to the guest book table.

For the meal, we will be serving buffet-style and are setting up two dishes of each item – in keeping with a “two by two” decorating scheme.  We’re also adding bowls of animal crackers to each table as a whimsical and fun snack – these crackers will also be incorporated into a baby shower game.  I am also going to order the adorable cookie bouquet pictured here, and the bakery will be creating my bouquet with two of each animal so the bouquet will echo the “two by two” sentiment.  These colorful animal cookies are also a great match if you’re planning a jungle-themed baby shower.

Other fun decorating ideas for a Noah’s Ark baby shower include:  stuffed animal table centerpieces, an ark-shaped watermelon boat filled with fruit and accented with plastic animal figures, or inverted umbrella centerpieces filled with boats and/or animals.

One of my best friends is having a baby next month.  It is her first child, and she has decided not to find out the sex of the baby until it’s born.  Because of this, we have decided to host a baby shower after the holidays so we can spoil the baby with frilly pink dresses or handsome blue suits.

My girlfriend has been busy decorating the baby’s room with a neutral theme – she has chosen a beautiful print called “Two By Two” from a local fabric shop.  The fabric depicts pairs of baby animals in various states of play – on a swing, jumping rope and so on.  My friend’s sister is busy sewing curtains, pillows and blankets and creating wall hangings by stretching the fabric over wooden frames.  The “Two By Two” theme matches perfectly with our Noah’s Ark shower accessories, so I can’t wait to help plan the perfect Noah’s Ark Shower for my friend!

Since we have some time before the shower date, we are going to create our own invitations in the shape of an ark.  We’ve found some stickers of baby animals that are almost a perfect match to the animals on the fabric, and we’ll adhere those to the front of the ark.  When opening the invitation, each guest will be invited to take a “voyage” with us and meet the guest of honor – Kathy’s new baby!

I already know what I would like to purchase for shower favors, the adorable Noah’s Ark Candles pictured above.  Each candle is finely detailed with rolling waves at the base, portholes on the ark and “cute as a button” animals onboard.  The 2 1/2″ by 2″ candles are packaged in a clear gift box so they will not only make a great gift, but they can decorate the tables until the party is over.

In the next few days I’ll share some additional ideas for a Noah’s Ark baby shower – some that I’ll be using myself in a couple months!

Chances are that all of the guests at the baby shower you’re hosting may not know each other – some may be friends of the mother-to-be, others will be family members and still others may be co-workers.  A great ice breaker for your shower is the “Name That Stork” game.  Have each guest introduce herself and then name a baby item that begins with the letter “S”, then “T”, “O”, “R” and “K”.

Another stork-themed twist on a classic game is Stork Bingo.  Create bingo cards with the letters STORK written across the top.  Ask each guest to fill in their bingo card with baby items that they new mother will need.  As mom opens her gifts, each guest can mark off any gift listed on her sheet.  The first one to “bingo” wins!

Incorporate take-home favors for each guest into your shower games by playing an easy quiz game. Give one of these personalized baby shower compact mirrors to each guest who gets a question correct.  Possible questions can include “When is baby’s due date?”, “What color are the father-to-be’s eyes”, or “How many siblings does the mother-to-be have?”  Baby shower favors can also be used in a purse scavenger hunt – the first guest to produce a specific item (like a pen, a credit card, baby picture, etc) from their purse wins a prize.

There are a number of generic baby shower games that work well with any theme.  Some can be modified to fit into your stork theme and others work well just as they are.  It’s fun to have one or two games at your baby shower, but don’t overdo it.  Remember that the focus should be on the mother-to-be and her upcoming miracle!