Archive for the ‘Families’ Category

Newer Entries »

The Best Gift You Can Give

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Christmas is almost here and so many people are still looking for last minute gifts.  Brave Moms and Dads willing to battling the army of shoppers at local malls just to find the perfect toy.  Or spending even more time and money shopping online only to find that shipping can cost more then many presents.  There must be an easier way.  There is!

We have all heard it many times, but we then get excited about some new flashy toy and we forget.  Christmas is all about giving, but not just toys and candy.  Christmas is about giving from our hearts and finding ways that we can help others that may be less fortunate.  Many times it is not about monetary things, but the time we spend keeping someone company that may be otherwise alone for the holidays.  Volunteering to help others, whether it be kids in a local hospital or sending care packages to our troops overseas.  Sometimes the biggest gift we can give is just being there for someone in need. 

How many of you still have that shiny new truck you got for Christmas, or that fancy doll with the flowing dress.  Most of us can’t even remember all the stuff we received let alone still have any of it.  But I will bet that all of you remember both the good and bad times with family and friends at the holiday table.  The best gifts are the ones that we give with our hearts and they will stay in our memories forever.

Best wishes for a very happy holiday from our family to yours.

Jeff and Eloisa Nelson

Tags:
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Halloween has become a nightmare for many parents that have been diligently watching their children’s sugar intake only to see it spike up in one night.  However, if handled correctly the night can be a great opportunity for teaching your children about diet and excesses.  Have older children help you find reasonably healthy treats that can be fun too.  Here are just a few ideas on how to replace the typical sugar laden treats with choices that you and your kids may find equally tasty: 

  • Many grocery stores have been improving their selection of products intended for Diabetics.  Most, if not all of the items available have no sugar and taste great.  Switching to sugar free candies and cookies can save calories, cavities and sugar highs.
  • Party stores are another fun resource for picking up inexpensive party favors that can be used in place of candy. While everyone else is giving out undistinguishable bars of chocolate, you will be known for the house with the fun games. Just be careful of the age appropriateness and do not give to children that may swallow small parts.
  • Make your own candy.  It is easier than you think to make candy and bake cookies that will be full of flavor and you get to control the amount of sugar.
  • Allow the kids to scare up all of the candy they want, but require that they share part of their take with less fortunate kids or donate the candy to kids that couldn’t get out.  Your kids would have some candy and they would learn an important lesson in generosity.
  • As above, let them have it all, but require that they divide it up over several months.  Staggering the treats will help them learn a valuable lesson in self control and saving for a rainy day.

Practice safety.  Whether the treats are healthy or not, make sure you check all of the loot to make sure there are no surprises or items that you would not want your child to have thrown in the bag.

Remember the holiday is not just for kids, so have some fun with it too.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Important News Alert

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Baby food recalled for possible botulism.
There’s a national baby food recall. Plum Organics is recalling some of its apple and carrot portable pouch baby food because of concerns over possible botulism contamination.

Click link for more information:     http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33397420/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/from/ET/wid/11915773?GT1=31036

Tags: ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Monday, September 28th, 2009

October is Breast Cancer awareness month.  As many of you are personally aware, cancer affects all of us.  Our loss makes us work harder to help find a cure so that others do not have to lose the ones they love. Please join us in supporting the Susan G. Komen campaign to find a cure.

Komen for the Cure

Tags:
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Summer Fun

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

The inviting summer sun wakes you early with a burning desire to take the kids out of the house and spend a day enjoying the sunshine. You packed a giant picnic basket filled with healthy lunches and snacks but you keep thinking that you forgot something. Here is a quick list of items recommended by some of our nannies.

  • Water - no matter how much water you think you will need, on hot days you can dehydrate very quickly. Bring several refillable bottles so you can save the planet while saving yourself.
  • Sunscreen – even if you are going to the park and not the beach the sun is just as powerful as it peaks through the trees.
  • Change of clothes – even afternoon outings can be cut short by minor spills or water gun fights. They don’t call some of today’s water guns “Super Soakers” for nothing.
  • Light jackets - while not planned, sometimes your afternoon fun can extend into a cool evening.
  • Garbage bags – bringing a banana is good. Shoving the peel under the seat is not good, nor is tossing it out the window. Why waste time looking for a receptacle when you can bring your own.
  • First Aid Kit – kids will be kids and having fun at the park or beach means running, jumping and scraping something.
  • Books – even kids run out of steam sometimes and having a book to read or have read to them for some down time can be very relaxing.
  • Games – have some planned activities or games to get things started otherwise you will hear; “this is boring, there is nothing to do here”.
  • Games for the car – depending on the length of the drive, kids get bored easily.
  • Water – did I already mention “water”? Yes it is that important to be listed twice.

Have fun!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Things Not To Do While Driving With Kids

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Since California’s cell phone law recently went into effect I thought we would be hearing less about the unsafe practices of drivers.  One might think drivers would understand the correlation between being distracted on a cell phone and a high accident rate would carry over to other distractions as well.  But it appears that since driver’s can no longer talk on their cell phones they have resorted to texting instead.  Maybe the law isn’t clear or maybe it is just me, but isn’t texting even more dangerous. 

With kids in the car screaming and mom texting whoever, the distractions of driving are making our roads even more unsafe then they once were.  Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and like being able to stay in touch as much as I can.  But, especially when shuttling kids around town, I would hope we could all put our toys away and pay as much attention to driving as safely as we can.  It is bad enough that we take risks with our own lives, but we should be more careful with children around. 

The law may not have banned every distraction and it can’t.  But it should be a wake-up call to pay more attention to what we are doing.  It is sad that so many people will watch what they eat and get plenty of exercise in hopes of living a longer and healthier life.  They then get in a car and and forget the number of lives that have been ruined or shortened in a crash. 

This is not another public service announcement, just a concerned parent reading about to many accidents that could have been prevented. 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Families | 2 Comments »

What is Your Rebate Check Worth?

Friday, April 25th, 2008

It has been interesting to listen to some of the many ideas of what some of our friends and families plan on doing with their anticipated rebate checks.  As expected, there is an almost daily barrage of advertising from companies offering to help you spend it before the check even arrives.  While some families will need the money now to help make ends meet others plan on spending it in an assortment of different ways.  Very few people have suggested they plan on saving the money since they feel that it is too small an amount to matter.  I beg to differ with that idea.  Even a few dollars can make a difference when saved and properly invested. 

Being in the childcare field might make us think of uses more geared toward children than most, but I think that is a good thing.  Our suggestion is starting a college fund.  If you receive a $1,200.00 check it may not seem like much right now, but invested at 8% in a college fund for 18 years and it will grow to almost $5,000.00.  If you can afford to add just another $100.00 per month to that rebate check your college fund will grow to over $50,000.00 by the time your little one is ready to go. 

With expenses at universities continually increasing that small check may be a big help someday.  Even if it doesn’t cover all the costs it can make a very big dent.   

So how much is that little check worth?

Tags: , ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Child Care Safety

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

By now most of you have read the front page story that appeared in “The Orange County Register” last Friday, February 22, 2008.  For those who haven’t read the article, it talked about the recent death of a 6-month old infant and the previous death of another child in the same Laguna Hills house where the owner was operating a Day-care facility.  When stories like this develop, questions begin to rise about all types of child-care including nannies and babysitters.  Personally, we feel the more questions the better.  Parents should not entrust their children to the care of anyone unless they have been thoroughly screened and you feel comfortable that every precaution is being taken to protect your children.    Remember that accidents will happen whether someone else is watching your child or you are watching them yourself.  But, many accidents can be prevented or at least the severity reduced if parents and caregivers followed basic safety guidelines.  This is why at Dedicated Domestics we make time to meet every applicant personally and take so many precautions to find the most qualified caregivers available. We also insist that every nanny, babysitter, mother’s helper and caregiver take an approved CPR class before starting work.  Not every agency insists on certification and for some the courses are not nationally recognized. 

The biggest issue with the day-care facility mentioned in the article, was that it had several complaints over the years and families did not take the time to check them out.  We all assume the government agencies are doing their jobs, but there isn’t enough time or manpower for them to follow up on every facility.  Whether you choose to hire a nanny or use a day-care center, remember the safety of your child is at stake and if you are not comfortable don’t leave your child.  In the case of the day-care facility they had 20 prior complaints and still nothing was done.  If you have the luxury of being able to afford a nanny, then you can take action immediately if you believe the situation calls for it. 

Dedicated Domestics is a modern company with old fashioned ethics.  Just as we will not work with an applicant that we would not feel comfortable hiring ourselves to help our family, we also would not expect the families that we work with to leave their children with anyone they do not feel comfortable with.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

Dedicated Domestics NannyWelcome to Dedicated Domestics Weblog.

As our agency has grown we want to share our knowledge of the in-home staffing industry with all of you.  Families hiring for the first time and professional Estate Managers seeking additional staff all want to find the best candidates that will fit their individual needs.  Of course, candidates are also looking to match up their skills with a family that will respect them and treat them fairly.  By working with an agency that takes the time to understand the individual needs of both parties, the quality of care and the length of service are dramatically improved.  The right care can give you and your family the peace of mind that you need to tackle life’s other little obstacles.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Families | No Comments »

Newer Entries »