We are very excited to announce the winner of the Nanny Authority’s National Nanny Training Day drawing, Kristin S.!!

Kristin was nominated by her colleague, Erin, who had the following to say in her nomination: “Hands down the best nanny I’ve ever worked with. Over and above in every regard. She sets me up for success every day and knows tiny humans like the back of her hand. She speaks their language. The joy that exudes from within her is a light that everyone who comes in contact with her will benefit from. Best nanny in NYC. No contest.” What a stunning endorsement from a friend and colleague!

Thank you!

We want to thank everyone who participated in this Nanny appreciation event. Nanny Authority and Pavillion Agency have always recognized what an impactful positive contribution nannies make to the lives of families who employ them and most importantly to the children who are nurtured in their care. With the current state of evolving events, now more than ever we give extra special thanks to nannies nationwide! NANNIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! The numerous glowing submissions we received reinforce our gratitude, with so many heartfelt examples of what we call “Nanny Valor”. It is crystal clear to us, as we’re sure you’ll agree, just how cherished nannies are to everyone they are surrounded by. Following is a sample of how both employers and colleagues described their nominated nanny:

[Nanny C] has the most positive, happy, vibrant energy, and she fills all of our lives with love & laughter daily. She gives it 110% every day and is always looking for extra ways to help our whole family, especially during this crazy time. [Nanny C] goes above & beyond and is constantly looking for teachable opportunity moments.”

I nominate [Nanny E] because she is the epitome of what a professional, caring and engaging nanny should be. She inspires me by her commitment to the families in her care… The relationships she fosters with the children in her charge is a sight to see! It’s one of love, respect, and enthusiasm for learning and growth.”

[Nanny J] was our nanny for 18 years while our sons were growing up and she was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

[Nannny K] is the epitome of a bedrock nanny and is one who strives for excellence not just for her self but for other colleagues. [Nanny K] is selfless in what she does as a professional nanny because she believes so much in the profession and in shaping not only the next generation of leaders, she equally believes in Nannies lifting/ holding the profession to a higher standard!”

[Nanny S] is the best nanny to my 3 very active toddlers. She is engaging, interactive, educational and super caring. She teaches kids manners and how to respect. I never expected her to be such a positive influence on our family.”

[Nanny C] is the Gold Standard for nannies!”

I often feel like the compliments I get about the children and their behavior are really owed to [Nanny D] and not to me. She was flexible and adaptable to our changing and sometimes unpredictable schedules… The kids really saw [Nanny D] as a 3rd parent, and she has remained part of their lives to this day, even more than 10 years after leaving our employ. [Nanny D] was always a consummate professional in all aspects of her work.”

We look forward to continuing to honor and serve the wonderful community of nannies who work so hard to take care of us all!

Warmly,

�Ӱɴ�ý Team
A Division of Pavillion Agency

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Celebrate the start of spring with these fun, family-friendly outdoor activities and programs.

: This miniature, touring exhibit promotes healthy choices for children. Children can shop at the Good Food Market, balance food choices with physical activity, and practice their brushing and flossing skills on an oversized mouth. The exhibit runs from now through April 23^rd at the Museum of Chinese in America.

: Inspired by the 1997 movie, Anastasia makes its way to the Broadway stage this spring. In the musical, Anya, with the help of her new friends, embarks on an adventure to find home, love, and family in 1920’s Paris. Performances begin on Thursday, March 23^rd at the Broadhurst Theatre.

: Charles Schulz’s beloved comic comes to life in this musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The performances feature the whole gang and takes place over the following time period in the show: Valentine’s Day to Beethoven Day, in December. Show dates are from Friday, March 24^th through Sunday, April 2^nd at the Music Hall at Snug Harbor in Staten Island, New York.

: During its first-ever live tour, the PAW patrol comes to the rescue to try and find Mayor Goodway after his disappearance. Characters that make an appearance include Chase the German Shepherd, Marshall the Dalmatian, and Rubble the Bulldog. Performance dates are Thursday, March 23^rd through Sunday, March 26^th at Madison Square Garden.

: The Boston Flower Show takes place at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston from Wednesday, March 22^nd through Sunday, March 26^th. This year’s show theme is “Superheroes of the Garden,” featuring legendary plants and innovative landscape displays vying for prizes.

: The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is hosting a weekend-long exhibit celebrating Japanese culture. Children can use kawaii-inspired prints to design a traditional kimono of their own, explore healthy Japanese recipes, and create a 3D pocket-sized monster mascot.

: Bring your children to the Prospect Park Zoo this Saturday, March 25^th, for the opportunity to get up close and personal with baboons during their breakfast feeding. Attendees can take a tour of the animal kitchen and learn about what these animals eat.

: Celebrate the International Day of the Seal on Saturday, March 25^th, at the Jenkinson’s Aquarium in New Jersey. During the three-hour program, families can learn more about seals through crafts, activities, and discussions with the keepers.

: To help children better understand the relationship between the sun and the earth, Battery City Parks is hosting Stories Under the Stars on Saturday, March 25th. During the program, kids will have the opportunity to discover more about astronomy and space. There will be interactive hands-on activities and children are suggested to bring a glass jar that has a lid so they can make constellation jars. A camp-themed play will also take place. Pre-registration is required.

: The Kaufman Music Center is presenting an updated take on the classic detective stories of Sherlock Holmes on Sunday, March 26^th. The modernized version includes opera performers singing in tune with a mysterious score. The story features a young boy named Jack accused of killing a giant, and with the assistance of Sherlock Holmes, seeks to prove his innocence.

: The New York Transit Museum is hosting a special day for special kids on Sunday, March 26^th. Children with disabilities and their families can visit the museum an hour before it opens to the public.

: Fruiggie Art Studio in Brooklyn is hosting an organic paint and sip party on Sunday, March 26th. At the event, children will use all-natural paint while enjoying organic snacks and drinks. They can even take home their mason jar! Eco-friendly supplies such as twigs, leaves, bottle caps and others will be provided. The party is geared toward children ages 7-years-old and up.

: The Buttons are an original kids music duo based in Brooklyn and on Monday, March 27^th, they will be making an appearance at Sacred Sounds Yoga in Greenwich Village. Their performances feature classic children’s songs, oldies and original songs. The interactive and high-energy singalongs are designed for infants through children under five-years-old.

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Fun activities this weekend include a trip down Gingerbread Lane and a Scavenger Hunt for the whole family to enjoy!

: The New York Hall of Science opens its annual Gingerbread Lane on Friday, November 11th, 2016. The houses are planned from start to finish by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of a year and have won the Guinness World Record from 2013 to 2015 for the largest gingerbread village. Families should make it to a point to stop by the village this year to marvel at the creations vying for this year’s Guinness World Record.

: Geared toward children ages 10 years old and up, the American Museum of Natural History is hosting a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them inspired scavenger hunt. Participants will learn more about the magical creatures that comprise the wizarding world, such as fawning over a tiny cousin to dragons, and discovering how to dress up as a magical monster. Kids and adults can complete the task together.

: On Saturday, November 12th, 2016, enjoy a guided nature walk through Central Park and learn about ecosystems, architecture, and landscapes through the use of Discovery Kits.

: At the Alley Pond Environmental Center in Long Island, children can “shop” for groceries at the APEC market and together, build Thanksgiving baskets filled with goods for the less fortunate to enjoy over the holiday. At the end, young chefs will be able to make a fresh bowl of vegetable soup as a healthy and delicious meal to enjoy.

: The tenth annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair is held this Saturday, November 12th, 2016 at the Brooklyn Museum. The free event features numerous Brooklyn authors and illustrators and includes storybooks, picture books, author readings, and original interactive activities for all age groups.

: The Gazillion Bubble Show is held on Saturday, November 12th, 2016 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Connecticut. Fan Yang, the world-acclaimed bubble artist and holder of 18 Guinness World Records, promises a fun time for any family.

The post Weekend Activities for November 12th-13th, 2016 appeared first on NannyAuthority.

: Friday, November 4th is Eloise’s Birthday. Children should come dressed in their best Eloise inspired outfits and enjoy hot tea, an assortment of tea sandwiches, and pink frosted vanilla cupcakes. Children will get the chance to design their own canvas tote bag as well as write a happy birthday card to Eloise.

: Goodnight Moon has lulled children to sleep for generations, and is celebrating its 70th birthday next year. From Wednesday, November 2nd through Sunday, November 20th, 2016, families can stop by the Long Island Children’s Museum and see the classic book come alive. The performance will have cheerful songs and vibrant puppets that everyone will recognize, including Bunny’s great green room.

: The Mermaid Experience is up and running for a limited time only at the Camden Aquarium in New Jersey from Saturday, November 5th through Sunday, November 13th. Children will possess the opportunity to meet and obtain an autograph from a Mermaid, enjoy a pirate sighting, and get his or her face painted.

: At Apple Seeds on the Upper West Side, children ages 4-6 years old will get to engage in competitive fencing while learning how to work together. During the introductory class, children will get to practice developmental games and exercises, suit up in fencing gear, practice their coordination and balance, and learn the rules and protocols of Olympic fencing. This activity takes place on Saturday, November 5th, 2016 and tickets can be purchased on their website.

: On Saturday, November 5th, 2016, Magnolia Bakery is offering cupcake decorating classes at their Upper West Side location. Professional icers at the bakery will teach children ages 5-11 years old on how to decorate cupcakes and participants will get an at-home icing starter kit to continue their practice outside of the bakery.

: At Karma Kids Yoga, children can bring their American Girl doll and dress for fun yoga and craft activities, such as decorating their own mat, on Saturday, November 5th, 2016.

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Depending on your child’s age, some strategies for restricting screen time will work better than others. For instance, when the kids are very young, the best thing you can do is be a good role model and limit your own screen time in their presence. As anyone who has been around a toddler knows, they’re endless imitators; if they see you doing something, chances are you’ll catch them doing the same thing sooner rather than later.

For older children, many parents and caregivers have found basic reward systems to work well. It’s a good way to teach them the value of working to earn the things they want. For instance, you might use , and allot a specific number of minutes of screen time that each chore is worth. Then, when they complete their chores without being asked, allow the kids whatever amount of TV/computer/tablet time they’ve earned. (Pro tip: it’s a good idea to make sure the number of allotted minutes add up to no more than 2 hours—the AAP recommended guideline for kids.)

The reading reward system is a great way to ensure they’re learning and developing skills while earning screen time, too. It also comes with the added benefit of not inadvertently teaching the kids that doing chores should earn them something other than a cleaner home; that’s a harsh lesson to have to unlearn in adulthood! The reading reward system works much the same way as the chore reward system, except screen time is allotted for a certain amount of time spent reading a book of their choice. When they give their children a reading ultimatum—say, one hour of reading equals 30 minutes of TV or computer time—many parents report that much of the time their kids will get lost in the book and forget all about the screens.

Likewise, you can do the same with exercise—one hour playing outside with their siblings or neighbors, or practicing a sport, equals 30 minutes of screen time. (Take note, though, parents of tech-savvy kids: Pokémon Go should not count as this kind of outdoor exercise!) Most of the time, you’ll find that if kids are engaged and out in the world, they won’t want to come inside.

Another important question facing parents is this: when you’ve set a limit on screen time, how do you make sure the kids stick to it? The best and simplest way is to remove the technological devices whenever they aren’t supposed to be in use. However, this can be difficult with larger items, such as televisions and desktop computers. Many TVs come with child protection controls, such as the kinds to block inappropriate programming; additionally, you can ensure the remote is kept in a place your children can’t reach. Computers and tablets can be set with passwords that parents must type in for kids to use; we recommend these be changed fairly frequently to avoid the kids figuring them out and using the computer or tablet without your knowledge.

Remember, kids today are growing up in a digital world. If you need to amend the guidelines to fit your family, or if every day isn’t perfect, try not to feel too guilty. The crucial lesson is not that all children should avoid screens; it’s that parents and caregivers need to teach them to use technology wisely and responsibly. Feel free for more screen time regulation ideas, and contact us today if you’re a parent in need of a professional and technology-conscious caregiver!

The post How to Limit Screen Time, Fairly appeared first on NannyAuthority.

Well, have no fear! We polled nannies and teachers for the fun activities that they like to do with kids in the summer to keep them engaged in the learning process. Read their suggestions below:

• Grow a garden! This is a great summer activity because not only does it get the kids outside and in the natural world, it also helps them develop skills in natural science, caretaking, responsibility, and healthy eating. Some of the best fruits and veggies to grow in a summer garden for kids are peas, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, and potatoes.
• Discover and create new recipes. This is especially fun at the end of the summer, when you can use the fruits and vegetables the kids have grown in their gardens. You can even make this a Chopped-style challenge, by giving each child a basket of ingredients that they must use when preparing their recipe.
• Read, read, read. For elementary-aged kids, reading is by far the most important skill to cultivate over the summer. Take advantage of rainy days by going to the library. You can always join your library’s book club—most local libraries have summer reading challenges and the like for elementary-schoolers—or create your own with books your family chooses. If your children do not enjoy reading, turning it into a game or challenge can make it more fun for them. You can also begin a “family reading time,” in which you either read silently together or take turns reading aloud to each other.
• Take day trips to museums. Look for local museums that specialize in a wide variety of subject matter. Most cities will have at least one science/technology, art, natural science/history, or children’s museum; many others have strange or unusual novelty museums as well. If the kids aren’t excited about spending a summer day learning, bring along a small scavenger hunt based on the current exhibits.
• Have the kids start a puppet (or live!) theater. Encourage them to write their own scripts and rehearse together. If it’s a puppet theater, help them craft finger puppets of the starring characters; if not, provide old clothes or Halloween costumes to make costumes for the show.
• Perform small science experiments. Have the kids write out a list of testable questions and hypotheses. For example, they could ask, “How long does it take for an ice cube to melt outside, in the sink, and in the refrigerator?” Write down their guesses, then test!
• Collect change in a jar, starting on the first day of summer. On the last day, have the kids estimate how much they’ve collected. Then, let them count it and plan a fun purchase with what they’ve saved.
• Write and draw a comic strip. Encourage your kids’ artistic sides by having them write and draw the comic strip for a superhero of their own design. This can be especially fun in the summertime, when superhero movies rule the box office.

Hiring a summer nanny is also great strategy for keeping kids learning all summer long—especially if the nanny has a background in teaching. Many summer nannies work as educators during the school year, so they can be a tremendous help in combating the summer slide. To find out what a summer nanny can do for you, contact us today, and be sure to check out our for more fun summer activity ideas!

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These conflicts can be the bane of a parent’s existence. Conflict between siblings is natural; knowing when to let them fight it out and when to step in is one of the trickier tightropes all parents and caregivers must walk.

Why Do Siblings Act Up?

Oftentimes, what inspires sibling rivalry—and certainly what inspired the little boy on the pool table—is competition for parental attention. If one child feels that they are being or are going to be ignored in favor of their sibling, this can cause them to act out. Remember, young children often struggle with the concept of empathy; though they begin to develop social-emotional skills in preschool, their brains are still not fully developed, even as teenagers. It takes time for a child to learn to understand perspectives outside of their own.

If you have a nanny or other caregiver who can help you out with the kids, even just by playing with one child while you attend to another, this can help tremendously. Making sure to spend devoted one-on-one time with each child should help resolve conflicts based on parental attention.

Nannies have a great many tools at their disposal to deal with childhood conflict resolution. These can range from encouraging games that require cooperation and sharing—especially when compared to other childhood games, like cops and robbers, that pose kids against each other—to simply providing the child with a comforting shoulder to lean on or an unbiased confidant to talk to.

A nanny can also help foster friendship between competing siblings. Sometimes, fighting children will be more responsive to directions from a person they see as their playmate or their friend, rather than a disappointed parent. We all remember that one teacher, babysitter, aunt, or other caregiver we bonded with and confided in as a child; it is often easier to take advice from that person, even if it’s the same advice our parents would have given.

Working Through Different Types Of Conflict

In some cases, sibling rivalry and conflict stems simply from differences in gender, age, development, and temperament. These kinds of conflicts are more difficult to resolve because they require emotional maturity, which develops in children at different rates. An older sibling will often be frustrated by a younger sibling tagging along; a brother and sister might fight because they want to play different types of games with the same toys; and an extroverted child may feel neglected or abandoned by an introverted sibling.

Though it’s tricky, these kinds of clashes can be worked out. For example, in the first situation above, you or your nanny might remind your teenager that the reason his younger sister wants to tag along all the time is because she looks up to him, and emphasize what a good role model he is to her. Or, in the third—when your extroverted daughter feels hurt when her sister would rather read a book than play with her—you might use the opportunity to teach her to empathize with and understand a personality very different from her own.

Kids who grow up with siblings are forced to interact with and learn to coexist with other children in their lives at home in addition to at school. Though it may be trying at times—especially for a parent who is desperate for a moment of peace and quiet—navigating these conflicts can actually help your children mature and learn conflict resolution skills that will aid them throughout their lives. And, if you’re at your wits’ end, try to remember this fact: Even siblings who fight a lot as children usually get along as adults!

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At first glance, the idea of bringing your nanny on family vacations may seem extravagant. However, with spring holidays on the horizon all around the country, it’s time to start planning. When a trip requires extensive travel, it’s often stressful enough just to navigate between Point A and Point B, much less to keep restless kids entertained on the way. This is where your travel nanny comes in handy!

Children tend to be more fidgety or stressed during long drives or flights, which often leads to behavioral issues—or the infinitely repeated question that all parents dread: “Are we there yet?”

A good traveling nanny will stave off this question by coming to the trip equipped with a set of games and activities that can be played in a small space, such as a plane or car. She will entertain the kids so you can focus on driving, navigating the airport, planning excursions in your destination, or taking care of any other travel emergencies that may arise at the last minute. What kinds of games? Our travel nannies know a wide variety, but we’ve listed a few of our favorite ideas below!

Fun Travel Games for Kids

• Bring a 3-ring binder with blank sheets of paper inside clear plastic sleeves. Kids can play Tic-Tac-Toe, Hangman, or simply draw on the plastic sleeves with dry erase markers, then wipe it off and start again!
• Bring a large sketchbook. On the pages, paste part of a small cut-out from a magazine. For example, half of an elephant or a tree—something small that a child could draw. Set the sketchbook on a flat surface (a cookie sheet works well on car trips and is easy to stow away; on a plane, the tray table should work fine). Give the child crayons or colored pencils and ask them to finish the picture.
• I Spy is a classic car game for long drives. It’s a great game for practicing colors and numbers. It also provides a good opportunity for teaching kids to notice interesting or unusual things in their environments.
• Bring a pack of colored pipe cleaners with you. Have the kids shape them into people or animals, then have the little ones tell stories about the characters they’ve made. If you have enough, you can even make up a little play and stage it on the tray table or cookie sheet.
• If the kids are old enough, word games like “The Minister’s Cat” are a fun way to practice vocabulary and quick thinking. To play “The Minister’s Cat,” all players clap in unison. The first person starts the game by saying (to the beat of the clapping group), “The Minister’s cat is a ______ cat,” the blank being an adjective that starts with the letter A. The second person uses an adjective that starts with B, the third C, and so on. A player is out if he or she falls too far behind the pace while thinking of an adjective. After a player is out, the remaining players pick up where they left off.

Everybody knows that traveling is stressful enough without adding screaming kids into the mix! Remember, while a vacation should be fun for your children, it should also be relaxing for you. Contact the Nanny Authority today to learn more about how our travel nannies can help your family.

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