Bell Family Company

Pre-Baby On Call Services

How our on-call services work is we would typically set aside a 1-2 week window for the sitter to be on call around the expecting moms due date. You would then pay the sitter a day rate for all dates she is on call, and then pay her hourly for the date(s) she will be caring for your other children.

We will just need to know the approximate due date and we can begin to schedule around that time.

You will only need to pay for the dates your sitter is on call. If you book dates and you go into labor, just let us know and we’ll cancel the remaining dates. We do have a 24-hour cancellation policy, so if you cancel a sitter’s appointment with less than 24 hours notice you will be charged a $50 cancellation fee. If it is more than 24 hours notice there is no fee.

The family should also provide cab fare to get the sitter home in case of emergency.

Costs

– $75/day that the sitter is on call
– $30/hr when the sitter is with the other 1-2 children (member family rate is less per hour)
– Cab fare before 7am and after 9pm

Contact us today for more information!

First Foods – Peas, Carrots and Stain Stick – Oh My!

So your child is ready to start solids? Great!  Pull up your rugs and stock your cabinets with baby Oxyclean – life is about to get very colorful!

Introducing solid foods is an exciting (and potentially exhausting) milestone. I’ve gone down this road twice and had two very different experiences. I’ll try to be brief because you’re likely reading this post while trying to pee and keep your child from pulling all of the toilet paper off the roll at the same time.

With my first child, I had no clue what I was doing. I felt that my pediatrician wasn’t really providing me with the kind of nutritional support I was looking for. Her recommendation was rice cereal first, then fruits and veggies, etc. Rice cereal didn’t make sense to me because it’s not particularly nutritious and it’s hard for adult bellies to digest – things that make you go hmm… So, because I didn’t have enough on my plate already (pun intended), I decided to do a little digging.  I asked around, read a few books, consulted a holistic pediatrician and reached out to my friends abroad. Turns out, other cultures are feeding their children what they eat (in a mushier form) and are a lot less scientific (read: neurotic) about the feeding process altogether. I decided to give my son veggies and fruit first. So for 3-4 hours a week, I holed up in my kitchen and I did the Betty Homemaker, made from scratch purées thing. While a valiant effort on my part, I couldn’t keep up with his appetite and I was tired of the massive clean up.  Make food, clean up food, diaper change, stain remover, rinse, wash, repeat.  I also thought that the point was that he actually got the majority of the food I was serving in his mouth – as opposed to all over my (occasionally) washed hair and on the walls, so I made sure I was leading the charge by feeding him and making helicopter noises to get him to open his mouth. It worked – well enough, I suppose. I tried baby lead weaning – his determination to choke himself and my fear of said choking, ended that exploration rather quickly. The downside of purées (other than the labor intensive part) is that at some point you’ll have to go back to square 1 when they graduate to food that needs to be chewed!  Ugh, are we there yet?!  Some of you may not have entered this stage while others are thinking . . . been there, done that, got the strawberry stained t-shirt to prove it. Bear with me.

Fast forward two years and another child later – we were at the golden gates of feeding and I didn’t have the time or energy to go down the purée path again. I felt guilty that I’d done it for my son and didn’t want to “deprive” my daughter of the healthy food I’d provided him. I put on my strongest poker face and gave her whole foods and trusted (read: prayed to God) she wouldn’t choke herself.   She would take larger bites than made me comfortable, but I gave her the space to explore it and sure enough she would spit out pieces that were too big to swallow. I reminded myself to keep my face neutral – if she was coughing or gagging, she wasn’t choking (I strongly suggest taking an infant/child CPR class – for safety and confidence). I had to watch her carefully, but I gave her what we were eating and I tried to give it to her in a way that she could feed herself. And here is the kicker – she did! She even figured out how to use a fork and spoon by herself and she’s only 18 months. My 3.5 year old is still struggling with this skill.

I’d love to tell you there is a one-size fits all method of feeding kids but as with everything in child rearing – that’s not the case (because that would be TOO easy!). My advice is, try to be relaxed when you start this process. Of course, consult your pediatrician if you have any concerns. Know that right now, your child is getting nourishment from breast milk or formula so take the stress off yourself to get them to consume food for that purpose early on.  Your role is to provide them with what you deem as healthy food exposure – their role is to decide whether or not to eat it. Exposing our babies to foods is less about filling their bellies up so they can sleep through the night (although I hear this is a nice side effect for some, it wasn’t the case for my kids) and more about letting them explore flavors, textures and figure out “how” to eat and what is safe to swallow.

So what should you feed them you ask? From a nutrition standpoint – try to feed your kids as many whole unprocessed foods as you can. Organic is best, but not always available or affordable so check out the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, which can help you make the best decisions for your family. Life is busy – there is never enough time so don’t beat yourself up if you give your kids some processed stuff, but be cautious about the sugar and sodium content – you’d be surprised what can be in baby foods. With the advice of our holistic pediatrician, we started with orange vegetables (roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin), green vegetables (peas, broccoli, string beans), fruits (avocado, strawberries, bananas, apples, pears), meats and fish (rotisserie chicken is a great one or even the meat and veggies from chicken soup) and grains (quinoa is a fantastic source of nutrition and really easy for kids to eat). Advice regarding nuts has changed over the last year. New research indicates early exposure to trace amounts of nuts helps decrease allergies. Be sure to check with your pediatrician on the most accurate data and don’t be afraid to do research of your own – it can take a while for new studies to make it to your Dr.’s desk. Most of all, listen to your gut – mother’s intuition is a real thing. Be patient with yourself and your child – this is new for both of you.  If something is not working, change it up. I knew the way I approached eating with my son wasn’t successful so I did things differently with my daughter. She eats just about everything from fish to quinoa and she makes a massive mess in the process, but she has a healthy appetite for new foods and is an independent eater. If it means I need an extra paper towel to mop it up after, well, that’s a small price to pay.

Looking for a little more guidance on feeding your family? Contact me for a free consultation at [email protected].

Happy Exploring!
Jen Khalaf
Holistic Health Coach, Thrive Hive Wellness
Follow me on Facebook: Thrive Hive Wellness

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Kidz Central Station’s Plaza Hotel Event

Take in the sights of the Plaza Hotel during Kidz Central Station’s event this Veteran’s Day (November 11), from 5-7:30pm.

Make it a family early evening on the town and enjoy activities including face painting, a magician show, dj glow stick dance party, photo booth, and much more!

In honor of Veteran’s Day a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Bob Woodruff Foundation to help disabled veterans.

Don’t miss out! Join Kidz Central Station and their partners for this amazing fall event! To register, click here.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Celebrate the World Series Like This!

It’s Game 6 of the World Series tonight, and whether you’re a Cleveland Indians or Chicago Cubs fan, we all know the best way to cheer on your team is through the food.

Here are some fun things to try out if you are the lucky party host!

1. For the cheese lovers.
2. For the pizza lovers.
3. For the peanut lovers.
4. For the people at the party trying to be healthy.
5. For the people at the party trying to be unhealthy.

Happy game watching, everyone!

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Ghouls, Ghosts, and Goblins, OH MY!

On the hunt for a perfect Halloween costume this year? Fear no more because we’ve done our research so you don’t have to!

Take a look at what category best fits you and then suit up for a fun night of trick-or-treating!

1. For the gamer
2. For the movie-buff
3. For the traditionalist
4. For the family outing
5. For the DIY-er
6. For the emoji-obsessed
7. For the youngster
8. For the tween
9. For the too old to be trick-or-treater
10. For the pup

Happy Haunting!

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

What You Need to Know About SIDS

Sorry to be a downer with this article, but we want to make sure everyone is aware of every new parents greatest fear, SIDS.

SIDS is very rare, but such a great fear because we don’t know why it happens. The best way to prevent SIDS is to have your baby sleep on his/her back. Most SIDS cases happen between one to four months, with 90% of all cases happening before six months of age.

 Ways to prevent SIDS:

1. Have the baby sleep on his/her back
2. Sleep in the same room (not bed) as baby
3. Be firm about baby’s sleep spot
4. Choose baby’s bedding carefully
5. Keep baby from overheating
6. Breastfeed as much and for as long as you can
7. Stick to your doctor’s schedule
8. Avoid smoke
9. Offer a pacifier
10. Avoid baby sleeping in a car seat, swing, or stroller for long periods of time

The data for this article was from The Bump.com.

 

Written by our CEO & Founder, Lindsay Bell

Event: Turn Each Good into a Greater Good

This Sunday, goods for good, a nonprofit using microenterprise to transform orphan care in Southern Africa, will host their family-focused Kids for Good: Meet Me in Malawi on October 23rd from 10:30 am –1:30 pm at 501 Union, Brooklyn. The event will feature African drumming, a magic show, music, and arts and crafts while raising support for their programs in Malawi.

goods for good empowers local communities in Southern Africa to transform orphan care. By partnering directly with Malawian community centers that care for orphans, goods for good gives communities the resources and industry knowledge required to build successful businesses. In so doing, these community centers become fiscally equipped to support orphan care, all while creating living wage jobs that boost the local economy. So far, goods for good has launched ten community businesses and forty household businesses that have helped provide 95,000 orphans and vulnerable children with the care they need.

Three years ago, goods for good realized there was a real need to get families involved in learning about other parts of the world and giving back to kids in need. From this—Kids for Good was born! Now in its third year, Kids for Good uses entertainment, arts & crafts, and interactive learning to get kids involved in goods for good’s mission of empowering communities to transform orphan care.

“We take great pride in Kids for Good,” founder Melissa Kushner says, “and it’s largely because this event naturally captures children’s behaviors and uses them as a way to teach them more about Malawi and what we do. By harnessing kids’ energy in familiar activities and then giving them a twist, we’re able to get kids excited about learning, exploring the world, and making a difference.”

For more information about the event, please e-mail Kathleen Rommel at [email protected].

For tickets, visit give.goodsforgood.org/MeetMeinMalawi.

GOODS FOR GOOD - Malawi Project Awareness Tour: UFULU Community Center [Day 1]

When Your Baby Hits Their Head

When your baby falls and bumps their head, mama calls the doctor and the doctor said..

When your baby hits his/her head for the first time it is no joking matter. A wave of fear, nervousness, and helplessness overcomes you. I was out at a work meeting when I came home to my husband and baby. My baby was cheerful as usual, but then my husband looks at me intently and says “I **cked up.”

I immediately get that sinking feeling in my stomach and he goes into how the baby fell out of his swing. I remain as calm as I can and pick up my baby, analyzing his body for any bumps or bruises. He looks fine. I then call my sister who has toddler twins (that fell constantly) and asked her what she recommended. She gave me a few stories about how the girls fell and then said to call the pediatrician just in case. We make the call and the doctor calls us back within 20 minutes.

The doctor was calm and asked us for a play by play. She said the couple she spoke to prior to us had the same thing happen.

We were instructed to do the following:

1. Scope out his body for any bumps or bruises.
2. Pay special attention to the baby’s head exactly where he fell.
3. Be aware of any troubled breathing or changes in breathing patterns.
4. Be aware of any projectile vomiting.

I couldn’t hear the monitor well at night, so I slept in the nursery with the sleep machine off to hear better. I checked on him every hour or so (I couldn’t sleep anyway), and then monitored him for a full 24 hours for any changes in behavior, vomiting, or trouble breathing.

He seemed fine. In  the end, I’m glad we called the doctor and I stayed in the same room as him. It gave me a piece of mind.

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Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

Village Maternity Making a Difference

There are a lot of options for an expecting mother on how she would like her pregnancy to go. A lot can go as planned, but of course some people have to roll with the punches and figure it out along the way.

Birth transforms your life and body completely. Whom you select as your pregnancy caregiver makes all the difference in determining the satisfaction and safety of your pregnancy journey and birth experience.

Village Maternity believes the best birth for mom and baby comes from blending the unique strengths of midwives and doctors with the safety of a wonderful hospital partner.

‎The Village Maternity team firmly believe that true collaboration of midwives and doctors provides you with the safest and most satisfying birth experience. They approach your pregnancy with energy and enthusiasm and strive to help make your care with Village Maternity an amazing journey.

Village Maternity proudly collaborates with Metropolitan Hospital – a hidden gem for NYC families. Among Manhattan birth sites, Metropolitan has a long history of true midwifery care, including support for unmedicated birth with one of the lowest epidural rates. Metropolitan has one of the lowest cesarean section rates and the least overcrowding.  Metropolitan physicians provide support for one of the highest rates of vaginal birth after cesarean section.

Village Maternity offers both Maternity Care (prenatal and postpartum) as well as Preconception Care. Not to mention 24/7 phone access. How reassuring to have your doctor a call away. They even have weekend and evening office hours. Village Maternity offices are conveniently based in midtown east.

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Note: Village Maternity did not pay for this post. I met the doctors at Village Maternity and truly believe in their mission. For more information please visit their website.

Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

What an Upset Kid Is Trying to Say

Tantrums and kids are two things parents wish never went together. Unfortunately, parents can only put off the inevitable for so long, and are in the position to help their child through something that upsets them.

A Bell Family mom that uses approaches from this article says, “I see this to be effective in certain situations, but in others I feel like the child has too much control, therefore running the show and their parents in circles.”

Read the full article titled, “What an Upset Kid Is Really Trying to Say” from Goop, and let us know your thoughts!

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell