Letting a new person into your home to watch your child can seem like a daunting matter. There are so many childcare services out there, but not all of them are a good fit for your family.
It’s so important to be thorough in your childcare search and here is why.
In a recent article published on the CafeMom website, they share a story of a mom who hired a sitter, and then discovered through her online search that she was a felon!
The mom was in a bind when her usual babysitter cancelled that morning, and she had (stay-at-home) work to be done on a deadline. With the family being new to the area they didn’t know anyone else nearby. As a result, the mom turned to a “Sitters and Tutors” Facebook group.
When the sitter (who claimed to be a mom herself) arrived, all seemed normal and the toddler gravitated toward her immediately. The mom soon got back to looking into the credentials of the Facebook group, and those of the girl that was now in her house watching her child. That is when the discovery of the fraudulent babysitter occurred. Upon her further investigation, the mom found out that the sitter only had nine friends, and a profile picture that was a stock image of a fireplace. That made it relevant that her Facebook profile/group was fake, and the identity of the sitter was a mystery.
The mom managed to handle the situation calmly and collectively, and got the sitter out of the house with her not suspecting she was onto her. However, when the mom returned to her computer to Google the sitter, she found her mug shot and read that she was previously arrested for credit card theft.
This story is alarming for any parent to read, and makes it evident that families need to be extra cautious as to where they are seeking childcare.
This is why Bell Family Company is a great fit for your childcare needs:
– Our core mission is to provide the highest quality family care in a convenient & efficient manner.
– Our sitters and nannies are the best in the business and become true, long term role models for your children.
– Our GoodHire Background Check Process provides parents peace of mind that their little ones are always in great hands.
– Our comprehensive suite of offerings reduces daily stress for today’s busy families.
– We are a licensed, bonded & insured.
Sign up today to be apart of our family, and to have yours in great hands!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
All posts by lindsay-bell
Training Thursday Vol. 7 – Swaddling
Welcome to volume seven of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on how to swaddle.
Swaddling is currently coached to new parents in most NYC hospitals. Swaddling starts when a baby is born, till approximately four months old. Swaddling’s purpose is to create a womb like experience for the baby to feel soothed. It’s important to make sure the cloth is not near the baby’s face – the cloth should be wrapped at the baby’s shoulders. Swaddling takes practice, so try it a few times by watching our video until you get it. Many swaddling blankets also have instruction on it.
In a post published by The Bump, they talk about the best time to stop swaddling your baby.
“Parents and Caregivers should stop swaddling their babies by three or four months. At this time, most full-term infants are acclimated to life outside of the womb and no longer crave the constriction of a swaddle.”
Once the baby has reached the four month milestone, he/she takes to moving around in their sleep. Don’t be alarmed – this is good news, as it gives the baby exercise and helps them develop towards even greater milestones, such as crawling and walking.
For the full article on The Bump website, click here.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby. These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.
Children Vs. Night Terrors
It’s the middle of the night and your child wakes up calling out your name. You think they are suffering from a nightmare, but then you realize that nothing is working to help console your child. This is because your child is not suffering from a nightmare, but a night terror.
A night terror is different than a nightmare. When night terrors happen, most of the brain is asleep, but the small part that controls a child’s movement, voice, and expression actually remains awake. Because night terrors happen during non-REM sleep, parents can’t wake their child from the episode or console them.
With nightmares, parents can comfort their children by talking to them, hugging them, or turning on a light. Children usually remember nightmares the next morning, unlike night terrors.
To help prevent your child from night terrors, LULLY provides their audience with the Sleep Guardian 2. The Sleep Guardian 2 automatically vibrates to prevent night terrors before they start. It learns about your child’s sleep, and vibrates at just the right time. Then, its smart sensors detect when your child stirs, indicating it’s time to turn off. This means your child stays asleep, and you can too!
All information was gathered by LULLY.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Training Thursday Vol. 6 – Prepping for Outside
Welcome to volume six of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on how to prep children for the outdoors.
As it gets warmer outside, you’ll need to prepare for outside with the kids!
1. Pack your diaper bag/tote with essentials.
Water bottle or sippy cup, food/snacks, blanket to sit on, bib, sunscreen, wipes/sanitizer, hat for the child(ren), diapers, extra pair of clothes in case of blow-outs/spills.
2. Keep the kids in the shade as much as you can.
This is the best way to avoid sunburn, rashes, or the constant reapplication of sunscreen.
3. Keep yourself hydrated.
It is important to take care of yourself, as you want to be healthy caring for kids.
4. Keep children away from pools, lakes, or any body of water.
If you are going swimming, make sure the child has the proper swim gear on and sunscreen. Never leave a child near water alone, even if the water is a few inches deep.
5. Be careful with ticks if you go hiking, walk through the woods, or go to the park.
Lyme disease is becoming more prevalent on the east coast. Ticks, which case Lyme disease are very small, and hard to see. Read more here.
Want more tips? Read here for summer safety tips from Parents Magazine.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby. These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.
Positive Affirmations to Inspire Mom
If your calendar alert didn’t go off reminding you that Mother’s Day is this Sunday, then consider this your official reminder.
Mother’s Day is a great time to remind moms everywhere how much they are valued, loved, and appreciated for all of the things they do. It’s important for moms to relax and reflect on all the joys motherhood brings, and appreciate the hard work they achieve each and every day.
With special thanks to Personal Creations, they provided a list of 52 Positive Affirmations to Inspire Mom, in a recent post on their website. This is a great read for moms, not only on Mother’s Day, but all days of the year! Personal Creations also provides some great printable pages to go along with the read.
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there!
“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Training Thursday Vol. 5 – Soothing a Baby
Welcome to volume five of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on how to sooth a baby or calm a child tantrum. Always note, the first step is to follow the parent’s instruction on the method they prefer.
First, how to sooth a baby.
1. Rock the baby in a quiet space in your arms, or on a rocking chair.
2. Take the baby for a walk; give him or her a change of scenery and some fresh air.
3. Make a “shhhh” sound while rocking the baby; this creates a white noise sound.
Second, help solve a child tantrum.
1. Redirect attention onto a new activity; get them excited about something else (game, picture, book, etc.).
2. Let them know it’s ok to be upset, but hitting is unacceptable.
3. Take the child out of the situation to give them space for a breather.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby. These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.
Our Favorite Toddler Books
Are you looking for a new read or two for your little one?
Thanks to my 14-month old son, Brooks, I’ve been influenced to buy about two dozen books, which has allowed me to collect some quality book reviews.
Below, you can find a short list of my son and I’s favorite books that have become apart of our bedtime routine.
1. Where is Baby’s Mommy? This was the first book I read to my son when he was a newborn, so it is sentimental to me. Every time I read to him I give him two options. If this book is ever one of the options, he always points to it! When the answer is no to the questions in the book, we shake our heads together.
2. Baby ABC. My toddler seems to be drawn to the contrast between color and black and white in this book. The photos of the babies are super cute, too.
3. Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? Baby Brooks loves to touch and feel all the animals in this book. His favorite is the walrus whiskers.
4. The Wheels on the Bus. This book was from Brooks’ cousins. This song seems to be a go-to for toddlers. That and “Itsy, Bitsy Spider” never seem to fail. This book is also a sing-a-long and pop out!
Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell
Training Thursday Vol. 4 – Kitchen Safety with Kids
Welcome to volume four of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics. This week we are featuring a training video on kitchen safety with kids!
The first bit of advice is to always follow the parent’s instruction on the family’s kitchen rules. The other advice is as follows:
- Oven: Make sure the children are always kept away from the oven to ensure they don’t touch it, or pull down the handle. Even if it is not on, it’s good practice to keep them away from it.
- Microwave: The general rule is to keep children away from it when it’s on. Pay special attention to those that are near the floor. If that is the case, keep the children away from it.
- Outlets: All outlets should have stoppers, and even if the outlet has stoppers, still keep the children away from it. It’s not something they should play with. If you are at a place without stoppers, keep the children away, or block it with another object.
- Cords: Cords should always be out of a child’s reach. The child could pull it down on themselves or wrap it around their body/neck causing strangulation.
- Cleaning Supplies: If you need to clean something up, make sure you are not spraying bleach, or any other harmful chemical around the children. Use a green friendly cleaner to wipe up the mess. Also, make sure the cleaning supplies are far from the child’s reach at ALL times.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted & FULLY VACCINATED on demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!
Training Thursday Vol. 3 – Snack Time
Welcome to volume three of Bell Family’s video training series, where each Thursday we release a video to help coach sitters on an array of childcare topics.
This week we are featuring a training video on snack time!
1. First and foremost, be cognizant of ANY and ALL food allergies. Always read ingredient labels and if you are still not certain, snap a photo of it with your phone and send to the parent to ask. Always ask if you are not 100% certain. If you see or sense an off reaction to a food, contact the parent immediately.
2. Solids typically start when the child is six months, usually in a pureed state (before six months babies digestive systems are not developed to digest solid foods). Some families make their own baby food in a food processor and some will buy baby food.
3. Once the baby is beyond pureed foods and ready for big boy/girl food, EVERYTHING needs to be chopped up in small pieces, so it’s easy to munch with their gums (as some babies don’t get teeth till 12-18 months).
4. Warning foods: grapes, blueberries, hotdogs, oranges – be wary of the casing – peel it off or chop up as much as possible.
5. Babies and children should sit in their highchair, booster, or chair at the table to keep messes in the kitchen. It’s a way for them to practice good eating habits at a table with the family.
6. For babies and toddlers use a bib, or for younger children, a placemat to keep their clothes and surrounding area as neat as possible.
7. Depending on the pediatrician, babies start drinking water around six months old. Follow the parents instruction on how much water the child should have throughout the day.
When heating foods, always test the food before you give it to a child to make sure the temperature is not too hot.
Every family has a different way of doing things. Always ask the family for full instruction on how they would like you to prepare foods.
If the child is not taking the food for some reason text the family and let them know. Always keep full records of how much the baby eats when in your care.
These videos are recommended to all BFC childcare providers to view for the latest techniques when caring for children. These videos were designed by our team comprised of long-time babysitters, full-time nannies, mothers, grandmothers, elementary educators, and social workers.
Note: Always follow the family’s instruction and care methods, and keep the family informed of everything with their baby. These videos are not required to view, but a simple recommendation. For more information or for questions, please contact our office or read our terms.
Simple Seven List of Parenting Go-To's
Bell Family gets a lot of parenting tips, newsletters, event invites, must have product pushes… you name it, it has been thrown at us on a daily basis. As we are sure you like to stay informed (just not over informed), we pulled together a simple seven list of mom groups and newsletter sites that we have found helpful in staying updated with city pregnancy and parenting.
Checkout our list below, and let us know if you have any additions that you love!
Our simple seven list of parenting go-to’s:
1. Cardamom: It’s free to download the app, and you can see local moms to meet up for a playdate.
2. Upper East Side Moms (Facebook page): This is a free group to post anything related to motherhood.
3. Manhattan Mamas Meet Up (e-mail list): You can sign up here.
4. Working Moms of Manhattan Group: You can sign up here.
5. Stroller Traffic: A good site for city moms and newsletters.
6. Big City Moms: Started by two sisters and NYC moms, Big City Moms offers a lot of good events and meet-ups.
7. Well Rounded NYC: Offers urban parenting and modern pregnancy. I like their newsletter!
Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell