Have you ever wanted to know what your kids are up to while you are away? Daily Nanny helps to give a comprehensive view of just that in their app!
We recently had the opportunity to team up with the creators of the Daily Nanny app, to learn more about how it works, and why parents everywhere should add this to their download list. Read below for our Q&A!
Q: How can a user download the app? Is there a fee associated with it?
Daily Nanny is a one time charge of $4.99 to get access to all app features. Visit the iOS app store or Google Play to download.
Q: What does a user do once the app is downloaded/opened?
For parents, when you first open the app you’ll sign up, enter some basic information, enter your kids information, and then invite your nanny. Then you are brought right into the app and you can start using it right away! Not only can nannies use Daily Nanny to keep parents informed, but parents can also use it to keep spouses informed, or just use it as a way to store meaningful information about your kids early years. Parents can keep track of naps, meals, medicine etc, and store photos as well.
For nannies, you sign up, and if you were invited by a parent, you’ll see the kids you care for right away. If not, you can enter the kids you care for and invite their parents to use the app. Nannies can keep track of hours and overtime as well, so parents and nannies are always on the same page.
Q: How do I navigate the app? What information and tools are available to me within the app?
The app is very simple to use. There are four tabs. For parents, the first tab gives you a timeline of everything that has happened today, including meals, naps, photos and more. The second tab is a photo gallery of all the photos you or your nanny has uploaded of your kids. You can comment on photos, save them to your device, and share them with friends. The third tab is a group messaging thread between you, your nanny, and anyone else added to receive notifications about your kids. And the fourth tab lists your kids, detailed information about them, and allows you to go back in time and see what was entered in the past!
For nannies, everything is the same except for the first tab. You can clock in for the day and track your hours, see how much money is owed for the week, as well as manage all your shifts in the past. You can mark shifts as paid and enter/edit shifts in the past.
For a video walkthrough of the app and additional information, check out the Daily Nanny website!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Category Archives: Childcare
Inside Scoop on Explore + Discover Early Learning Center
Along Second Avenue in New York City, you’ll come across an organization like no other. Explore + Discover Early Learning Center is an organization that provides both excellent and unique childcare in the heart of Manhattan. Infants and toddlers will feel right at home as they receive nurturing care, and learn life-long social and physical skills.
Bell Family had the opportunity to talk with the Co-Founder & President of Explore + Discover for a Q&A, to provide a quick guide for families on why this should be their new go-to for childcare.
Q: How does a family apply to be part of Explore + Discover? How much advance time should a family give for the application process? Do you offer all age programs?
Families begin the application process by calling and setting up a time to visit the center. Once the date/time are scheduled, prospective parents (with or without child/children) come in for a visit with our Director and/or Educational Director. This accomplishes a number of important objectives, including but not limited to:
– Giving us an opportunity to learn more about the child and family.
– Allowing us to more completely explain how the program operates, and answer any questions.
– Letting the family see the facility, and the program in action.
Families begin the application process by calling and setting up a time to visit the center. Once the date/time are scheduled, prospective parents (with or without child/children) come in for a visit with our Director and/or Educational Director. This accomplishes a number of important objectives, including but not limited to:
– Giving us an opportunity to learn more about the child and family.
– Allowing us to more completely explain how the program operates, and answer any questions.
– Letting the family see the facility, and the program in action.
We recommend that if a family is considering applying to the program at that point, that they fill out an application and pay the application fee at the time of their visit. This allows the family to be in the queue, and if they should decide to take next steps to join the program, we have their information and are able to move things along fairly quickly.
Advance time is always recommended—we have some families who come to us when they are thinking of conceiving, which is wonderful (and frankly pretty forward-thinking from a family-planning POV). At the same time, we keep our doors open to families who may not make preparations in advance, and if we can accommodate them, we are happy to!
Q: What does a common day look like for an infant or toddler at Explore + Discover? What kind of activities can they expect to be apart of?
A typical day for a child at Explore + Discover involves a combination of open exploration, thoughtfully planned creative experiences, and careful attention to caregiving routines.
We believe that allowing children time for exploration through free play each day is vital for social and emotional growth. Each classroom environment is designed with the age and developmental level of the children in mind, offering high quality open-ended materials to encourage creative play.
We also offer a variety of open-ended art and musical experiences throughout the week. Art specialists, as well as classroom teachers, plan engaging activities as a creative outlet for the children. Painting, mark making or drawing, working with clay, and collage are just a sampling of the experiences in our art studio.
Many of our teachers play the guitar and each class is visited by the music teachers, where they listen to, and eventually sing along with familiar songs and rhymes. As part of our Music Before Words program, the children are exposed to a variety of instruments. They are encouraged to listen to the sounds, move to the music, and even touch or play each instrument.
A thoughtful focus on caregiving makes Explore + Discover unique. Feeding, sleeping, and diapering routines are looked at as a time for bonding and beginning to encourage independence.
We believe that allowing children time for exploration through free play each day is vital for social and emotional growth. Each classroom environment is designed with the age and developmental level of the children in mind, offering high quality open-ended materials to encourage creative play.
We also offer a variety of open-ended art and musical experiences throughout the week. Art specialists, as well as classroom teachers, plan engaging activities as a creative outlet for the children. Painting, mark making or drawing, working with clay, and collage are just a sampling of the experiences in our art studio.
Many of our teachers play the guitar and each class is visited by the music teachers, where they listen to, and eventually sing along with familiar songs and rhymes. As part of our Music Before Words program, the children are exposed to a variety of instruments. They are encouraged to listen to the sounds, move to the music, and even touch or play each instrument.
A thoughtful focus on caregiving makes Explore + Discover unique. Feeding, sleeping, and diapering routines are looked at as a time for bonding and beginning to encourage independence.
Q: What are some key items you look to teach the children that attend Explore + Discover? Tell us about your mission.
At Explore + Discover, our goal is to set the foundation for children to become lifelong learners.
We encourage them to investigate their curiosities and wonderings by providing an engaging classroom environment and enriching open-ended materials.
We believe that teachers are partners in learning rather than the keepers of knowledge, therefore providing opportunities for exploration, creating, and questioning.
Using the children’s natural interests and developmental stage as a starting point, the teachers design curriculum unique to each group. By the time the children leave E+D, it is our hope that they have developed the self-confidence, problem solving skills, and inquisitiveness needed to navigate the upcoming years of school.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
At Explore + Discover, our goal is to set the foundation for children to become lifelong learners.
We encourage them to investigate their curiosities and wonderings by providing an engaging classroom environment and enriching open-ended materials.
We believe that teachers are partners in learning rather than the keepers of knowledge, therefore providing opportunities for exploration, creating, and questioning.
Using the children’s natural interests and developmental stage as a starting point, the teachers design curriculum unique to each group. By the time the children leave E+D, it is our hope that they have developed the self-confidence, problem solving skills, and inquisitiveness needed to navigate the upcoming years of school.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
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
When to Part Ways with Swaddling
Swaddling a newborn seems to have turned into a form of art. So, for all of the parents out there who want their inner-Picasso to shine, now’s your time!
As for those parents whose art skills don’t go beyond their elementary school coloring book, there’s the thought, “How much longer do I need to wrap my newborn up like a burrito?”
In a recent post published by The Bump, they talk about the best time to stop swaddling your baby.
“Parents 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.”
Rest assured parents, the constant swaddling does have an end point! 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.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Baby Bathing Tricks
Bathing a baby can be quite an adventure. Is the water too hot, too cold, too deep? How long should the bath last? And why is the baby STILL squirming?
In a recent article published by The Bump, they give a step-by-step guide on how to safely bathe a baby – all in efforts to make bath time a fun adventure instead of a stressful one.
We outlined the first steps of the guide below. For the full article including bath-side setup, check out The Bump website!
- Washing station – your setup should be steady and there shouldn’t be anything hard or sharp for baby to accidentally knock against
- Warm room – keep the temperature raised so it’s not a shock to baby’s system when she comes out of the bath.
- Water – fill the tub about three inches with water a little bit warmer than lukewarm. Use pitcher or cup to pour water over baby and rinse off.
- Soap – go easy on the amount, because too much can dry out baby’s skin.
- Washcloths – Designate a certain color or pattern used specifically for bath time so you don’t confuse them for diaper cloths.
- Special treatments – diaper cream, cradle cap treatment, or any other remedies should be within reach.
- Timing – pay attention to baby’s mood after bath time. If he/she is energetic and ready to play, bathe during the day. If more mellow, make it a pre-bedtime activity.
- Procedure – Start by soaking baby a little. Always keep one hand on baby, and remember that infants are slippery when wet. If baby needs cradle cap treatment, put this on first, then come back to rinse after you’ve washed the rest of the body. Start from the top and work your way down. Wash the face first, cleaning one area at a time. As you move down the body, thoroughly wash inside all the folds. Sweat and skin can get stuck in those areas and fester, causing nasty rashes, so it’s important to keep them as clean and dry as possible. Save baby’s dirtiest parts (aka the diaper area) for last. Then, move back up and wash baby’s hair. Since infants lose most of their heat through their heads, this should be your very last move. If the water is still warm you can engage in a little playtime, but resist the urge to splash for too long — as the water chills, baby will quickly get cold.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
Potty Training Seminar (February 4th)
Do you have, or know anyone who has toddlers ready to be potty trained? If so, you’re in luck because this weekend, NYC Potty Training is hosting a Potty Training Seminar!
The event is hosted by Samantha Allen, founder of NYC Potty Training, who has received great praise from one of our Bell Family moms saying, “She’s incredible! I used her for my son when we were desperate for help and she got him trained in a weekend!”
If you aren’t able to attend the event this weekend, there’s still good news! You can have Samantha Allen (founder), speak to families at your child’s school about methods and strategies for seamless potty training in 1-2 days. Samantha is also available to speak at private events.
If you are interested in attending the event, you can purchase tickets here, but hurry because the event has been sold out the last two years!
3rd Annual Seminar by NYC Potty Training
Leman Manhattan Preparatory School
Saturday, February 4, 2017 from 10AM-11AM (ET)
New York, NY
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
Meet New York Sleep Coach
It’s time to learn how to sleep train your little ones, and give parents everywhere a life with more sleep.
We had the opportunity to talk with Kylee Sallak, founder of New York Sleep Coach, and the creator of Happy Parents, Happy Child method of sleep training. Read below to find out more about her and the impressive work done by New York Sleep Coach.
Q: What experiences or motivational factors helped lead you to create New York Sleep Coach?
Creating NYSC was a culmination of 16 years of helping families and one big recent ‘ah-ha’ moment with a close friend who wasn’t able to convince her 14 month old to nap. While I have many years of sleep training behind me, it wasn’t solidified that I could create something this acutely helpful until I saw my sleep-deprived friend feeling hopeless with her toddler’s sleep. It was enormously motivating to realize that I can be of service to parents in such a short and transformative period of time. At my core, I am a nurturer and have always found myself needing to care for others. NYSC has given me the privilege to nurture parents, so they can be at their best to nurture their kids.
Q: What are the benefits of hiring a sleep coach for a child?
The primary reason parents choose to work with me is because they have tried on their own and always end up caving in at some early stage of the process out of fear, being too sleepy to keep with it, or a combination of both. Parents report that working with me helped them feel confident in their decision to sleep train and supported during the periods they would have otherwise caved in. I make sure that parents who work with me are getting accurate facts about sleep, support, encouragement and walk away feeling empowered with tools to uphold their decision to sleep train.
A lack of restorative sleep negatively affects your child’s mood, their gross and fine motor development, their appetite, short and long-term cognitive development, and their ability to handle frustration. Fewer tantrums and cheery moods are the outwardly and immediately noticeable perks for your little ones. If your child is sleeping soundly all night, and napping well during the day, you also have the opportunity to be getting quality rest. Uninterrupted time spent with your partner, both in and out of the bedroom, waking up more refreshed, having more patience when are you with your little one(s), and being more productive during your awake hours. These are the notable perks for the parents. And while it may not seem so obvious right now, there is a significant domino effect and implications of not sleep training your child that extends beyond toddler and preschool years into primary school and beyond.
Q: We like your approach on common sense sleep training, can you share a few tips for new parents?
I am happy to share the most commonly missed practices, which are also the most immediately impactful practices you can start using today. So many parents I speak to are doing only 1 or 2 of these tips, and some parents aren’t utilizing any of them. This is usually because they either hadn’t gotten around to trying, or because they didn’t believe these would work for their baby or young child. Either way, I would recommend giving these a try even if you are skeptical. These are going to make a noticeable difference if done consistently. And if you get stuck along the way and feel you need more support, I am here to help parents just like you get over this bump in the road!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
Development Milestones Ages 2-12 Months
Moms and Dads everywhere are snapping photos of their child’s first smile, laugh, wave, and the big one – steps! We’d call these moments milestones in a child’s life, and the same probably goes for the parents, too.
The CDC.gov website provides an impressive list of milestones for children ages two months to five years old. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the top ones focusing on children ages 2-12 months.
2 months:
Begins to smile
Coos
Can hold up own head
4 months:
Copies some movements/facial expressions
Babbles with expression
Lets you know if they’re happy or sad
6 months:
Rolls over
Responds to own name
Brings things to mouth
9 months:
Understands “no”
Crawls
Stands holding on
12 months:
Uses simple gestures (waves, shakes head)
Says “mama” or “dada”
Sits without help
For the complete list of milestones, click here.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell
Trimming Newborn's Finger Nails
Last week I got to spend time with both of my nephews (ages 9mo and 8mo). I don’t get to see them too often since they live states away, so when I do get the opportunity to spend time with them I am quick to snatch them up for some playtime. What I would soon find out is that playtime usually involves them grabbing my face. They laugh and giggle as they do it (baby giggles = adorable), but shortly later I find myself beginning to wince and looking for his mom to pass him back to. Why you ask? Two words: finger nails.
A baby’s finger nails are perhaps the smallest vicious thing out there if gone untreated. It’s important to keep them trimmed so they don’t scratch out themselves, as well as other people who hold them.
I recently discovered an article posted by The Bump, which asks the question, “What is the best way to trim a newborn’s finger nails?” Here are some of the answers they provided:
1. Carefully, you should wait until the baby is sound asleep so that he/she will not move as much as when he/she is awake. Then, push down on the finger tip and either clip or cut the nail. Finally, use an emery board to file and smooth out any rough edges.
2. I found it hard to trim my newborns nails. I just put gloved on her hands for the first few months. Her nails didn’t grow very long. Now that she is almost 5 months old I have to trim her nails about 1-2 times a week to keep her from scratching herself and me. I put her in my lap (crossing my leg like a man) or in a cradle position and push back on the tip of her fingers to expose the nail. Then I cut them in stages since she can’t sit still for all 10 fingers.
For the full list of answers, visit The Bump website here.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell