Category Archives: Uncategorized

Wee Ones Club to the Rescue

Have an infant and already worrying about being cooped up in your apartment all winter log?

If you live near Midtown East, sign up for a trial at Wee Ones, and hop into their Turtles and Tadpoles class! 

It’s a quaint, clean space with what seems like very happy teachers. My son and I went on a trial pass and it was a great experience! My son is 5 months and was the youngest baby in the room. The class is for 4 to 14-month-olds, which is quite a large span.  The class started with introductions followed by “tumbling” time; one baby at a time participated, while the others sat and watched. After this, there were sing-alongs, a short playtime, a puppet show of sorts, and a very colorful parachute ending.

This is their youngest class offering designed to introduce and develop skills for children who are not yet walking. Curriculum is carefully designed to explore all developmental domains of our youngest members and includes music, gentle movement, basic sign language, tumbling, parachute, and bubbles. Class structure supports language, social emotional, physical and cognitive development.

The trial was $15, and you can sign up for a semester class which comes out to approimately  $50 per class at 50 minutes per session.

I found the class on Kid Central Station. It was easy to find and easy to book! 

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Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

Installing a Nanny Cam

Thinking of installing a nanny cam? Make sure to read these laws first!

What Nanny Cam Laws Should I Know?
It can be difficult to make the decision to purchase a camera, but if you choose to, it’s important to know the legalities. Families can choose whether or not to tell their caregiver that they have a nanny cam. And there are two types of laws you need to be aware of: ones for video surveillance and ones for audio recordings.

  • Video surveillance laws: It’s legal to install a nanny cam in all 50 states, even if you choose to videotape your nanny without her consent. However, you can’t tape her in private areas of your home, such as the bathroom or a live-in nanny’s bedroom. If you do install a nanny cam, be sure to do so in common spaces, such as the kitchen or playroom.
  • Speech laws: While you can videotape your nanny, several states have laws to protect against audio recordings. If you live in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania or Washington, you must notify your nanny if you have a nanny cam that records both audio and video. Not only could you be prosecuted for violating this law, but any evidence of abuse or neglect found on the tape could be inadmissible during legal proceedings.

For more information, read the full article provided by Care.com here.

We also found two other articles that provide helpful info if you are still debating on the nanny cam purchase.

For the NY Times article, click here.

For the Brick House Security article, click here.

Sitter 411

Are you looking for a refresher on caring for children. Here are some helpful posts we have done over the past few months to help guide sitters. It is always a good idea to stay informed and updated on the latest childcare trends as methods do change.

1. Diapering
2. Burping
3. Nap & Bedtime Schedules
4. CPR
5. Bath Time
6. Teething
7. Entertaining Kids
8. Bee Stings, Mosquito Bites and Food Allergies
9. Swaddling 

If you have any questions please contact us! We are always here to support our sitters in providing the best of care.

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Treatments for Kids

Are you looking for ways to treat some of the common pests that wiggle their way into your child’s life?

We found some great treatments that we wanted to share with you all when it comes to bee stings, mosquito bites, and food allergies. Take a read below and find pests no more!

 1. Bee Stings

What’s a normal reaction? It often includes, pain and swelling or redness around the bite. Swelling may extend beyond the sting site.

What can you do? Make sure you clean the area and apply ice if necessary, but make sure you have a garment of some sort between the ice and the child’s skin so that the ice is not directly on the skin.Then per the family’s permission you can use calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to ease the pain or discomfort of the child. If the child is struggling with the pain, tell the parent and the child may need an antihistamine.

When to call the doctor? If you see hives, swelling near the face or mouth, wheezing, restlessness or anxiety, rapid pulse, or dizziness.
— At home itch remedy: mix baking soda with water to make a paste. If you see the stinger, make sure the stinger is taken out. If you can pull out with your nails, make sure they are clean. Or if you can pull out with tweezers.

For more information on Bee Stings click here.

2. Mosquito Bites

What’s a normal reaction? When a child gets a mosquito bite they may have itching, swelling and red lumps. The size of the bite varies.

What can you do? Mosquito bites often do not require treatment, but you should encourage the child not to scratch the bite. You can apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, but speak to the parents first.

When to call the doctor? If it is large in size, yellowish drainage, crusting, warm to the touch, or the child has a fever and muscle weakness.

For bug or mosquito bites, some parents use calamine lotion. Make sure this is okay with the parents first! This will dull the itch.

For more information on bites click here.

3. Food Allergies

Overall – Make sure you get the rundown on any food allergies from the parent upon arrival. Most families keep their profile updated with this information, but in case they don’t, make sure you ask.

What can you do? You’ll want to review each ingredient label of the food the child eats. If you are still not sure, snap a photo of it and send it to the parent to review before you give the food to the child.

If the child needs an epipen, make sure you carry that at all times. The parent can train you on how to use it, or you can read and watch a tutorial video here.

For more information on food allergies click here.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Get to Know Bruce Plotkin Photography!

We’re introducing one of our favorite event photographers, Bruce Plotkin, in our latest Q&A blog post.

Get to know the face behind the photographer who is snapping great memories for clients all around the New York and Connecticut Metropolitan area.

Q: You grew up being surrounded by photography with your father being a photographer himself. Is your father the biggest inspiration as to why you chose to be a photographer?
Dad was certainly a big influence in my becoming a photographer. He was a wedding and portrait photographer in Worcester, Mass, where I grew up, for 40 years and photographed generations of families, many of whom still stop me to tell me how his photographs grace their homes. A week ago I actually photographed a wedding in the Adirondacks and the mother of the groom was not only someone I graduated high school with, but my dad photographed her wedding.  A wonderful feeling of continuity.

Q: What is the most rewarding thing you get from being a photographer? Is there a particular event/subject you enjoy capturing the most?
The most rewarding part of being a wedding photographer is in delivering the finished product to the bride and groom and their families, whether on-line or in album form, and hearing from them about thrilled they were with the results, and that I was able to capture all the key moments (including at times ones they never even witnessed), and that I clearly succeeded in creating a document of their wedding day that they’ll be able to share with generations to come.

Initially I wanted nothing to do with wedding photography and spent the first two decades of my career as a NYC based advertising and magazine photographer, with kids as my primary focus. I photographed everything from ads for Huggies diapers to Jello, and had covers of both Time and US News and World Report.  When I decided to shift gears and devote myself to photographing weddings, which has been my principal focus for nearly the last two decades, I discovered the world of contemporary wedding photojournalism, more of a story telling approach to creatively and unobtrusively documenting the wedding day. For me this new life was truly coming full circle, and I never looked back.

Q: It looks like most weddings that you’ve covered are in the New York and Connecticut areas. Are these your primary locations? What other events could people hire you for?
While most of my weddings take place in the New York/Ct. Metropolitan area, they have indeed taken me everywhere from Maine to the Caribbean. This year, in addition to last week’s trip to Lake George’s wedding,  I’ve travelled from Washington, DC to the campus of Penn State U. Always excited by these new adventures.

While I do, on occasion, photograph other types of events, and often photograph the babies of my brides and grooms, my main focus remains photographing beautiful wedding celebrations.

Bruce Plotkin

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Meet Greenwich Moms in Our Q&A

We’re introducing Greenwich Moms and their awesome website that serves as a one-stop-source for all things parenting and kid-friendly.

We had the opportunity to chat with Layla, a mom who knows it all about Greenwich. Take a read at our Q&A and learn all about GreenwichMoms.com.

Q: What inspired and led you to create the site, Greenwich Moms?

I grew up in Greenwich and I knew from the moment I left, that I wanted to come back and raise my family here. Even for me, being a long time resident, I found that I really needed to re-discover the town from the point of view of a mom. So why not make it easier by having everything mom-related at your fingertips! (It is equally as much for me as everyone else!)

The success of GreenwichMoms.com has caught on quickly. We have partnered with moms in nearby towns to make this valuable resource available…hyper-local… 24/7.

We applaud our partners for successful launches of New Canaan Moms and Darien Moms with more to come!

Q: What kind of information can someone find on your site? What makes it unique?

GreenwichMoms.com was founded with the simple goal of giving moms the gift of time! We provide a comprehensive collection of resources about the local community, and opportunities to connect and engage with families nearby, to learn from… and support one another! We also create and maintain strong partnerships with businesses that help our readers navigate their town and their role as a parent.

The website includes a calendar of events in the area, a place for sharing your own experiences and connecting to other families, a guide to neighborhood stores and restaurants, an introduction to the local school system—and also general information helpful to all families including tips for healthy and happy living, local insights, new product reviews, and articles and posts highlighting the joyous confusion that comes along with being a parent.

GreenwichMoms.com offers two blogs—one of which spotlights a kid friendly event every day, and the other which covers everything else having to do with parenting in Greenwich (and beyond). We have made supporting local moms and inspiring, strong, mom entrepreneurs. a major part of our role as a community-building website.

Finally, we feature a local mom every other week. What better way to create a sense of community than to introduce ourselves to one another?

Q: Being a long-time resident of Greenwich, CT yourself, what are some of your favorite things to do around the city (town) with your little ones?

My favorite family friendly event of the year, Go Wild!, is coming up soon! A number of our friends in NYC bring their families to Greenwich for the day to join the fun. I’m a kid at heart and pulling up to an event with three giant hot air balloons makes me just as excited as the kids. It is the perfect way to end a fun filled summer.

GreenwichMoms.com also hosts a number of events. Our event at JCrew is one that stands out as we continue to bring families together and offer opportunities for moms to enjoy a cup of coffee and shop for themselves while storytellers and creative workshops keep the kids entertained. Our next event is coming up on September 17th!

I love being outdoors with the kids. From an afternoon at Tod’s Point beach to apple picking in the Fall, I can only hope that our kids will one day realize how lucky they are to have the town of Greenwich as their playground.

Follow all of Greenwich Mom’s adventures through their Instagram and Facebook pages. Just search for @Greenwich_Moms!

GreenwichMoms

Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

The Four Month Sleep Regression

My just then turned four month old was ‘the man’ when it came to sleeping through the night. Since he reached three months old he was sleeping 7-8 hours at a time. Then, it was time for him to move to his big boy bedroom and transition from rock n’ play to the crib.

He took to the crib after a few days, but then suddenly he started waking up every 2-3 hours. WHAT?!?!

Apparently, this is what experts call the “four month sleep regression.” This article from Alpha Mom is spot on with my experience!

The four month sleep regression can start as early as three months or as late as five (or even six) months. It happens for a bunch of reasons:

1) A simultaneous growth and developmental spurt.

2) Changes in sleep patterns — around four months a baby’s sleep gets more like ours.

3) Changes in sleep needs — as if there wasn’t enough going on, the baby is probably in the middle of a nap transition, too. This means they are close to eliminating one.

My son is now five months old and worked his way out of the regression – it lasted about a week. Heads up to all of those new moms out there!

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Written by our Founder & CEO, Lindsay Bell

Learn to Be a Diapering Master

There are always questions that linger about the proper way to diaper an infant or toddler. We put together some basic rules to keep in mind so the next time it’s time to change, you’ll be taking care of business like a pro!

1. Remove the used diaper and clean between the folds of baby’s skin. Use gentle diaper wipes if the baby has very sensitive skin, or if he/she seems allergic use a wet cloth (with luke warm water).
IMPORTANT: Remember to always wipe front to back.

2. Raise baby carefully by the ankles and slide a clean diaper underneath. The colorful markings should be on the front, facing you. The stretchy tabs are in the back and get wrapped to the front.

3. Close the diaper and adjust the stretchy tabs. Make sure it isn’t too tight or too loose. You should be able to fit two fingers snuggly between the diaper and their stomach.

Top Tips:

Remember it’s important to check the baby’s diaper frequently. Change after every poop, and after every nap or feed (on average this is every three hours).

Cover the baby boy’s penis with a diaper or burp cloth while changing him to prevent getting a surprise shower yourself.

If you start to experience frequent leaks, it might be time to move up to the next diaper size.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

Get to Know Rockets of Awesome

Rockets of Awesome is the latest and greatest when it comes to shopping with the little ones. No more chasing kids down aisles, packing up the stroller, or dealing with a public tantrum. Rockets of Awesome brings stress-free and stylish shopping right to your doorstep through their website.

Now who’s excited to go back to school shopping?

Take a read through our Q&A with Rachel Blumenthal, Founder of Rockets of Awesome, to learn more about the new way to shop!

Q: What was your biggest inspiration to create a business like Rockets of Awesome?

As a mom, I’ve always been frustrated at having to choose between style and value when it came to my kids clothes. I also can’t keep up with the demand of how quickly they grow. The minute I had unpacked the boxes of e-comm orders, my son was telling me his pants were too short, and my daughter’s belly was hanging out of her tops (#momfail). Through my own experiences and hearing the same from the Cricket’s Circle community, I knew I could come up with a smart solution. I set out to create a highly personalized, thoughtful experience to replace the disjointed, time-consuming process we have been forced to endure for so long. Rockets of Awesome delivers stylish, high-quality kids clothing at an incredible value – and takes an errand off every parent’s to-do list.

For kids that are particular with their outfits, are they able to select specific items? What about those that have no idea what they want to wear – how do you select clothes for them?

As the shopping solution for parents, our truly personalized experience simplifies the process of shopping for awesome kids clothing – from end to end. When a customer takes the style quiz on our site, they can indicate their kids’ preferences from style to color to fit and more. If their child doesn’t like red, they’ll never see a red item in their box! After receiving their first box, keeping what they want and sending back what they don’t, they’ll be able to shop a la carte in their own personalized shop, curated based on their kids’ preferences. Unlike any other brand, we’re really here to simplify and personalize the shopping experience to deliver high-quality, stylish pieces that parents and their kids will love – all at an incredible value.

While kids and parents aren’t able to select pieces for their box, we’re able to quickly cater to our customers’ wants and needs using data from their preferences and purchases to inform future collections. Combining customer driven curation with insights from our team of talented in-house designers, we’re able to continuously deliver a thoughtful assortment of outfits parents and their kids will love. And of course, if you see something you love on the playground that isn’t in your box or shop, we’ll do our best to get it to you.

What’s inside a shipment from Rockets of Awesome and what will the customer be charged for?

Each box includes 12 items. There’s no commitment – keep what you want, send back what you don’t. There is no fee to join (and no styling fee or any other fee for that matter), you only pay for what you keep. There’s literally no catch, everything we do is to simplify the lives of parents and deliver our customers the type of experience we want ourselves.

If a customer decides not to keep the clothes, how does your return policy work?

Customers have 10 days to return the Rockets of Awesome items that weren’t a fit. Returns are tracked, and once received, Rockets of Awesome will charge the customer only for the pieces they decided to keep.

What makes Rockets of Awesome different from other online clothing companies?

Rockets of Awesome not only makes shopping much easier for parents end-to- end, but also designs stylish, high quality-kids clothing at an incredible value. We give parents the best of all worlds – personalization, membership cadence, and on demand e-commerce all through a vertical brand. Producing our own product enables us to quickly tweak design according to customer feedback, and selling it direct to consumer allows us to price pieces at an exceptional value. We truly want to simplify the lives of parents and do the work for them.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell

The Nursing While Walking Mom

Spotted! It’s a mom who’s nursing while walking.

Have you ever done this?

I was headed to the mall with my mom when my lil’ guy got hungry. I did not want to spend my special time with my mom sitting in a fitting room nursing for the next hour. So, I got my son situated on my breast and wrapped a light scarf over us and continued shopping. I got some looks, but I also had moms come up to me saying that was them a few days ago.

Phew, I’m not alone!

I think mothers can agree, we just do what we can to make it work and still have a life. Otherwise, we feel like we’re at the mercy of our nursing child.

I don’t ever feel annoyed by how much he feeds, and he feeds often. I just try to find ways to make it work for both of us. I do like nursing, and still do our chair feedings, but it’s also nice to be able to move around!

Just be careful if you need to walk and nurse. Wear flat comfortable shoes and have a buddy with you so you are not alone.

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Written by our CEO & Founder, Lindsay Bell