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
Tag Archives: childcare
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
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
Must-Haves for Flu Season
Looking to beat cold and flu season before it hits your family? Big City Moms provides 10 must-have products to keep in your home to help fight the nasty bug this winter.
1. Crane Cool Mist Humidifier
Having a humidifier in your child’s room increases air moisture for easier breathing and a good night’s sleep.
2. NoseFrida Snotsucker
The Snotsucker was doctor invented and recommended. It’s a natural, hygienic baby booger buster.
3. Boogie Wipes
After a while, the dryness of a tissue can irritate noses. Boogie Wipes not only help combat that, but also help dissolve boogies.
4. Ella’s Kitchen Electrolyte Drink
It’s easy for your little one to get dehydrated when they are sick. It’s important that we make sure that they are properly hydrated.
5. Kinsa Ear Thermometer
You can easily take their temperature when they are sleeping to not disturb their peacefulness.
6. Saline Spray
Give their little noses some relief from congestion with these saline drops. Saline naturally breaks up mucus and these drops help give your little one some relief from congestion.
7. Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment is a multi-purpose ointment can be used for many of your baby’s skin needs.
8. Babyganics Sanitizing Wipes
There’s one thing you don’t want to do when someone in your house is sick and that’s spread germs. Keeps these wipes handy and keep everyone’s hands clean.
9. Seventh Generation Disinfection Wipes
They kill 99.99% of household germs botanically and are effective against cold and flu viruses.
10. Zarbee’s Cough Syrup
Naturally get rid of your child’s cough and soothe their throat with this formula from Zarbee’s. It’s made with antioxidant-rich dark honeys which has vitamins, minerals , and antioxidants.
Checkout the full blog post on the Big City Moms website here!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell!
Choking Hazards for Kids
In a recent article published by Lucie’s List, they talk about the most common choking hazards amongst children. Now that you are up to date with the CPR procedures from our last blog (read here), we wanted to highlight some of the items to look out for in the case you need to perform CPR.
Choking is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children, especially those aged three years or younger. More than 60% of childhood deaths due to choking occur in the first year of life.
Of 17,500 incidences of non-fatal choking here are the items kids most often choke on:
Food: 41%
Candy and gum: 19%
Other non-foods: 17%
Coins: 13%
Unknown: 10%
In the breakdown of these categories, here are some specific items to pay special caution to:
1. Balloons (other) – latex balloons were associated with 29% of deaths overall, making it the most dangerous hazard for kids. TIP: Use the Mylar balloons instead (the shiny foil ones).
2. Hot dogs (food) – about 17% of choking deaths are form hot dogs alone. TIP: Cut hot dogs length-wise before serving.
3. Grapes, carrots, and bananas (food) – the pediatrician of the article writer said that bananas are the number one choking hazard based on his personal experience. TIP: Never give your child a whole item; cut them into halves or quarters.
4. Water bottle tops (other) – bottle tops are everywhere and often ignored. TIP: Make sure the tops are always tightly sealed and/or out of the reach of children.
5. Coins – these aren’t high on the “deadly stuff” list, but coins are around everywhere especially on the ground (a kid’s favorite place to be). Pennies and nickels are the highest risk. TIP: Shiny coins often attract kids. To be safe, don’t let them play with them. Plus, they are dirty and germ-infested. Yuck!
For additional items to look out for, read the full article here.
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!
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
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.
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.
