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Grocery lists. Checklists. To-do lists. Lots of people love--and live by--lists. And parents are no exception. Today's families are busier than ever, and moms don't have the time or energy to search and scramble for the parenting information they are desperately seeking. This handy, practical reference guide will save time, money, and sanity for today's busy women.
A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists is your one-stop resource for more than 100 lists to live by, including: When to Call the Doctor Questions to Ask before Choosing a Pediatrician Sleep Training Your Baby Top Toys for the First Year Terrific Activities Toddlers Love Easy Steps for Taming Tantrums Feeding a Picky Eater Signs of a Family-Friendly Restaurant Common Childhood Allergies and Illnesses Instant Pick-Me-Ups and so much more Start saving your time, money, and sanity today!
To learn more, visit www.michellelarowe.com.
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Working Mom's 411 is your one-stop resource guide for navigating through the often choppy waters of managing kids, career and home. With extensive experience as a credentialed nanny, household manager and as a working mom herself, Michelle is sure to make you laugh out loud as she shares her expert take on the common dilemmas that working mothers face.
At your fingertips, you will find expert advice, up to date information and tried-and-true tips on everything from choosing childcare to streamlining housework, homework and more. You'll discover super solutions to problems big and small from learning how to let go of that all-too-familiar working moms guilt to dealing with family and friends who have different ideas about home moms and careers should mix. Buy Now!
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America's nanny offers a large dose of healthy parenting advice with secrets for raising happy, secure, and well-balanced babies and toddlers.
Babies don't come with instructions. And since today's parents are so overwhelmed with schedules and demands, they have little time to bone up on their parenting skills. Often removed from grandparents and relatives who in times past lived next door or just down the street, they have no one to guide them through the disorienting world of raising children. Enter Nanny to the Rescue! Michelle LaRowe, 2004 International Nanny Association "Nanny of the Year," gives her tried and true solutions to childcare. Her expertise with chapters titled "Who's the boss?" and "Discipline is not a four letter word" gives confidence to parents who need specific ideas for real day-to-day problems. A proud member of Christian Nannies, Michelle offers foundational truths sure to help encourge moms and dads.
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Faced with multiple choices regarding school, friends, and activities coupled with the ever-widening influence of the outside world, parents of 6-12 year olds need help. America's nanny is back to offer a large dose of healthy parenting advice with secrets for raising happy, secure, and well-balanced children.
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To Pay or Not To Pay… That Is the Question!
 Long gone are the days where you can convince your kid to feed the dog for a quarter. Inflation has hit the home front and chances are if you want that Mocha Latte on your way to work, you've discovered you better feed the dog yourself.
In a day where plastic has replaced paper, most kids have no understanding of the financial system of Mommy and Daddy, Inc. The concept of earning money has seemingly been lost in electronic translation.
While I am a firm believer in the "everyone plays a part" style of household management which embraces the idea that kids should not be paid for things that they have to do as their contribution to operation home front, I believe that there are things above and beyond (a.k.a. my definition of chores) that can be done which would allow for financial compensation.
From the youngest age, kids want to feel like part of the family. Even the highchair bound infant wants to be pulled up close the kitchen table and included in the chitter-chatter of dinner time. Kids want to know that they have a place and that they have value in the family unit. They want to feel like they belong.
If you have a grade-schooler think back to the first time your child "surprised" you by helping out around the house - like the time Maggie proudly announced that she had cleared the table while you were in the other room gabbing on the phone to Aunt Sally. You retuned and discovered she had alright…everything was cleared - and put right into the trash! Kids enjoy helping out and take pride in their work. One way parents can help their kids feel valued is to assign them age appropriate responsibilities.
By now you may have sensed that I am a believer that kids need to take responsibility for the routine "maintenance" activities of life - and for these daily tasks like making their bed, putting their clothes in the hamper, and picking up after themselves, I believe that the best compensation comes from a job well done padded with positive purposeful praise. "Great work getting your clothes in the hamper! Thanks bud!" goes a surprisingly long way. Having a chart on the fridge, with their daily tasks listed is a helpful tool in establishing a consistent routine.
Now there is an entirely different set of tasks that fit into the category of above and beyond tasks (or what I refer to as chores). Based on your child's age, these may include helping out with laundry, caring for pets, setting the table, loading or unloading the dishwasher, washing the car, helping out in the yard, putting away groceries or taking out the trash. Posting up "help wanted" ads on the fridge next to their daily chart for these additional tasks is a great way to advertise the extra things that are available to be done for cash. The amount of cash paid for services varies from family to family, but it's a good rule of thumb for a child to be able to earn in a week a dollar for each year of life. These tasks can provide a great opportunity for a child to earn money- and once you've established an earning system you have a practical way to introduce your child to the financial world.
Helping children learn the value of money and money management is a priceless lesson. Even your toddler observes how to handle money - and you are their first financial advisor. I recall a time when I was with Ryan at the store and he asked for a toy. I told him I didn't have any cash on me and to my surprise he asked me to "Use my card." From this simple exchange and the conversation that followed, I realized that he had no concept of how this magic card worked. He didn't put it together that I worked, earned money, put the money in the bank and then used the handy piece of plastic to which he was referring to access the funds.
Once you establish a method of earning, you can teach your kids financial responsibility. The 4S system is a great way to teach young kids how to budget. To use this system, you divide their earnings into 4 categories: Spend now, Spend later, Save and Send. The "spend now" money is for things that they need to have - lunch money, snacks and other daily needs. The "spend later" money is for something she wants, the "save" money is to be set aside for emergencies, college or other later in life events and the "send" money is to be given to church tithes or charity.
Some parents want to teach their children the importance of money management and budgeting, but don't want to be bogged down by a chores system. These parents often choose an allowance method, where they give each child a set dollar amount each week that is or is not tied to the completion of tasks.
Whatever method you choose to use to teach your children the lessons of responsibly, hard work, and money management we can all agree that in these vital lessons are life skills that will help your child to lead a life of financial integrity.
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Michelle LaRowe has been the International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year.. A career nanny specializing in caring for twins, Michelle has over a decade of nanny experience. Although she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, she has found her true calling, working as a professional nanny.
Michelle is an active member of the nanny community. She is the founder and president of Boston Area Nannies, Inc., a local non profit educational organization and has served on the International Nanny Association Board of Directors for the past five years. During that time she has also served as the associations 1st Vice President. Michelle is also a proud member of Christian Nannies.
She is called on by the media as a nanny and parenting expert, and has been affectionately dubbed America's Nanny. Michelle has appeared on television and has been featured in print. She is the author of the new parenting series, Nanny to the Rescue!, a contributing writer in the Experts' Guide to the Baby Years and a regular columnist in several parenting publications, including Twins Magazine.
To learn more about Michelle and to get your parenting tip of the day, please visit www.michellelarowe.com.
Parenting Advice Article Archive
Family Organizer Keeping It Together
Separation Anxiety
Toddler Temper Tantrums
How to Hire a Babysitter
Doing It All
Are bedtime battles with your children getting you down?
Dinner Time Miracles!
Child Discipline OR Punishment
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