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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 encourage moms and dads.
Nanny To the Rescue Again
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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Getting the Kids Moving
With the days of snow and freezing temperatures quickly fading into the distant past, spring flowers and green grass provide the ultimate playground for kids of all ages. And it may be hard to believe that with all the wiggling, moving, running and jumping young children do throughout the day, it's still not enough physical activity.
But according to the Institute of Medicine, the number of overweight children aged 2 to 5 has doubled in the last 30 years. So with the rising rate of childhood obesity it's more important then ever that we encourage our kids to get out and get active.
Now after a winter season of mostly staying put and drinking hot cocoa by the warm fire, how can parents help their children transition from indoor time to outdoor time and to foster an attitude of activeness in young kids?
Toddlers and preschool aged children should be encouraged to take part in 30-60 minutes of structured or planned physical activity per day. And it doesn't have to be a continuous hour of activity. Time spent going for a nature walk, kicking around a soccer ball and running backyard races can easily accumulate to an hour of physical activity over the course of a day. And although some activities like dancing and makeshift bowling can be done inside of the house, there is nothing like fresh air and open space to encourage physical activity in young children.
But besides structured active time, look for natural opportunities to get your child moving throughout the day. Put some music on and encourage kids to dance around. Freeze dance is a great game kids love to play. When out and about, allow time for your child to be outside of the stroller and to walk beside you, rather than to sit and be strolled. If you're gardening, encourage your child to grab his pint sized shovel and to plant alongside you.
Parking away from the grocery store entrance, taking the family dog for a walk, and walking to preschool or daycare (if it's a short enough distance away) are all great ways to encourage physical activity throughout the day.
Encouraging kids to take part in active, rather than sedative play is another way to get young children moving. Board games and blocks are great mind boosters, but kids need body boosters too. Children love navigating mom made backyard obstacle courses, playing at the playground, climbing on play structures and swinging on swings. Turning playtime into active time is the best way to make moving fun.
And if your child is enrolled in a daycare or a preschool program, you'll want to be sure that they include active play in their daily routine. Programs should have set times for outdoor play each day and you'll want to be sure that teachers and staff encourage kids to be active during that time.
You'll also want to limit TV time. If you're going to allow a daily dose of the boob tube, save it for when it's dark out or when the weather isn't conducive to playing outdoors.
And remember kids model what they see. Seeing mom walk, rather than take the car to the corner store, going for a daily jog or taking the family dog for a nightly stroll show your child that moms need to get moving too.
So with the warm weather coming in, make a conscious decision to foster an attitude of activeness in your children this season. Take time to play outside, go for walks and enjoy all of nature that winter had hidden away.
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Michelle LaRowe is the 2004 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.
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