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Real Advice For Real Life

Parenting Expert Advice from Author and America's Nanny, Michelle LaRowe

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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!

Nanny to the Rescue

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.

About America's Nanny:

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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Over-posessive nanny

We are in the process of parting ways with our child\'s nanny of 4 years, with one week to go. This is a mutual decision, as the relationship has gotten increasingly strained, largely due to her flagrant diregard of our parenting wishes (e.g. consistently taking child on outings without clearance, leaving child in care of supermarket or gym staff so she can work out or have coffee with friends.) In short, she has lost ALL perspective in her role, and instead she sees herself as an additional grandmother. She has cared for just him in her home these 4 yrs., and her family has gotten very attached to my son, to the point that they are persistently requesting on-going visits with him after this is done. There is no quesion she loves my son (maybe too much), and they are generally a lovely family (although we have no love lost with her at this point), however her passive-aggressive tendencies toward us and overly emotional response to this parting (crying for a week) are starting to concern me. Should I allow visits, and should I let her finish out the week? I am also concerned with too much of a disruption for my son with an abrupt ending...

#1 - Concerned Mom - 09/27/2008 - 14:37

How I feel your pain.

I was a nanny with the same family for 7 years, when they moved cross country and we had to part ways. In all my years and relationships with other nannies, the consensus is that when things are going to end, they go down hill fast, due to hightened emotions, nerves, fear of change..etc

it is not uncommong for a nanny to be upset- it is quite a loss to care full time for a child for years, then to know things will change

A few tips
If your child isn't at safety risk when with you nanny

1) remember that your child and nanny have an independent relationship from you. Don't try to undermine that- it will only hurt your child.

2) don't make promises you cant keep- if you aren't willing to let your child see the nanny dont promise you will

3) try to come up with a plan so that they can stay connected- visits once every few weeks or once a month sounds normal.

4) allow your chld time to adjust

5) have a nice parting dinner, all together and celebrate the good times you did have as you transition into this new time

6) dont badmouth the nanny to your kid- you kid will only get mad at you and feel hurt and confused

7) Make the last day clear and concerete. don't prolong it or shortern it. If your child isnt in harm and you trust the caregiver, stay with your intial plans - SET CLEAR GUIDELINES FOR THESE DAYS if you are concerened. But don;t make it about the nanny ie- I may be picking him up early because...or please keep him local today...

8) encourage your child to make the nanny a gift- it will help with closure and transisition

In my 15 years, these tips have made parting easier for all.

Hope it helps,

Good luck,

Michelle

#2 - Michelle LaRowe - 10/27/2008 - 10:13

sibling rilvary and yelling

Hi, Michelle,

I have a family of four children (2 older boys from a previous marriage and 2 younger children - girl 4, boy 3). Our family gets along very well, but the rilvary between our youngest son and daughter is unbelievable including excessive screaming from them. I'm not sure they even talk, especially my daughter. Whether happy or sad, everything is said in a scream. I have tried excessive routine, time outs during tantrums, etc. but they are very competitive for attention and toys, etc. Do you have any tips which could help us? The older boys are 13 and 17 and I didn't have these issues with them due to, I believe, a greater age difference. Many thanks in advance. kc

#3 - K.C. - 12/27/2008 - 21:11

What should I do?

I recently got hired as a nanny for a single mother. When we first spoke on the phone she told me about her son and that he has a behavior problem. She also said that she would like it if I did some light house cleaning. Well the light house cleaning has now turned into housekeeping. I asked her for a list of the duties that she wants me to do and she literally wants me to be a nanny and housekeeper. She said she will raise my salary but she has not done it yet. On one hand I don't want to ask her for a lot more because she's a single mom. But on the other hand I am home schooling her son, he's 10, taking him to and from activities, and cleaning the house( washing both her and his cloths and putting them away, dusting, mopping, dishes, keeping the house tidy, cleaning her room....the list goes on). What should I do? How much more should I ask for?

#4 - Aziza Young - 02/27/2009 - 12:03


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