New!
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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The Drop off Dilemma
Does your darling turn devil during day care drop off? Go nutty when nanny arrives for duty? Torture her preschool teacher with tears and tantrums? This all too familiar transformation is also known as separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is real and many young children fear discovering new places without mom or dad at an arm reach away. They also at times feel real distress when a parent "leaves" them, but I have found that how a parent approaches the situation can significantly impact how a child responds.
I firmly believe that if you approach a situation with a positive upbeat attitude, your child will follow suit.
What can you do to ease your child into independence and in all the while keep your and your child's sanity during these stressful separations?
Acknowledge her feelings. "I hear you are feeling sad about going to school without mommy. It is okay to feel sad when we try new things, but that doesn't mean we don't try." Validate and reassure her without leading her to believe that her feelings can change the reality of the situation. Your child is watching. She will pick up on your anxieties and worries and may try to manipulate them rather than deal with the situation. If you know that the place you have chosen is safe, appropriate and loving then you should feel confident leaving your child in the care of the providers. Show your child that you trust those you are leaving her with by being friendly to the staff and thanking them for taking such good care of your child, in front of her.
Never leave your child without saying good bye. However tempting it is to "sneak out" don't. It undermines trust - the trust she has in you and the trust you have in those who are left caring for her. Make good byes short and sweet. Come up with a predictable good bye routine and stick to it. "See ya later alligator." "In awhile crocodile." Although it is tempting, if the tears come (and you know your child is not sick or something out of the ordinary isn't happening) keep to the routine and go. Prolonging good byes and coming back after you left once because you hear the tears isn't fair to your child and usually makes the situation worse.
Don't offer rewards for your child "staying" without you. The reality of the situation is she needs to stay. Rewarding her for what she has to do is manipulating the situation and making the child believe that she has "control" of a situation that she really has no control over.
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Talk to your child at home about her day. Ask open ended questions so that you can pick up on what is going on without influencing her responses. For example ask "How was your day?" rather than "Did you have a good day?"
Saying "see ya later" can be hard for you and your child. If you appear to be (yes fake it if you have to) confident and excited about the start of the day, she should follow suit.
You have an important role in making your child feel secure and safe. When you are supportive and encouraging and show confidence in your selection of providers and facilities your child will see that and the confidence and it will transfer to her.
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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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