Archive for the ‘Nanny’ Category

Three Tips on How to Make Your House a Home

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Our home may be the place of ultimate joy or the most pain in our lives. There are many days when I feel that I’m in heaven when I am at home — a place full of peace, love, and joy. It takes daily nurturing and caring to make this happen, but bloom by bloom you can build a literal indoor garden at home. A few days ago, I came back from taking a yoga class, cooked a fresh vegetable entree, and sat down for dinner with just a few close friends. We opened a 1999 Robert Mondovi reserve and chatted and laughed for hours.

It was a rainy, cold, day outside; however, my house was filled with warmth, good food, and had everything in order. All our LifeWorx clients deserve to feel about their home like this every day, and we do our best to help them achieve this by providing premiere child care, elder care, nanny, and chef services. But you can do your part too — try to recharge your batteries at home and take a mini vacation. Here are some tips to help you achieve feeling centered and fulfilled:

Find a few hours a week to do what you love to rejuvenate. Watching your kids play soccer, a date night with your husband, or time with a friend doesn’t count. This is about doing things by yourself that recharge you, such as listening to music, taking a walk, doing yoga, or reading a good book. It might be as simple as taking some time to daydream and relax with some breathing exercises.

Reduce chatter by 50 percent. All of the stuff on television, radio, Facebook, Twitter, and e-mails is just chatter most of the time. All of these tools have value, but use them wisely — only watch, hear and use what you need; and make time for important one-on-one interactions with friends and family members.

Be in the moment. If you are always where you want to be and doing what you love, you will be in the moment and have a happy fulfilling day. Yet it’s so easy to get distracted, and we have to try to get better at being in the moment every day. If it is hard for you to remember, write “Be in the moment!” on some sticky notes and stick them to a few key items (like the fridge, the dining table, and the play room) throughout the house. It takes about one hundred days to really change a habit and to retrain your thinking, so be patient with yourself. If you need help to make your home a place where you can recharge and relax, we at LifeWorx are here to help!

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Posted in Child Care, Happiness, Home, Nanny | No Comments »

Five Must Do’s If your Nanny is driving your children

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

At LifeWorx, we are often asked, “What are the proper steps to take if your nanny, housekeeper or child care provider drives your car?” We are also asked, “What should you do to be safe and have proper coverage?” There are many essentials to keeping your family safe when allowing your housekeeper or child care provider to drive your children. Here are our top 5 tips:

  1. Drivers License Check: If any domestic worker drives your car you must do a drivers license check. This will show you if the child care provider or nanny has any violations, points, a suspended license, or anything else that would be of concern. If there is something concerning, discuss it with the candidate. You may want to repeat such a background check every couple of years.
  2. Add the driver to your insurance policy: If background is good, then make sure this person is added as a driver to your insurance policy. Sometimes it may cost a bit more based on their driving record, but if the driving record is fairly good, there is generally not much extra cost. If you have a high deductible, such as $2000, and your nanny is not a seasoned driver, you may want to change the deductible to $500 to take care of any fender benders that sometimes occur when the nanny or child care provider is pulling out of a school parking area or a grocery store.
  3. Car reliability, Inspection and Registration: The third thing to do is to make sure that your car is in very good working order with good tires and brakes. Also, make sure your annual vehicle inspection and registrations are up to date.
  4. Establish Driving Rules with your Nanny: The fourth thing to do is to discuss what the driving rules are for the nanny or housekeeper when using the car. For example, can he/she use it over the weekend, or only in the evening. Rules include: where to park, how to keep the car well maintained, how often to get a car wash, etc.
  5. Establish Rules of the Car with Children and Driver: The fifth and final thing to ensure safety is to establish rules of the car. What can/can’t kids do in the car – snacks, music, videos and conversations that could potentially be distracting. Rules such as seat belt and children’s car seat rules must also be enforced. It always works better when the parents and the driver both set the same rules for the children. One of our housekeepers in Armonk, NY was fired because she did not make sure the children had their seat belts on when she was driving them home from their bus stop.

Having a car for nannies and au pairs to drive is often a luxury, but a necessity, and it needs to be well respected and cared for in order for everyone to be safe. LifeWorx has done 20,000 services without any injury or car accidents.

If the nanny or housekeeper drives their own car, and drives your children in this car once in a while, additional items to take care of and think about include how they will get paid for the use of their car. Most importantly, make sure you have gotten your nanny or child care provider a business insurance – the cost is a few hundred dollars, but it is well worth it to ensure that you are covered when your nanny is driving your children.

Often housekeepers and nannies are smart, they know car economics and they do not want to put miles on their car for just gas money. One mom in Dobbs Ferry, NY wanted the nanny to drive her car; about 50 miles a week, and was willing to give her the standard IRS rate of about 50 cents a mile. Unfortunately, the nanny did not understand what that means in terms of added cost and income, and refused to put miles on her car; even though this arrangement seemed like such a win-win for both parties. You, as a domestic employer, may need to be patient and take the time to explain the car math to the nanny in order to build trust with each other and have safety, security and reliability when it comes to transportation.

Posted in Armonk NY, Child Care, Dobbs Ferry NY, Housekeeper, Kids, Nanny, Pay | No Comments »

sharing the disciplining of children and babies with nannies/care providers

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

There is no perfect answer to the question posed, and no one has written down the rules. However, it is one of the most important aspect of childcare starting from the toddler stages and extending to the teenage years. Often, parents don’t know how to have this conversation and set expectations and guidelines for their nanny, child care provider, babysitter, or housekeeper. Giving these care providers some level of authority and setting proper boundaries is very critical in helping the child develop respect and discipline. Often, young and playful nannies don’t know how to initiate a conversation about discipline and authority with parents. It is important to start talking about this on day one with your nanny. One family on the Upper East Side of Manhattan has always had the problem of their kids making fun of and testing the nanny. These kids locked the nanny out; they made fun of her and would not listen to her directions. Of course the nanny was weak and should have taken charge of the situation, but the parents should have also warned her with information about the situation at home so that she could have been more prepared. Most kids are sweet and most nannies are strong enough to manage the kids, but there needs to be a conversation about expectations. Also, another family with tweens had the kids cursing at the housekeeper. These situations create new challenges for nannies; as the kids are their charges but not their children. Nannies will generally see a situation that needs work and know how to make it better. Within few weeks they have all the respect and appreciation from the whole family. No one can have just dessert, we all have to eat broccoli too! This family in Greenwich, CT asked for a nanny that is assertive; it was the first sign of openness and clarity about the situation at home. Each family is different, and we have to find the right fit of command, warmth, discipline and play. There is a right balance for each, but it only comes as the result of good communication between all parties involved.

Posted in Communication, Greenwich CT, Kids, Nanny, New York City | No Comments »

swine flu shots for your nanny or housekeeper

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

As a homeowner, Mother or Nanny, you are obviously concerned about contracting the swine flu. Mothers are concerned about their children since they are more vulnerable to the swine flu then many other types of flu. One of the Personal Assistants to a family in Greenwich, CT that LifeWorx talked with recently told us the whole family she worked with was down with swine flu. As soon as she heard the news, she went to the doctor and took the proper medicine. She also made sure that the other service providers including childcare, elder care and nanny sot swine flu shots.

Another client in Chappaqua, NY who has newborn twins asked for only nanny and child care candidates who have taken swine flu shots or who are wiling to get the shots. There are legal issues about swine flu screening of nannies and housekeepers. As a childcare service provider, we are open to both types of candidates. However, as a homeowner and a Mother, you have the right to ask and screen for childcare and nanny candidates who have taken the swine flu shots. Most domestic service providers including Nannies, Housekeepers, Elder care professional and chefs are all very flexible about taking the flu shots. Some other service providers such as housekeepers may not be as keen on getting the flu shots.

The best advice for homeowners is to make sure that household help including childcare, elder care and nanny service providers have had the swine flu shot. We also recommend paying for the shot, which costs around $25 or directing the household help to a local clinic that may provide free swine flu shots. Giving the child care and nanny service providers an hour of time to get the shot would be very much appreciated by your service provider.

Posted in Chef, Child Care, Elder Care, Housekeeper, Kids, Moms, Nanny | No Comments »

what is the priority: simplicity vs. perfection?

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

A client from Rowayton, CT asked “Should I get a nanny to take care of my baby and a housekeeper to take care of my house, or should there be only one person to do both childcare and cleaning?” Another client asked, “Should I get a chef for nutritious and fresh dinners and a housekeeper for our Bedford, NY home or a fairly good cook and a housekeeper, both in one?” Many clients have said that they can employ a bright person and train them and save some money or re-train a childcare, elder care or chef service provider who is very skilled and excels in a specific duty. All of these are good questions about best practices regarding child care, elder care and nannies. The answer depends on how much time you have and your priorities about your children, home, family and nutrition. You can then find a perfect solution to your exact needs if you have reasonable expectations, have time to search on your own, or have money to hire an agency to work for you. Some of LifeWorx’ clients have estates and large residences and have 3-10 staff, including child care, elder care, nanny or chef service providers working on the estate. In these cases, the competence and teamwork become the most important attribute since they have an estate manager to manage people. On your own, however, you do not want more then three people working in your home at a time. The best option would be preferably having two people working in your home. A family in Greenwich, CT is looking for both perfection and simplicity which comes at a 20% premium in cost. Such individuals with breadth of skill, great personality and flexibility are in short supply. In today’s world, cost is critical to everyone, and there is so much specific talent available. A little bit of research and networking can bring good long term household help to the family. At LifeWorx we pride ourselves in our child care; elder care and chef service providers because we are very selective and aim to make our clients lives simple so they can spend more time doing the things they love. In today’s world, research and networking can bring good long term household help to families with both skills and simplicity.

Posted in Bedford NY, Chef, Child Care, Greenwich CT, Housekeeper, Nanny, Rowayton CT | No Comments »

communication tips for conversing with your nanny and child care provider

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Clients develop very personal relationships with their nannys and child care providers and view them as family members. Other clients view the relationship as more delineated and solely develop working relationships with their nannies. Each family is unique and each nanny or child care provider is special. When my wife was around many years ago, she treated household help as family. Any household help that came to our house in Chappaqua, NY received a glass of juice, food from our refrigerator and warm conversations with my Wife. Some of the nannys and child care providers talked about their family in great depth to her.

Nilsa, a 16 year old high school student from Ossining, New York, would frequently come over and tell her intimate stories regarding her family situation. My wife enjoyed guiding this girl and giving her sound advice. Today I am a single parent, and I have had the opportunity to see the working relationship with staff from all angles. When Darya, a nanny from Pleasantville, NY, wanted to talk with me and be social, I was too consumed with my son, and the general challenges of running a household and a career. It was much more difficult for me to find time to converse with my nanny at that time.

As the premier child care, elder care and nanny service provider in Westchester, NY and Fairfield CT for over 5 years, I now have more time and emotional strength to devote to my relationship with my nanny. Today, I make sure I spend time to sit and talk with Adalita, a LifeWorx housekeeper from New Rochelle, NY. Even though there is a language barrier between us, we still sit down and have a glass of wine and discuss what is going on in her life. Adalita is like family to me, and I have enjoyed getting to learn about her life experiences.

It is important to remember that we all choose the level of interaction we are comfortable with pertaining to our nannies and child care providers. My wife and I each chose different levels of interactions with our household help at different points in our lives. Your household help is always looking to the homeowner to provide a sense of belonging, and make them feel comfortable. After all, your nanny and child care providers spend all day in your home and get to know your family very well. Regardless of what you choose to be the most appropriate level of connection and communication with your child care provider and nanny, be sure to be consistent. Older child care helpers frequently like to give advice, and younger child care helpers like the nurturing you can provide to them about past life experiences as well as raising a family.

At LifeWorx, our child care and nannies undergo an extensive background check. We carefully evaluate potential child care experts to weed out candidates that are excessively chatty, or candidates that are extremely shy, as these types may not fit in well in a typical household that we service.

Here are 5 tips for more effective communication with your child care provider and nanny:

  • Share how much you would like to interact with your nanny
  • Share communication expectations with your nanny and set reasonable limits
  • Agree on a level of social interaction that works best for you or agree on a level of non-work interaction that works for you
  • Be prepared for a few rough days; just as you can have a tough day your child care provider may also be struggling and may vent to you
  • Be consistent regardless of which communication technique you choose

Remember, not everyone always has a perfect week or month. Even if you have a clear cut communication plan set with your nanny or child care provider, they too can have occasional bad days. Sometimes your nanny may feel that you are the closest person to turn to as they spend so much time around your family. However, if it becomes a pattern that you become uncomfortable with, it may be important to address this with your nanny and re-structure your communication expectations.

Posted in Chappaqua NY, Child Care, Nanny, Pleasantville NY | No Comments »

why it is important to pay your housekeeper on time

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

iStock_000001753846XSmallMoney is as much of a commodity as one can imagine. A dollar is dollar, whether it is in your wallet, in your purse, on your desk, lying on the sidewalk or in a vault. Money is the same whether it is made of pennies or made of quarters or a mud laden one dollar bill. Money is the only part of a service or product that is a pure quantifiable transaction. As a veteran of the corporate world for over 20 years, I have a lot of experience with issues that can arise with handling money. One time, I made the mistake of not giving one of my employees the exact raise that I orally agreed to give him. I was a bit casual about the agreement because to me, money means only a small part the overall process of working that I receive so much satisfaction from. Unfortunately, not everyone else looks at work and money this way, and I received a huge mouthful from my boss about this. It turns out that the employee complained to my boss that he had not been paid on time. I will never forget that moment! It was embarrassing, and made me realize how important it is to keep the exact commitment you agree upon regarding any money issues in the work place.

In the nanny world, paying your housekeeper on time is extremely important. The entire dynamic of your relationship with your housekeeper can be thrown off if you forget to pay your housekeeper, or if you do not keep your commitment to them. While this may seem trivial to some, paying funds on time is very important to most individuals, especially to nannies and housekeepers. This is one exchange with your housekeeper that actually needs the least amount of energy and effort. If you do it right, you will in turn bring consistency and reliability in your relationship with your housekeeper.

Here are 4 tips to increase an efficient money management relationship with your housekeeper

  1. Always pay your housekeeper on time
  2. Always pay your housekeeper the exact amount that you agreed upon
  3. Always pay your housekeeper with respect
  4. Pay your housekeeper without being asked to pay

In the Corporate world, we often take this for granted as many of Americans have opted for “direct deposit.” Imagine if every time you were due to be paid your employer “forgot” or said “I will pay you next week.” You would imagine that this would create a certain level of resentment, and your work would most likely be affected. In order to maintain a healthy level of respect with your housekeeper, keep these money management tips in mind. They will go a long way and create a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties involved.

For housekeepers who are on the receiving end, it is important to receive money with gratitude. Housekeepers should feel free to share any issue regarding the check amount if the amount does not seem correct, or if it differs from the amount agreed upon. Angela, a LifeWorx nanny from Stamford, CT, says that on Fridays her boss routinely forgets to go to the bank and promises to pay her on the following Monday. What a way to put a damper in the otherwise perfectly healthy working relationship with your housekeeper!

As the CEO of LifeWorx, I believe fair pay at a scheduled time is an essential part of the working agreement with your housekeeper. This will ensure that no one will steal your help. Remember to give your housekeeper respect, fair pay and a consistent workload. Also, be very careful about paying in advance, as this may create future problems with your housekeeper’s personal money management system. Set a standard and communicate with your housekeeper and nanny about benefits, pay, holidays, pay for extra work and tipping. All of these money management tips will help you create a healthy working relationship with your housekeeper, and free up your time to spend more time doing the things you love, rather then worry about pay issues during your spare time.

Posted in Housekeeper, Nanny, Pay | No Comments »

lifecycle cost

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Our country is back in the saving mode. Anytime we purchase something, a product or service, it makes a lot of sense to look at all the costs that are incurred and assess the value we receive. Last week, I was at a sidewalk sale in New Canaan, CT. There were silk shirts for 50% off, reduced from $80, to $40… A steal. I was not totally thrilled with the color, but it looked like a good bargain. I started to reflect on how often I will use it and would I be excited to wear it often. The shirt would need to be sent to dry cleaning at $8/dry cleaning; I will probably spend $120 for 15 dry cleanings. Hence, the total cost of buying and using the shirt would be $ 160; still $40 less than the original cost of $200. Not a huge bargain though. If the product or service does not bring the value it is worth, the initial bargain gets washed away. No pun intended. The same logic applies to household help; nanny, babysitter, elder care provider, Chef or a housekeeper. Most families will spend about $30,000 to $50,000 for a full time household employee. Over 5 years these costs add up to $150,000 – $250,000, a significant cost, but an essential need for busy professionals and moms. Each individual service provider is different, and families need to make sure that the person working for you in your home is the best you can find for the duties, skills, personality and character. It takes effort to find this right person and any effort that you put in upfront will bring you years of rewards in terms of quality of life for your child, family and peace at home. In light of the implications, one should plan to spend about 80 hours if you are going to advertise and recruit a person yourself; 40 hours, if you are going to use your network and 10 hours; if you are planning to use a reputable agency. There is a right combination of pocket cost and time commitment choice for each family.

Posted in Agency, Child Care, Costs, Elder Care, Family, Housekeeper, Nanny, New Canaan CT | No Comments »