St. Patrick’s Day, Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and a Contest from the Egg Farmers of Ontario

St. Patrick’s Day is always a ton of fun even for those of us who are not Irish, or who do not drink anything green during the day and this St. Paddy’s Day was no different. Who doesn’t love things being painted / dyed green, or wearing green-clothes…

Tying it all in together, Dr. Seuss’ classic book, Green Eggs and Ham, was published more than 50 years ago and is still a favourite among Canadian families. With St. Patrick’s Day here this weekend, did you prepare any “Green Eggs and Ham” for the kids (or for yourself) for Sunday brunch?

The Egg Farmers of Ontario sent across a recipe for Green Eggs and Ham (or Green Eggs and Tofu-Ham in our home, including directions on how to make your eggs shamrock green (which would be a great family activity!)

The Egg Farmers of Ontario are also hosting “The Eggs Factor”, an online egg-decorating contest in support of Breakfast Clubs of Canada, which is happening right now! For every entry, the Egg Farmers of Ontario will donate a dozen eggs to Breakfast Clubs of Canada, and entrants have the chance to win one of 12 iPad minis.

A link to the contest can be found here.

Here is the recipe for Green Eggs and Ham from the Egg Farmers of Ontario:




The kid-friendly part:  Get the kids to dye their hard-cooked eggs green! 

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water with 1 tsp (5 mL) liquid green food colouring.  Dip each peeled, hard-cooked egg into the green water (the eggs should be completely covered with green water).  Using a spoon, turn to coat, until egg is green in colour, about 4 minutes.  Remove and let dry on paper towel. Cut in half and add to gratin dishes, (green facing up yolk facing down) with pasta, ham and green onions.  Continue with recipe.

Casserole

8 oz dried pasta, about 2 cups (500 mL)
1 head broccoli
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
1 cup (250 mL) cubed black forest ham, about 8 oz.
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts

Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
2 tbsp (25 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1 cup (250 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese
½ tsp (2 mL) dried mustard powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Topping
½ cup (125 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (25 mL) minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
Casserole

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until tender but firm, about 8 minutes.

Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.

Remove florets from broccoli and set aside.

Using knife, remove any hard knobs from broccoli stems.

Chop stem to produce 1 cup (250 mL) of stem bits.

In boiling salted water, add stem bits and cook for 4 minutes, add broccoli florets and continue cooking 2 minutes longer, drain all broccoli and rinse with cold water.

Scatter pasta, eggs, broccoli, ham and green onions evenly into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.

Cheese Sauce

In saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat, add flour and cook, stirring to make a roux or paste, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk and cook, continue whisking until thickened, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper.

Continue whisking until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

Pour cheese sauce over casserole.

Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and parsley over casserole.

Bake in 375ºF (190ºC ) oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

(Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  Increase cooking time by 10 minutes.)

Servings:  6 (2 cup servings)
Prep. Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 478 Fat: 22 grams Sodium: 822 grams Carbohydrates: 40 grams Fibre: 4 grams Protein: 30 grams

Sweetpea Baby Food and Organic Snacks. Have you tried their cookies?

When was the last time you ripped open a bag of Sweetpea Organic Cookies, served them for family, friends or guests, and had any leftover to be eaten later?  Probably not very often.   These cookies, if you have not tried them before, are addictive.  They are great for what they have as much as for what they do not have.  If you have not tried them before, you might want to have a quick read below, to see what makes these cookies so unique, which will probably lead you to run out and pick up a bag of any (or all) of the 3 flavours of these cookies;

Sweetpea Baby Food Organic Cookies

1) They are for ages 1-101.  Really they are.  The cookies are flavourful, but certainly not overpowering.  If you freeze them, young kids can teethe on them, and if you put them out on a plate, the pretty flower pattern makes them look appealing.

2) The cookies are organic.

3) They are made from 100% whole grain organic ingredients.

4) They are dairy-free.

5) They were made without salt.

6) They do not contain eggs, preservatives or additives.

7) They are certified Kosher.

8) They are made in a peanut-free facility.

9) They come in resealable bags – so you might not want to “rip” open the bag unless you know there are not going to be any cookies left over.

Whew.

And the three flavours they currently come in are; Banana Pear, Pumpkin Spice and Sweet Apple.

As a parent, you can be comfortable having your nanny leave out cookies for your children and for their playdates because they do not have much of what children are allergic to – nuts, eggs, dairy and they also cover off dietary restrictions by being certified Kosher.  The fact they taste great is secondary to their appeal across the masses, but is also what keeps people from buying them over and over again.

Did I mention that the packaging rocks!

Have a look;

What parent wouldn’t want these in their house?

If all the information I provided above has not convinced you to try these cookies, I dropped by the Sweetpea website, and pulled off some nutritional information which you certainly will find interesting as it relates to the flavours and ingredients chosen to go into the cookies.

Sweet Apple:

• When added to food, cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage.
• Whole grain spelt flour has a higher protein content than normal wheat grown under similar conditions
• Eating organic snacks ensures your child’s diet is free from harmful herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.

Banana Pear:

• Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and are a good source of fiber, vitamin C and magnesium
• Pears are an excellent source of water-soluble fiber
• Canada’s new Food Guide recommends that at least half of your grain consumption daily is whole grains – which contain phytonutrients (plant chemicals that fight disease).

Pumpkin Spice:

• Pumpkins are a rich source of potassium
• Spelt is a nutritious source of B2, manganese, niacin, thiamin and copper.

You can follow Sweetpea Baby Food and Organic Snacks on Facebook here.

I’m ready for some cookies right about now, but cannot choose between the flavours, so I think I’m going to have to open a bag of each flavour, mix them all together and just enjoy what comes next, one cookie at a time.

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Things I Need My Children to Remember as they Grow up.

English: Pink colour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often, I see lists, like the one I am posting today, about things we want our children to know, learn, remember and respect, and these lists are often quite to the point if not a little on the comedic side.  My Thursday Thirteen, however, is a little different from the norm as I have provided thirteen things that I need my children – Linus, Stewie and Boo – to remember as they grow up.  On the bright side, if they ever forget (and I have not completely embarrassed them by the time I cease blogging), they can always find it here.

As parents it is our job to teach and shape our children so that one day when they begin to develop their own opinions they will be able to use what they learned from us to shape their thoughts on things they didn’t know – so they won’t hurt anyone (especially themselves) along the way.   To do otherwise by your children, would – in my opinion – be considered failure as a parent.

Here are the thirteen things I need my kids to remember as they grow up;

13. To my boys: Pink is a colour, much as red, blue, black and green. Liking pink doesn’t mean anything except that you like the colour. If someone tells you otherwise you have to remember that it’s their problem, not yours. At some point in their life, someone tied to colour pink to a negative stereotype which simply does not exist. It’s okay to buy pink items, pink clothes and paint a room pink.

12. All (My 2 boys and my girl): Your nose is NOT an appropriate place to stick your finger – and this rule always stands, whether you are 3, 7, 8 or 38. If you do visit there, in the solitude of your own room, or home, it is NOT okay to them put that finger in your mouth, on your bed, or on your clothes. If, however, you choose to pick your nose, then you must have either a kleenex or square of toilet paper for when you are finished and wash your hands after. Remember that if your hands are dirty and you place a finger in your nose (or mouth) you are putting germs in your body. You will get sick. In addition, people think it’s yucky. Don’t be that yucky kid that turns into the yucky teen, then the creepy booger-eating adult. Please.

11. All: Respect others’ personal space and belongings. There are written rules which need to obeyed when you are in a home and there are some unwritten rules which you must follow so that you will . You need to respect others and their possessions. I know children will be children, but taking, breaking, hiding or damaging something that does not belong to you is not at all what I have in mind when it comes to creating art or playful fun. Neither is it fun to touch, push, trip or get in the face of someone for any reason. In fact, this is a lesson in doing it all WRONG! If you did this to my belongings or got in my face, I would not be happy.

10. Accept others for who they really are.  In an age where bullying has taken centre stage among our youth, I hope I have taught you to see the value in differences. Race, religion, colour, accents, or dress, interests, hair style or colour, ability or disability… It doesn’t matter.  See past it all and realize that we are all humans on this planet.

9. It is okay to cry. Crying is a natural emotional response to feelings. We all do it. Men cry. Women cry. Children cry. If you begin to cry and someone calls you a baby just remember that they learned this at home and they are being taught to hold in their emotions. Feel sorry for them but don’t allow them to change how you act or how you feel.

8. Always be proud of who YOU are. You may not be the tallest kid, or the fastest, or have the best hair, but really now, who cares? As long as you stay true to who you are, everything else will fall into place.

7. Find your passion. Keep looking and searching. Never ever stop.

6. Love this planet we live on called “Earth”. Recycle, reduce, reuse.  Go as “green” as you can by being aware of how you live, shop, and of what you consume (and where that comes from).  Now go join your mother and I hug a tree.

5. Be a brother / sister. Be a friend. Be a protector. Always be good to your family, even when there is conflict. Always remember that you are all that you have. Spouses and friends are great but at the end of the day you should know and have the support of your brother/sister when you need it.  Just don’t take advantage.

4. Smart is cool. Never be ashamed of being smart or nerdy, having freckles or glasses, or loving science and math (or tax). Smart never goes out of style, it stays with you as you grow, and it will lead you down the most successful paths you can imagine.

3. All: Your body is just that, it’s your body. You can keep your hair any way or colour that you want and you can dress any way that you want, but you must remember that others will judge you and it will impact how others treat you. So long as you understand that, you may continue. Don’t let pop culture define you. I don’t know why, but today we let pop culture manipulate our youth and it’s killing them emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. From the early on fascination with princesses, to the ‘need’ for a boyfriend and big boobs, popularity, teen moms, and all the other garbage being thrown in their face – be confident going against the grain or you’ll risk selling yourself out.

2. Maintain your health. It’s life’s greatest asset.  Without good health you have nothing.  A positive approach to health encompasses physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Healthy lifestyle choices we taught you in your youth have already helped to lay a strong foundation for continued wellness throughout your adult life.  In addition, a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, stress management, self-motivation, and remaining positive will have a huge impact on your quality of life, health, and happiness.  Honourable mention: Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. Laughter is humbling. It inspires and motivates.  It keeps you real.

1. Wherever you are in life, you can come home. I will be here – always. ♥ Daddy. Remember children that you will all be my favourite children forever (and equally for your own strengths and inspirations). If you don’t believe me, ask Mummy. She will tell you the same thing.

Canadian RRSP Deadline is March 1st, 2013. Something to think about before you decide to let it pass…

Toronto-Dominion Bank (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a parent, any time is a good time to speak to your children about the value of money – certainly not enough is being taught in schools, and children see right through parents who talk about the value in saving money, yet do not have two nickles to rub together at the end of a month (was supposed to be pennies, but Canada no longer uses the penny).

So, when is the perfect time to speak to children about saving for the future?  Well RSP season, of course.  Some recent statistics came through my inbox from my bank, TD Canada Trust, and I wanted to share them with my readers because they stand out.

While many Canadian parents try to teach their kids the importance of saving for the future, many aren’t following their own advice. According to a recent report from TD, 58% of parents say they talk to their children often (19%) or occasionally (39%) about the importance of saving for retirement, but only 42% say they practice what they preach.

On the other hand, 42% of parents say they rarely (21%) or never (21%) talk to their children about the importance of saving for retirement. One reason that parents may be procrastinating, or hesitant, to talk to their kids is because nearly two-thirds of Canadians (64%) never received retirement savings advice from their own parents.

Kim Parlee a Vice President at TD Wealth Management, offer advice to parents for speaking to kids of all ages about money.

·         Taking advantage of teachable times:  From creating a grocery list to making a major purchase, there are a range of opportunities to discuss how to create a budget with your child.  You can also plan your winter family vacation together and chat about how you plan to save for it. Weaving in lessons and tips at a timely moment such as RSP season is a natural way to begin the conversation about finances and saving.

·         Starting small and seeing the bigger picture: Ask your children about the kind of future they want to have and show them how to map out a plan on how to get there. Talk to them about their goals in the short-term (a bike, perhaps), mid-term (education) and long-term (wedding, house, retirement) and explain how different investment and saving products could be better suited to each goal. While you’re at it, make sure you have applied the same principles to your own finances and adult-sized goals!

If, however, your children are teens or already young adults it’s never too late, but you might want to change your approach a little.  Consider the following:

·         Consulting third parties: There is only so much advice you can offer your children, and it is up to them whether or not they put it to action. Consider asking your advisor to speak with your kids about the importance of starting to invest at an early age, and explain in basic terms the benefits of compound interest.

·         Investing in yourself: It’s hard for young people to think about planning ahead when they tend to focus on the present, but teach your children why paying themselves first is important for their  future. With teenage children you can focus on education, such as saving for post-secondary education in an RESP, with “automatic transfers” from their allowance or part-time jobs. When your child reaches their young adult years, you can add a new focus of long-term savings.  Explain the benefits of a TFSA or RRSP, and encourage them to put some money aside using an automatic transfer every time they get paid so that saving becomes a habit.

So whether or not you are like me and thinking about contributing to a RRSP right at the deadline, or if you max your contributions annually, you should take some time and teach your kids about the benefits of investing, saving, and about money in general.  Walk into your bank and see what they have available.

Related articles

• Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD): This Is The Bank That U.S. Banks Should Try To Be Like (insidermonkey.com)

Just under 46 Reasons why my kids have freaked out, at 3-years-old.

My wife posted a link to an article on Facebook the other day called “46 Reasons Why My 3-Year-Old Might Be Freaking Out“, and this was just after our 3-year-old daughter Boo had an epic 20-minute meltdown.  Once she was done we confirmed the cause of the meltdown was a result of the fact that she wanted the zipper on her fleece sweater zipped up… Who knew?!?

Sidebar:  Forget the terrible two’s, new parents.  It’s the Terrible three’s which will kill you!!!  Am I right?

I loved the article so much I wanted to re-post it, but I also wanted to yank out a few of the 46 reasons which applied to any of our 3 children.

So please, visit the original article, but only after you read this on either Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Tumblr or here on The Urban Daddy’s blog,   Then your next mission is to see which meltdown’s we have I/ had in common.  Then let me know in the comment section so we can all laugh together.

I’ve broken it down by boys (ages 8 & 6 right now) and girl (just turned 3).

Coles Notes Version

Meltdown’s in Common:

His sock is on wrong.

His lip tastes salty.

His shirt has a tag on it.

They are hungry, but can’t remember the word “hungry.”

His brother looked at him.

His brother didn’t look at him.

We don’t understand what he/she said.

He/she doesn’t want to get out of the car.

He/she wants to get out of the car by himself.

The iPad has a password.

He jumped off the sofa and we weren’t  watching.

He’s not allowed to touch fire.

Everything is wrong with his coat.

There’s a dog (or raccoon or monster or dragon) within a 70km radius.

I asked him/her a question.

His brother/sister/mother/father is talking.

The cat is in his/her way.

The inside of his cheek feels rough.

Things take too long to cook.

He has too much food in his mouth.

He sneezed.

He doesn’t know how to type.

His/her mom is taking a shower.

Someone knocked over his tower.

The food won’t stay on his spoon.

… and so much more…

How does this relate to your kids?

Related articles

• Momfessional #47: Freaking out (themomfessional.com)

Back after being Missing in Action

Cleaning the Toto Toilets

You may have noticed that I had gone missing in action for a couple weeks.  With only a couple posts popping up here and there, I feel like I’ve lost my mojo after all this time without blogging, and it’s not like there is nothing to write / bitch about either, but in actual fact I’ve just been tired.  Very tired actually, and it all began with our nannies vacation back home, which began November 16th and ends with her return to us on January 14th.

7 long weeks in which I thought that, since I was off, would be the perfect time to help out and instead of hiring someone to temporarily file her role, I could do it myself and spend quality time with my daughter, my wife, and with my boys.   How hard could it be, right?  I’m their dad.  I know how to clean up a house…

Mistake #1.

Not only has it been impossible for me to take care of the house and the children while also taking care of the things I would normally do in a day, but it became perfectly clear to me that going to bed at 3am every night was not going to help me get everything done.

Mistake #2.

I clearly underestimated the amount of cleaning that a house with three children under 7-years-old requires.  Thankfully my wife got them on a reward chart (a later post) so they help with making beds and cleaning up around meal time, but the laundry, dishes, taxi, drop-off and pick-up and the endless need to sweep and vacuum is too much.  I don’t know how my wife does it, and I certainly don’t know how our nanny does it – except that when there are three adults cleaning it’s much more effective than 1 1/2.

Granted I have now come to realize that my wife and our nanny are WAY more organized than I have been – Monday has always been the day to change the sheets, and Tuesday the house gets swept and vacuumed and floor washed, but drop-off and pick-up has been something we’ve helped with, and meal’s taken care of primarily by my wife, so doing them all… Yeah.  Not so good.

So obviously once I settle down at night with hopes of blogging, there is nothing left in the tank.

In addition, my daughter, Boo has finally realized now that she is 3-years-old that she can get out of her bed at night and walking into our room.  We were encouraging her to get up and pee since she has been “commando” at night for several months with only a few accidents.  The hope was that she would get up, pee, then go back to bed instead of sitting in her bed and screaming for us or crying and waking everyone else up.  What has happened in actual fact is that she now comes into our room several times at night, along with 6-year-old Stewie and that keeps up awake.  Now 7-year-old Linus is getting into the act and that means either a rough night’s sleep or I’m sleeping in one of their beds with them.

Either way, it means I am getting less than 3 hours of sleep a night and that is a recipe for getting sick.

Now before you cry me a river or blast me for doing what every other parent in the world does, hear me out… My wife is still taking care of dinner (thankfully) and it did take me a week and a bit to get used to the house-time routine from a worker perspective.  I have been working full-time for 17 years and while I am used to helping out as much as possible it has usually been in the evenings or on the weekends when there are little to no distractions.

During the day when people are actually around and a 20-minute task of changing the sheets on all our beds, becomes an hours’ endeavour full of distractions and competing priorities.  I also cannot just clean for the sake of cleaning, like when I swept the bedrooms, I ended up moving all the furniture, sweeping, putting away the toys, followed it up with a vacuum and then washed the floors and baseboard.  When I do something, I do it right, not half-assed so I’ll have to do it again.

So while it took me 3 weeks to get this post out there is always a bright side, right?  I completed this post on the 20th, but I’m backdating it to the 15th and that means as of today we only have 22 days until our nanny returns and life returns to normal, which means a clean house, happy children and my daughter can get to school in the morning on time for once!

I can see the re-posted headline for this article;  ”Working Daddy Bombs as Caregiver”.

So true.

Related articles

• Thursday Thirteen – My 13 Most Memorable Posts of my first 900 Posts. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• My Oldest Son Doesn’t Like His Name! (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)

10 Ways to Tell if your Nanny Loves your Children

I recently received this article in my inbox from the kind folks at http://www.nanny.net and it covers a very important topic, how to tell if your nanny loves your child.

I think every first time employer, or an employer currently interviewing for a replacement caregiver should go through this list as it should help you understand when a connection has been made.  Having the emotional buy-in from your nanny in addition to the financial buy-in is critical to long-term success of this partnership and a way to keep your stress down.

Sometimes, you need a nanny and the nanny needs a job, and you both compromise and these relationships often end abruptly not because something has gone wrong but over time you both start to come to grips with the fact that it is just a job.  It’s easier to let go of those relationships than if there is an emotional buy-in, we all know that.  So if you have the time, see if there is a connection and if so and you can make it work do so.  Any child would be overjoyed to have that much love and both the employer and the caregiver will have an easier time on a day-to-day basis.

The link to the original article is below.

http://www.nanny.net/blog/10-ways-to-tell-your-nanny-loves-your-kids/

Related articles

• What can you expect from your nanny: Non-child care responsibilities. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)

Son, You Cannot Just Eat Carbohydrates!!!

Special K and Flax cereal with 1% milk

How many times have you told your kids they cannot exist on carbohydrates alone.

We’ve told all three of our kids that exact message but it seems to be lost on our oldest son, Linus.  He went from being an adventurous eater of everything my wife made, to a super=picky eater who got white bumps on his tongue during our cruise last year because he would only eat carbs.  Bread, plain white pasta, potatoes, french fries… BORING.  Also very unhealthy.

Now he likes his raw vegetable as well, so he did have some cucumber slices and tomatoes, but the acid in the tomatoes were burning his tongue so that ended quickly.  He loves broccoli but not in any of the sauces that they came in on the ship, so that was out of the question. 

It finally took 4 days of him watching the rest of us eating the odd sweet treat before he caved in and started eating like a human again and he got better quite quickly.  I even remember him making googly eyes with the chefs in the buffet area and no matter how long the line was at the pasta bar, if my then 6-year-old son arrived with a plate in hand and caught the eye of one of the chefs, they would immediately throw penne noodles into a pan with butter and serve him a double portion covered in shredded parmesan cheese at the side of their station away from where everyone else could see.  He provided a smile and a quiet thank you and they went back to serving the angry masses.  He got his pasta and we got him eating protein with it.

So it’s no surprise then, that we make him eat breakfasts which include protein with his carbs.  He loves, for example, almond butter on bread, or an egg omelet with his toast.  He also loves cereal but we battle about this breakfast choice all the time.

Once he was able to read labels and understand the nutritional information, he began to realize that a bowl of cereal – with milk – had more protein that an egg because anyone can see that a large egg has 6g of protein while a cup of 1% milk has 9g of protein.  Therefore, in his logic, he should be eating cereal every morning.  He does understand, by the way, that an egg has no sugar and his cereals have around 5g of sugar, so he has always had that argument to get around, but he does need his protein so every now and then we give in.

Well on October 2nd, Linus asked for and received, cereal for breakfast and he proceeded to eat all the cereal out of the bowl, and he left behind the milk.  A lot of the milk, to be honest. 

So I called him back to the kitchen counter, showed him what he already knew he left, and let him know that I expected him to finish the milk before he left for school, otherwise he was not going to be allowed to have cereal until November 1st.

He complained that his tummy hurt, that he was too full, that he had to go brush his teeth, get his bag ready and get to school.

I felt compelled to remind him again of the consequences of leaving the milk, by phrasing it this way; “Linus, you need to finish the milk from your cereal.  By choosing  not to, you are choosing not to have cereal again until November 1st.”

He said he would finish it, so I followed him to the front door and left the bowl there. 

He asked for it to be poured into a cup so he would drink it and when I went back into the kitchen to get his cup, he used that opportunity to leave the house with his brother and mother for their walk to school.

Consequences.

So when he arrived home after school, I asked him if he was aware what the consequences of his actions this morning were, and he casually advised me that he understood that he would not be allowed cereal for breakfast and that he could handle not having until November 1st.

Ok, I thought.  “And you know today is October 2nd, right?” I reminded him. 

He showed a little panic, but settled his emotions and proudly proclaimed that he would be up for the task.

OK.

And so I reminded him on the 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th and 29th when he asked for cereal for breakfast, that he was not allowed.  I could tell he was thinking what all of us thought at the time (and his friend told him upon find this out), that he should have just drunk the milk!

So on the morning on November 1st, Linus had cereal for breakfast and he drank all his milk.  He did so again on the 2nd and he showed me both times that he finished the milk down to the last drop.

Alyson Shafer would be so proud!

Related articles

• Are you cereal? (happyisthenewhealthy.com)
• Ready, Set, Breakfast! (einmotion.wordpress.com)
• “It’s time for a healthy breakfast” (“Don’t worry…”) (confessionsofafatgirl.net)

What can you expect from your nanny: Non-child care responsibilities.

Light housekeeping?!?

Parents hire nannies to take care of their children.  There is also an expectation that there will be some non-child care responsibilities related to the role, such as; taking care of any dishes used, some cooking here and there, some light cleaning associated to the children or family and possibly some laundry. 

From all the emails and comments I have received over the years, it is accurate to say that some parents forget that the primary responsibility for a nanny is child care and there is an expectation that their nannies are able to take care of the children in addition to what they refer to as ”light housekeeping” responsibilities, which in reality means nanny and cleaning-lady. 

So what constitutes “light housekeeping?”   

In order to get a clearer idea of what nannies think light housekeeping is and what employers think light housekeeping is, I read an article created for NannyClassifieds.com called; “Is Light Housekeeping a Nanny Responsibility?”  The link to the original article is here;  http://www.nannyclassifieds.com/blog/is-light-housekeeping-is-a-nannys-responsibility/

According to this article, in the nanny world, light housekeeping typically means leaving the home in the same condition it was in when the nanny arrived / started her day there.  If there were no dishes in the sink in the morning, then there should be no dishes in the sink at the end of the day, and if the house was spotless in the morning, it should be the same by nightfall.  It is reasonable to expect your nanny to clean up the mess and restore the house to its original morning condition prior to the end of her workday.

The extras are the other things in addition to childcare which nannies are generally responsible for and are usually agreed upon in a written contract – a written approved contract if gone through the Canadian Live-In Caregiver program.  Some of these items include;

• Do the laundry for the children
• Keep the children’s play area as neat, tidy and organized as possible.
• Prepare breakfast for the children before school, lunch for school and snacks for the kids attending school.
• Prepare the same for any children who are at home or attend school part of the day.  
• Ensure that after meal preparation and after the actual meal the kitchen is clean again.
• Engage the children in activities such as arts and crafts and reading, and ensure once finished the area is tidy
• Pick up after the children
• Ensure the kids rooms, including drawers, bed and closets are clean
• Prepare the same for any children who are at home or attend school part of the day.
• Ensure that after meal preparation and after the actual meal the kitchen is clean again.
• Engage the children in activities such as arts and crafts and reading, and ensure once finished the area is tidy
• Prepare breakfast for the children before school, lunch for school and snacks for the kids attending school.

Some nannies may also take on additional household related tasks provided they have the time and it has been pre-arranged and agreed upon.  They may do the children’s grocery and clothes shopping, as well as purchase the supplies needed to properly stock the nursery.  In some cases, nannies may also be responsible for ordering age-appropriate supplies, toys, and arts and crafts, depending on the arrangement that was made.

According to the article, nannies typically do not:
• Do the parent’s laundry
• Clean the parent’s bathrooms
• Mop the floors
• Dust the furniture
• Prepare family meals regularly.

In each family and nanny work arrangement, light housekeeping should be clearly defined.  What is in the contract dictates what the family’s housekeeping expectations are, and what the nanny’s housekeeping responsibilities are. 

Many nannies do agree to take on additional non-childcare related housekeeping tasks.  They may do this because the children spend mornings in school or they simply enjoy cleaning and would gladly take on the housekeeping tasks in exchange for increased compensation.  If your nanny agrees to take on additional housekeeping tasks, she should be provided additional compensation for them and allowed adequate time to complete them when childcare is not her responsibility.  For these nannies/housekeepers, it should be stressed that when the children are in her care, childcare should be her main responsibility.  I think that is common sense, no?

Often times a nanny will go above and beyond the call of duty simply out of practicality. If a nanny is doing the dishes from lunch and her employer left a knife and dish in the sink after breakfast, for example, she’s likely going to wash them too, rather than simply leave them sitting there in the sink.  If a nanny is preparing one of her favorite homemade pasta recipes for the children’s dinner, she may make enough for the entire family, since it’s easier than tweaking the recipe for smaller portions.  Much in the same way most families when making their dinner will make enough for their nanny and have them eat with them whenever possible.  It’s give and take, and that mutual respect and understanding helps form and build the bond between the nanny and her employer.

Wen these random acts of kindness become expected by employers through, resentment and relationship problems in the nanny relationship can occur.  Light housekeeping is going to mean different things to different people.  Clearly articulating the duties and responsibilities that meet an employer’s definition of light housekeeping will help to prevent job creep and miscommunication over housekeeping related expectations.

How have you divided up responsibilities and how clear were you with your nanny on her duties outside of child care?

It’s amazing to me how many employers post comments in public message boards about how their nannies cook, clean, take care of the kids, and do all these other tasks not related to child care, and then the employer answers questions about wages and working hours, or working conditions which really casts them in a negative light.  Taking advantage of a nannies good will is never cool, and posting that in a public form is even less cool and quite questionable.  Especially in light of the fact that these message boards are trolled by agencies and organizations who protect nannies from being taken advantage of.

So to sum it all up…

Make sure what you are expecting your nanny to do outside of child care is clear and written in the contract.  Also remember that just because they came from worse working conditions in Hong Kong it doesn’t give you the right to treat them in any way that you yourself would not want to be treated in their shoes.

Karma.

Here is a link to the article; http://www.nannyclassifieds.com/blog/is-light-housekeeping-is-a-nannys-responsibility/

5 Ways Nannies Can Help Divorced Parents – Reprinted with permission

I came across this interesting article from Hireananny.com and while not divorced, I thought there were some interesting points made in this post and wanted to re-post it here.  Permission was granted.

The link to the original article is here.

http://www.hireananny.com/blog/5-ways-nannies-can-help-divorced-parents/

Essentially, this post outlines how nannies help divorced couples ensure their child(ren) don’t get lost during this difficult time of their lives in 5 key ways.

1. Nannies can provide consistency of care.

We all know that with children of all ages it’s the routine that is key.  Bedtime routine, homework routine, daily and weekly chores, etc.  All of this is crucial to teaching children about consistency so it makes absolute sense how a nanny can help here.  By being there during separation and divorce and providing a schedule or routine for the child(ren) this allows the kid(s) to have that consistency while everything around them has changed.

2. Nannies can provide a sense of stability.

I can see where this is also an important unheralded role of a nanny when, as described above, everything in a child’s life is changing and the nanny remains the same.  It not only gives the child(ren) a non-partisan sounding board but it helps smooth out the chaos and disruption that ensues until both parental units and settled and have agreed upon the parenting roles going forward.

3. Nannies can advocate for the children.

 This point is probably the most important because the role of the nanny is to look after the best interest of the child(ren) regardless of the situation and especially in situations where the parents are not getting along the nanny can step forward and discuss with each party the issues relating to the kid(s) and can also alert the parents of any changes in the child(s) behaviour.  The nanny sees the child the most consistently so they would see behaviour issues, social issues, changes in the child’s physical being or any other concerns, milestones or warning signs.

4. Nannies can reassure children that it’s not their fault.

I think this point goes without saying that a nanny can help explain to a child that during the breakup of their parent’s marriage it is NOT the fault of the child.  Emotions on the parental unit’s sides may be too high and there may be a lot of finger-pointing and this is exactly the point when children need support and reinforcement telling them it’s not their fault.

5. Nannies can facilitate communication.

 

I think at this point it goes without saying that if you are separated, or a soon to be divorced parent considering hiring a nanny, it’s important that you select a nanny who is a solid communicator.   In addition, a detailed employee contract and agreeable custody schedule shared with the nanny will go a long way towards protecting the child(ren) as much as possible during the unrest.

Hireananny.com also feels that if a parent turns to the nanny as a confidant, while tempting, is not a good idea as it blurs professional lines and may prevent the nanny from doing her job well and jeopardize her ability to always put the child’s best interests first.

Related articles

• A nanny state as taxman turns on mums (dailytelegraph.com.au)
• Hiring a Nanny in the US: Not an Easy Task. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)