Should you have a sitter come in? Or, is it better to take your kids to the sitter’s home? Which is most convenient and cost effective? How will each affect the kids? All of these are good questions. Real life answers will be highly dependent on specific circumstances, but let’s take a look at 10 reasons to take the kids to the sitter’s home.

1.Unfamiliarity. It’s good to push kids out of their comfort zones, now and then. Taking them to the sitter’s home means they will be functioning under different household rules than they are used to, and learning a bit about adapting to circumstances.

2.New Ways to Play. Another point in favor of the sitter’s home, from your kids’ view, is the exposure to new toys and play areas. A different yard or sandbox to play in for a few hours can stimulate a child’s imagination, and will give them an opportunity to play with toys that are new to them.

3.New Kids. A trip to the sitter’s house can also give your kids an opportunity to meet new kids. It may be that there are other kids being cared for by the sitter, or there might be children that are neighbors of the sitter. Either way, it may be a chance to play with someone new.

4.New Food. Your kids will get to experience different tastes and types of food than if the sitter came into your home and fed them meals or snacks from your pantry and refrigerator.

5.Sitter’s Comfort Level. A babysitter, even one who is not short on experience, is going to be more comfortable and authoritative in their own home than they would be in yours. In addition to comfort level, the sitter is not likely to hear such comments as; “That’s not the way we do it when Mom and Dad are home!”

6.Behavior. All of the above will probably contribute to your children’s behavior and attitudes being a little bit more subdued and cooperative, than might be the case in their own home. You can be sure that the babysitter will appreciate that.

7.Cost Effective. Because the kids’ food and drinks will likely be part of the agreed upon fee, and because the sitter can work from the comfort of home, this will probably be the lower cost choice. However, your own transportation costs may offset any cost advantage, unless the sitter lives in your neighborhood.

8.Emergency Procedures. A sitter will likely be better prepared to deal with emergencies in her or his own home, than in yours. The sitter will know where first aid supplies are located without having to ask, and will already be familiar with the floor plan of the house, in case evacuation is needed.

9.Privacy. Because you are not having the sitter come into your home, you do not have to worry about invasions of your privacy by a curious babysitter.

10.Cleanup. Cleaning up the house when you come home from an afternoon or evening out is a snap, when the activities of your absence all take place in someone else’s house.

As acknowledged above; there will be multiple considerations as to whether you have a sitter come in or take the kids out for sitting. Hopefully, these 10 reasons, on the side of taking the kids to the sitter, will give you a small assist in making the decision.

To find more interesting “Top 10 Reasons” be sure to check out www.babysittingjobs.com

While grocery shopping with my 4 year old this weekend, he kept talking about his friend Kyle. I didn’t think much of it as he is frequently talking about a friend who is actually a friend of his older siblings. It wasn’t until he told me that he had a sleepover at Kyle’s that I started to wonder. So I starting asking questions about Kyle and determined that it seems that he has an imaginary friend.

My older two never had an imaginary friend so I wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. I did ask my Mother as I remember my younger brother having an imaginary friend. I even remember my brother saying he was going to run away to North Bay to see his imagiary friend LOL.

So I did some research about imaginary friends as Kyle seems to be the topic of conversation all week. Anytime Callum learns something new or someone does something the answer is “It was Kyle” LOL. Here is an interesting article I found from Canadian Parents that I thought I’d share with you.

Enjoy!

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Help kids make sense of a world where they have little power
By Lois Legge
Halifax Chronicle-Herald (CP)

Millions of children have best friends they’ve never actually met.

Some live right next door, while others come from places light-years away.

Some fit into the palms of little hands; others tower over their creators – giants in a world of endless possibility and imagination.

The existence of these imaginary friends often alarms the adults around them. But Nova Scotia native Marjorie Taylor, who has conducted pioneering research on the subject, says not to worry. The mysterious creations of little minds are often entertaining and soothing childhood companions that help kids make sense of a world where they have little power.

In fact, having one is perfectly normal, says Taylor, now head of psychology at University of Oregon and author of the 1999 book Imaginary Friends and the Children Who Create Them.

Taylor, 52, who grew up in Dartmouth and received her BSc and MSc from Acadia University in Wolfville, has been conducting research on the subject for 15 years.

Weve found if you follow children up to the age of seven, about 65 per cent of them at some point or another have an imaginary friend. That includes children who use a prop in their play . . . having a stuffed tiger or something like that. . . . If you only want to include invisible imaginary friends, its more like 39 per cent. Parents reactions vary from pleasant surprise to grave concern. They may even think. . . . Does it mean that Im not giving my child what they need, does this mean the child has some emotional problems and might develop some kind of mental illness? They have all kinds of worries. But Taylor says her research shows there are many benefits.

Children who have imaginary friends are better able to take the perspective of another person, to think of things from different points of view, which helps create the capacity for empathy and the childs ability to deal with many situations, she says.

And the kids who have imaginary friends, they tend to be less shy, they tend to be more sociable. Taylor first met an imaginary friend when she was attending Acadia University almost 30 years ago. Her daughter Amber, then three, kept talking about Michael Rose, a kind, funny friend from day care who loved animals.

At first I didnt know it was imaginary, she said during a telephone interview from Eugene, Ore.

I thought this was somebody at this day care she was going to, you know, a special friend. And then I wanted to meet him . . . and found out there was nobody there by that name, so I started asking her some more questions and found out that Michael Rose had a barn full of giraffes and there were a lot of special things about him. For Taylor, who later earned her PhD at Stanford University in California, the revelation was funny and fun. She enjoyed that aspect of her child’s pretend play. But she was also intrigued. Why is it that human beings do this? she wondered. And what does it do for you? She has been looking for answers ever since and has often been fascinated and surprised by what she’s found, including the fact that some imaginary friends aren’t very nice. In fact, they can be downright mean.

You would think an imaginary friend would be somebody that you would feel like you had total control of and would be someone who is always nice, she said. Why not create a nice one?

But instead they often are argumentative, they won’t share toys and do things and then once we found (that out), we thought, why not? I mean, when children are thinking about their real friends, they’re thinking about fairness and sharing and whos mean, so why wouldn’t the same issues pop up in their relationships with imaginary friends?

These are the issues children are mulling over. What does it mean to be mean and nasty or bad guys. . . . What’s bad, whats good. Taylor and fellow researchers, who have conducted a number of studies and written various research papers, now have about 500 descriptions of imaginary friends from interviews with about 350 children. Sometimes the children bring their phantom friends right into the lab, where they chat with them or even scold them to shut up.

But the kids know they’re not real. In fact, they often point that out to the researchers so immersed in finding out every last detail. And the details and diversity are amazing, Taylor says fondly.

They can be people, they can be animals, any species like a panther, a whale, a bear, a horse, a donkey, an insect. You name it . . . goats or Martians. . . . They can range in age from being infants to being 1,000 years old.

They can be tiny, they can fit into the palm of your hand or they can be giants. They can have unusual characteristics . . . blue skin or tie-dyed hair, or they can have whole families, and often there is sort of an alternative universe.

The child will talk about Elsie Welsie and Sammy Whammy . . . sort of their two imaginary friends, but they also have their friends and their parents and their children and their dogs and cats and zillions of animals and whatever else is in their world. For some children, this elaborate alternative world is a vehicle for telling stories. In fact, children usually invent the friends simply for fun and entertainment, Taylor says. Suppose the childs real friend Rachel cant come to play. She or he can create a fake Rachel to kill the boredom.

But also there are times when youre feeling sad and you want someone to talk to, someone that you know can keep a secret. An imaginary friend is perfect for that, Taylor says.

Or maybe youre feeling a little scared (by) that dog that moved in next door and its a little scary to walk down the street now. So having your imaginary friend tiger by your side can give you the boost you need to go on with your activities. Imaginary friends do help children cope with troubles, but Taylor says people too often assume children are turning to an invisible companion to deal with trauma.

Sure, a lot of children who have been abused have imaginary friends and you understand why. They need a friend, they need someone who is going to be supportive and who is not going to tell. Its an important adaptive response to them. It doesn’t mean that children who have imaginary friends have been traumatized. Taylor says parents should be concerned about certain behaviour regardless of whether children have imaginary friends.

If a child is not talking to anybody, anybody real, then you’re concerned about that child and it doesn’t matter whether or not they have an imaginary friend.

For me, the things that concern you about a child might be being withdrawn or not having any real friends or seeming sad or depressed or having difficulty sleeping or difficulty in school . . . and if the child also has an imaginary friend, to me thats at least (showing) they’re trying to do something about it. . . . The imaginary friend per se is not the problem. In fact, parents can even use the imaginary friends as a window into what their children are thinking and feeling, the researcher says. If a child starts a new play group, for example, discovering what the imaginary friend thinks could reveal whether or not theyre happy there.

Relax and enjoy it, is Taylors main message to parents. Their friend is your friend, too.

(Halifax Chronicle-Herald)

Every been stuck trying to find a last minute sitter for the kids? Daycare provider on vacation and you don’t have back-up care? Can’t get your kids to sleep? We have someone that can help you out. Marcia founded Nannies and Doulas On Call Inc. in 2004 and has lots of things that busy families can use some help with. Listed below are a few of the things that they have to offer.

Postpartum Doula services , we offer daytime and nighttime for single babies and we are specialized in multiples, twins and triplets. Daytime includes baby and mother’s care and also home light housekeeping. Night time is only baby and mother’s care. Assistance with breastfeeding and postpartum depression. Rates go from $24 to $28 an hour.

Sleep Traning – If the parents do themselves with my help, I charge for the first sleep phone consultation plus the sleep plan sent though email plus lifetime support $335 plus taxes. The difference between me and other doulas I never charge them again if they need to do all over again when the baby is older. The parents love that. They can call me anytime or email me anytime, I never charge again. The second option and more expensive is if I go and do in their homes. I charge $35 an hour plus taxes.

Babysitting on call for weddings, hotels, homes. Babysitter wages are from $16 to 20 an hour and there is a booking fee of $25 plus taxes each time they go.

Nanny placements are also available.

For more information on services please check out their website at Nannies and Doulas On Call Inc.

Cold and Flu Season: Part 1

Here is part two of the cold and flu article from Kim Corrigan-Oliver of Your Green Baby.

It’s Here – Part Two

The time is here to focus on supporting the immune system for the cold and flu season ahead. In my last post I provided some old tricks to support the body naturally and enhance the functioning of the immune system. Today I will provide some information on a few supplements that are particularly beneficial to you and your family during cold and flu season.

• Deep Immune liquid by St. Francis for adults or Deep Immune KIDS for children to support healthy immune function. These are made up of Chinese herbs and have been proven to be effective at boosting immune function in both clinical and laboratory work. The primary purpose of Deep Immune is to improve immune system function and decrease the tendency of frequent colds, flu and infection.

• Vitamin D3 liquid – research continues to show that vitamin D supplementation is better at preventing the flu than the flu shot

• Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for normal immune function. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, fatty fish, cod liver oil supplements, fish oil supplements and algae supplements.

• Probiotics (good bugs for your gut) taken daily will support immune health. Up to 80% of the immune system is in the gut, providing good bugs daily will help the body and immune system function optimally.

• Antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, glutathione, and zinc are important for immune health. Providing your body with nourishment from real foods, with vibrant colours and avoiding processed packaged foods will help you to meet the need for these antioxidants from your diet.

These are just a few supplements we have in our “prevent the cold and flu” campaign in our home.

If you have any specific health issues, concerns, questions or disease/diagnoses, please consult your health care provider, Naturopathic Doctor or Holistic Nutritionist to help you customize a plan to meet the individual needs of you and your family.

What tricks or supplements are in your family’s “prevent the cold and flu” campaign this year?

Cold and Flu Season: Part One

With cold and flu season upon us I thought I’d share this interesting article from Kim Corrigan-Oliver from Your Green Baby. This is part 1 so stay tuned for part 2!

It’s Here!!!!

Yes cold and flu season is here and now is the time to think about supporting your child’s immune system, as well as yours, so it is ready to put up a fight against any foreign invaders that may try (notice I said try) to take hold and bring you or your babe/toddler down.

So what can you do naturally to support immunity, here are a few old tricks:

Sleep – rest is important for immune health, the body needs the time to repair, restore and rejuvenate. If you are feeling particularly tired or stressed this becomes even more important. Ensure you and your family get adequate rest and if you feel yourself or see someone in your family starting to get run down, take time now to rest, if not the body will force you to rest (unfortunately with a cold).

Drink – plenty of liquids: water, herbal teas (ginger, peppermint, nettle, alfalfa, horsetail, lemon balm, etc) and fresh juices. Moms and dads keep in mind caffeine and alcohol dehydrate your body and weaken your immune system – limit or avoid if possible.

Eat real food – eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, food with few ingredients, food in its natural state, food that is not packaged and processed. The body needs quality nutrition from real food to support health and well being.

Avoid sugar – sugar suppresses the immune system for up to six hours after ingestion making the body more vulnerable to pathogens. Sugar requires nutrients for its digestion, the same nutrients that were stripped away during processing, and will steal these from the body – leaving the body depleted and vulnerable. Sugar also actively competes with vitamin C for entry into your cells. Your cells need vitamin C, if there is too much sugar in the body competing for entry into the cells, less vitamin C will be allowed into the cell. When you eat sugar you are slowing the immune system down to a crawl.

Include garlic –it has anti bacterial, anti viral, anti parasitic and anti fungal properties; eat it raw for best results, and include it as much as you can when cooking. To take it raw, finely chop one clove of garlic, let it sit for a minute or two, then swallow with a mouthful of water. The key to no garlic breath is not to let it touch your teeth. You can get raw garlic into your little food critics in bean dips, guacamole, homemade salad dressing, etc. Breastfeeding moms if you take raw garlic your baby will get the immune benefits via your breast milk.

Be positive – your thoughts play a role in your health and well being; be positive, think positive, know that your body has the amazing potential to support and defend itself against the many pathogens you come in contact with on a daily basis. And don’t forget to laugh with your children every day for an easy and fun way to boost immunity.

Be hygienic – the only portals of entry for pathogens – the flu virus or cold germ, are the mucous membranes – mainly nostrils and mouth/throat. It’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with a pathogen in spite of all precautions. Contact with pathogens is not really the problem; proliferation is. To prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, there are some very simple steps you can practice:
• Frequent hand-washing
• Hands-off-the-face approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face.
• Gargle twice a day with warm salt water. Pathogens can take 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive, age-old yet powerful preventative method.
• Similar to above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, try a nasal irrigation device, found at most drug stores or try blowing your nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with Q-Tips dipped in warm salt water, this is very effective in bringing down viral population.
• Drink warm or hot liquids. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

You can’t avoid cold and flu season it is here, but you can support the immune system to do what it naturally wants to do – defend itself against foreign invaders.

In my next post I will discuss natural health products that can help to support and strengthen the immune system along with the recommendations above.

What are you doing to ensure you and your family stay healthy this season?

Another great recipe brought to you by Your Green Baby!

I’m all about telling my kids what they are eating too, but we have gotten in the habit of asking them to try it first and then tell them. It’s worked so far.

Being Sneaky

by Kim Corrigan-Oliver Your Green Baby

 As many of you know I am not a big fan of the sneaky approach to getting your kids to eat their vegetables; I think it is very important they learn to like them as they are. There are so many ways to get them interested in eating their vegetables and I think the sneaky route back fires in the end – one day they will eventually find you sneaking vegetables into their meals and all trust will go out the window.

But, there is always a but; I have a great recipe for your today. Not only does it have two great vegetables in it, it is also an excellent replacement for a kid favourite – macaroni and cheese. This version is dairy free, vegan and if you use quinoa or rice pasta like we do, it is also gluten free.

I usually make the sauce, mix it well with some quinoa macaroni, sprinkle brown rice bread crumbs on top with some extra nutritional yeast and bake for 20 to 30 minutes; absolutely delicious.

Pasta Sauce

1 small eggplant, cubed

1 small cauliflower, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp olive oil, drizzle on sauce after cooking

Put all ingredients into a pot, except olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook without a lid, stirring occasionally until most of the water has evaporated and vegetables are tender.

Puree the mixture with a hand blender, pulse for more texture or completely puree into smooth sauce.

Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Serve over your favourite pasta.

Let me know if it passes the taste bud test of your little ones.

 Organic produce doesn’t have to be costly. Here’s how to spend wisely.

 by Kim Corrigan-Oliver Your Green Baby

Don’t think you can afford organic food on your family’s grocery budget? Think again. With a few simple tips, you can become a savvy organic shopper and your family will reap the benefits.

Choosing to go organic is an easy decision to make when you understand the advantages. First and foremost, by choosing organic you are avoiding pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals used in conventional production methods. These chemicals have been shown to have adverse effects on our health and health of our children, and many of them are known carcinogens.

Second, by choosing organic food you are taking a huge step towards helping our environment. With a reduction in chemicals for production, and care and support for the soil, organic farming is better all round for Mother Earth. And last but not least, organic food just tastes better. If you don’t believe me – try it! Be warned though, you may have a hard time going back.

Organic food is more expensive then conventional food simply because it costs more to produce. Organic food can only be labelled organic if the farm it comes from has followed very stringent guidelines that prohibit the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified seeds, or crop radiation. Following these guidelines, paying for yearly farm inspections to maintain certification, and the manual labour required to control insects and weeds, means higher prices for organic food for the consumer.

While most parents want the healthiest foods for their kids, and agree that organic is the best way to go, it’s hard on the budget to always choose organic fruits and vegetables. Here are a few simple ways to stretch your organic dollars.

Eat seasonally and locally.  As consumers, we are used to buying the produce that we need all year round. When buying organic, we need to alter that thinking. Organic foods are grown and harvested according to seasons. If we buy our organic produce locally and in season, it’s much easier on the wallet. Buying organic food that is not in season or grown elsewhere will be more expensive.

Visit your local farmers’ market. Buying directly from the farmer cuts out the middle man, and you get to talk to the person who is responsible for growing your food. Many small family farms my not be certified organic – this is after all a long, tedious, expensive process – but nevertheless use organic farming methods. It pays to chat with farmers about how they grow their produce; you may just find organic foods at very reasonable prices.

Join a CSA. CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. Some CSAs are certified organic, and even those that are not tend to practise organic farming methods. Again, it pays to talk to the farmer. When you join a CSA, you buy a share of the farmer’s bounty, giving the farmer access to guaranteed funds to help support their farm and crops. This is a mutually beneficial partnership for both farmer and member.

Grown your own. The best way to know for sure how your food is grown and to cut costs is to grow it yourself. Growing your own is very rewarding – avoiding pesticides and other chemicals, and using organic fertilizers and your own compost produces beautiful and delicious vegetables. It is so satisfying to head out to the garden each afternoon to pick food for your dinner. You gain a whole new appreciation for the food on your plate. If you have never grown your own food, start small – a patio tomato plant or some fresh herbs. You will be amazed at how satisfying and cost effective it is.

Use these lists. The U.S.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled two lists for consumers – The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen (see below). The Dirty Dozen lists the 12 foods you should buy organically; they use many different chemicals in their production and have high residues. Your organic dollars are best spent on The Dirty Dozen. The Clean Fifteen on the other hand are foods with little chemical exposure in production and low residues. You can save your organic dollars on these foods. With a few simple tips you can stretch your dollars a little further, enjoy organic food and feel good about what you are doing for the environment, your community and your health. Happy eating!

The Dirty Dozen

Peach, Apple, Bell pepper, Celery, Nectarine, Strawberry, Cherries, Kale, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Carrot, Pear

The Clean Fifteen

Onion, Avocado, Sweet corn, Pineapple, Mango, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Papaya, Watermelon, Broccoli, Tomato, Sweet Potato

Oh, the excruciating process of interviewing childcare providers. In our search for home, or “family”, care for Lucy, I interviewed more than a dozen providers either in person or on the phone.

(I’ve been writing about Lucy and our family’s wonderful (and sometimes wacky and sad) childcare searches and experiences — with Daycare Debbie, Julia and Shelby — for years. Read it here.)

Although absolutely necessary when looking for the special person (or centre) to be, almost, your surrogate, it doesn’t make it any less stressful.

Just like interviewing for a job, one of the most helpful tips I read about before beginning the search was to be prepared and know exactly the questions to ask a potential provider.

There’s a wealth of information for parents online, often broken down by type of childcare, too. Here are our favourites:

• About Kids Health (from the Hospital for Sick Children): Questions to ask for infant/toddler care, preschool care, and school-age before-/after-school care
• Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services: Childcare choices and questions
• CBC news in-depth on daycare: Questions parents should ask
• BC Health Guide on choosing childcare: Questions, plus how to decide between a home and centre
• The search is on: A lengthy but worthwhile read from the Brantford Expositor

Any favourite sites or resources to share? Leave ‘em below!