The best way to introduce pets to each other is a phased approach: help them gradually adjust to the presence of each other and then, after a few days, when it’s the time for presentations, distract their attention. Of course, you need to make a big show of equal affection to both animals during the process to avoid jealousy.

The first thing to do is to get them used to the proximity of the other pet, without letting them see each other yet. You can keep them in different parts of the house for a few days, while giving them toys and objects with the smell of the other pet so that they gradually become accustomed to its presence.

The second step is to put them in direct contact while distracting their attention so that they begin to cohabit without even noticing it. Depending on the personality of your pets, you can use toys or even their favorite treats, while being careful to be fair and not create any jealousy.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll see that a little patience goes a long way to create a peaceful home where your pets live together happily and enjoy having a companion who will soon become their second best friend…after you!

Note that this phased approach can also be used to introduce a new pet sitter to the household’s animals. Ask her to give you something personal before her first visit so that your pets get used to her smell. Then, when she shows up for the first time, put them away while you give her a tour of the house so that your pets can see that this new person is a “friend”.

Manon is a mother of two boys. She came across SOSsitter when she was trying to find a nanny for one of her sons that has severe dyslexia and ADHD. She was able to find a great person very quickly and was so impressed by SOSsitter that she decided to join us. She also has three dogs that follow her everywhere (or almost…)

Welcome Manon!

PS: As SOSsitter Founder I will continue to Twitt, Facebook, etc.. alongside Manon. Looking forward for great times!

• your child has grown up and you need a babysitter experienced with older children
• your family situation has changed and your needs are different
• there may be financial reasons
• or unfortunately you might have had bad experiences with babysitters who did not meet your expectations

Whatever the motive behind your decision to change your nanny is, the important thing is not to feel guilty and to do it without emotion, in a professional manner. There can be no bad feelings or rancour between you and the person taking caring of your child.

Once you’ve made your decision, tell your nanny and follow the agreement that you negotiated when she started working for you. Explain clearly and honestly why you need to let her go and give her the appropriate notice. If you have to let her go because of inappropriate behaviour, end the contract immediately. The next thing you need to do is simply to start the selection process to find the new nanny who will answer your needs.

A FREE app that will help families find local nannies and babysitters on the go. Very easy to use. Downloaded it now. It’s free!

Hopefully you will have had the opportunity to interview the nanny over the phone . Then you can confirm your first impressions that you made over the phone, clarify certain points and ask more in-depth questions. You can proceed the in-person interview much in the same manner as the phone interview by starting with a job description. Since you are in the house, you can go in more detail by actually walking them through the steps of a typical day and show them where things are, ex. cups and plates. This is a good time to explain special needs such as allergies, medication, etc.
The goal of the in-person interview is to get the sitter to reveal as much as possible about him/her self so any nanny interview question should focus on that. Review their references and work experiences with them and get them to talk.

• How old were the children in their last job and what duties did they perform?
• What did they like or dislike about their last job?
• If the sitter is younger, ask them questions about their family life.
• Do they have siblings?
• What are they studying at school?
• What are their favourite subjects?
• You might also try broaching more sensitive topics. Are there holes (months or years where the sitter was not working) in the resume that you would like to discuss?
• Why are the references all from the same ethnic background?
• Does the sitter have children of their own?
• Where will her children be while they are taking care of your children? One of our clients realized that the sitter had to leave at a specific hour to be home when her child got back from school. The only problem was that neither of the parents would be home from work by then!

Finally, is your spouse also participating in the interview? Excellent! He/she can help by either sitting in the interview and watching for non-verbal cues or by minding the children so you can conduct the interview in peace. Or perhaps you prefer to reverse the roles? This is best decided by you both as you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and your family situation.

After an in-person interview, you will know if this is the nanny for you. If it is, start discussing salary and benefits.

Several studies show that emotive responses, like shouting and giving corporal punishment are not the best approach and that children who were raised this way are more likely to become aggressive adults with negative behaviours. It is therefore important to use positive discipline rather than to react with emotion. The secrets of successful positive discipline are attitude and communication. This post will outline what is a positive attitude while the subject of communication will be covered in another post on this blog.

First and foremost, attitude is being consistent: always choose a positive approach and never fall into the emotional reaction. You need to be constantly listening and show a lot of patience, adaptability and flexibility. The basic idea is to provide guidelines and limits and teach the child to make the right choices so you need to encourage her to make the right choices and congratulate her when she does. A discussion with the nanny or babysitter is necessary to ensure she will provide the same guidelines as you do. Confusion creates frustrations and misunderstandings, which in turn can easily lead to emotional reactions.

Quite often, it is enough to anticipate potential problems and present the child with a proper option before they have the opportunity to make a bad decision: for example, if they are about to play with crayons, ask them if they want to draw on the kitchen table or spread newspapers on the floor in their room. Do not let them decide where to use their crayons. Over time they will know the different options and choose between good alternatives.

A positive attitude it’s also creating a respectful and loving environment where the child can flourish without fear or frustration. It is therefore very important that the nanny takes her cues from you and is careful to always talk to the child with calmly and with respect. This does not detract from being firm but creates a dialogue rather than giving orders to be followed blindly.

If your nanny and yourself adopt this positive approach to discipline, you’ll see that with a little patience your child will learn to make the right choices.

The best way to feel confident is to thoroughly select the nanny to whom you’ll entrust your little one. Beyond the necessary precautions to follow and the advice that apply to any caregiver selection (see the several posts on the subject on this blog), if it’s the first time that you leave your child with a nanny, you should be looking for an experienced candidate. Caring for a baby is very different from babysitting an older child, and some skills are more important than others. In addition to being confident that the nanny will know how to take care of your baby, you will certainly learn some useful tips from her.

Once you have found the perfect nanny for your family, introduce her to your child before the first day of leaving her with the caregiver. Ideally, the new babysitter should spend at least half a day with you and baby so that he gets used to seeing her in your home and see you talk and interact with the nanny. In addition, it’s the opportunity to show her where things are, the daily routine that you have with your baby and how you like things to be organized in the house. Don’t forget to take the time to leave her alone with the baby for a few minutes while you go to another room.

Now that you have prepared everything, it’s time to take the plunge and leave baby with the nanny for the first time. The most important thing is to act naturally because the child will feel your stress. You have already reviewed your home set-up with the nanny and given her a list of contacts to call if anything happened. The last thing you need to do then is to welcome the nanny and say good bye to baby, explaining simply that you will be back soon. Do not hesitate and linger, even if your child cries. He is testing you! Plan activities for the nanny to keep baby busy right after you leave and ask her to send you SMS or email frequently.

Simply follow these simple steps and you will be able to enjoy your day without baby, stress free and without guilt.

Sometimes however, you want to take your pet on holidays with you. Some preparation is needed to make the days off a fun time for you, your furry friend and his hosts.

So let’s review how to prepare your trip, what to do during the trip and how to help your pet adjust to his vacation spot.

How to prepare your pet for travel

The first thing to do is to make sure that your pet is healthy and that his health record is up to date. If you are traveling abroad, check with your vet if any specific vaccination is required by border controls. Finally, ask your vet for medication advice to help your pet stay calm in an airplane or not to be carsick.

Once this is settled, it is time to prepare your pet for his transport.

If you plan to travel by car, remember that young animals, as children, are often sick in cars. It is best to accustom them to car travels at an early age, to lower the heat and to half-open the windows so that your dog can enjoy some fresh air.

If you travel with a cat, be sure to keep it in its crate or to put her in a safety harness.

For transport by plane, get your dog or cat used to his crate before the big day. The crate must be large enough for him to stand up. Put his favorite blanket in it, and some toys so that he is comfortable. Gradually get him used to stay in his crate with the door closed and carry it so that he gets used to the transportation. Last but not least, choose a cage that will not open if it gets dropped or jostled during transport.

Pet care during the trip

It is best for your pet to travel with an empty stomach so that he doesn’t get too carsick. Therefore avoid feeding him the day of departure.

Make sure your pet has water readily accessible or stop every two hours so that he can walk a bit and drink.

Helping your pet adjust to his vacation spot

Before selecting your destination spot, make sure that the place allows pets. It is not advisable to take a dog that is not house broken on holiday.

Shortly before arriving, stop and walk your pet so that he is calm and has no urgent need for a bathroom break. Introduce him to the staff and enquire about the most appropriate place to walk him.

Once in your room, set up his blanket in a quiet corner and make sure he has fresh water available. Always put him on his leash before going out and if its size allows it, carry him outside to avoid any unfortunate accidents.

Follow these simple tips when traveling with your pet and everybody will enjoy an unforgettable holiday.

If you live in GTA, we have FREE TICKETS to the Toronto Private School Expo happening this Saturday in Roy Thomson Hall and to the Halton-Peel Private School Expo happening at Oakville Conference Centre – Holiday Inn, next Sunday, October 23rd,

To redeem them, click on one of the logos to get to the registration page and quote SOSSITTER as promotional code. The code will give you a pair of free tickets to the Expos.

Don’t you love us?

Thank you OurKidsMedia – the organizers of these great events


CLICK THIS LOGO FOR FREE TORONTO EXPO TICKETS

Saturday, October 15, 2011 |11:00 to 3:00 pm |Roy Thomson Hall | 60 Simcoe Street Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J5

CLICK THIS LOGO FOR FREE HALTON-PEEL EXPO TICKETS

Sunday, October 23, 2011 | 12:00 to 4:00 pm |Oakville Conference Centre-Holiday Inn | 2515 Wyecroft Road, Oakville, Ontario L6L 6P8

To prepare well your visit to the expo, read our previous post on what to ask when talking to a school representative.

Enjoy!

1. Explain clearly to the nanny what is expected of her
2. Set up a log of events, a journal of your children daily lives
3. Make sure that you are informed of your nanny’s schedule.

1. Clear expectations

The first thing to do while your new nanny finds her place in your family is to communicate clearly what you expect of her. You probably had this conversation when interviewing her, but it is a good idea to solidify the contract (ideally a written form) that you have with her and to be clear about your expectations. For instance, if you want your nanny to take care of the children’s laundry or to prepare the child’s dinner, say it clearly. Show her how you want things done: how to fold children’s clothes, where to put away toys, etc.. Show her your child’s schedule and establish her role in it. Don’t leave room for missteps: be upfront and clear on what things she can manage independently like the dinner menu or what books to read. The key is to communicate openly to avoid letting frustrations build up.

2. Set up a daily log

Once you have clearly explained to your nanny what you expect from her, keep the communication open by starting a daily log of your children’s lives. This way, your babysitter can let you know that your little one woke up early after his nap, that he didn’t finish his lunch or that he has been laughing all day long. You can use the log to communicate with the nanny on day to day issues if regular personal contact is not possible. This is a very effective method already used in day care centers everywhere in the country.

3. Know the nanny schedule in advance

Lastly, encourage your nanny to inform you well in advance on her schedule, so to avoid surprises and know when you need to find another solution to care for your child. Unexpected absences are the first source of frustrations

Organizing the communication with your children’s nanny will help ensuring that an effective and successful collaboration develops and lasts. And remember to take the time to regularly sit down for coffee with your nanny to make sure that all is well and that communication remains open.