New Feature: Last Minute Care Text Message Service

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As a former nanny, I find myself constantly brainstorming new tools for the care providers in our community to use to help offer their services.

Recently, I decided to ask the nannies and babysitters in our Facebook community what feature they would like to see us build next. There were some great ideas floated – community calendar, nanny database, and a Nanny Parent Connection Buy Nothing group among others.

Overwhelmingly though, the care providers up-voted a very novel idea…an instant message/text message system for when parents need last minute child care.

I am so excited to announce that yesterday, we launched our Last Minute Care Text Message Service!

child care last minute

Thank you to all of the nannies and babysitters that signed up to help us test the system. We couldn’t have done it without you 🙂

child care last minute

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Special Member Giveaway: Free Seattle Storm Tickets!

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Yes, you read that right! Free Seattle Storm Tickets!

The Seattle Storm is teaming up with Nanny Parent Connection to offer members FREE TICKETS to the Tuesday – May 8th, 2018 game against the Phoenix Mercury at 12:00pm.

free seattle storm tickets

This is the “Storm into STEM” game, and there will be robotics exhibitions and other STEM related presentations on the main concourse prior to the game, with doors opening at 11:00am and the game starting at 12:00pm. 

This is an excellent opportunity for nannies and families to partake in an educational opportunity and have fun at the same time – not to mention to do something a little different!

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My Visit with The Car Seat Lady Sue Emery

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That moment when you learn you are expecting two babies and not just one – we found out over halfway through my pregnancy.

Yeah… talk about panic mode!

It was a crazy, happy-crying, surreal moment.  One of my first thoughts was that we needed to upgrade our cars to fit all of our kids! 

Several weeks afterward we settled into the reality of expecting twins.  Once we calmed down we realized that the vehicles we already had would work.  We wouldn’t be able to fit the whole family in my sedan, but we did have a large SUV that could accommodate our family of six.

car seat lady

car seat lady

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Laura Tried It: West Seattle Art Nest

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In March, I worked with the West Seattle Art Nest to put together a special deal for Nanny Parent Connection members.

Last week my kids were on spring break from school and I had the week off from work. It was a perfect time to load up the crew and head over to the West Seattle Art Nest! We braved the pouring rain and made the trek over to West Seattle to check it out. My older boys were excited since they both love art.

Yes to Glitter and Paint Messes?

We have a ton of art supplies at home. However, I tend to not get the messy things like paint out as much as my kids would like. This is the case even more so since the arrival of the twins – I have plenty of cleaning up to do on any given day and I never seem to be able to finish my to-do list without having to clean up paint, too! And don’t even talk to me about glitter. It’s not even in my house for a reason! But my kids love to paint use glitter (who doesn’t?!), and I definitely have mom guilt about this.

west seattle art nest

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Nanny/Sitter Background Checks – Now Available!

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Congratulations!  You have found an excellent nanny or sitter to work with your family! But you’re not quite ready to go yet.  As if going through the process of actually finding a care provider isn’t stressful enough, now you have to navigate a background check.

Ugh…

Not so fast – we are here to help make things easier for you!  We have worked hard over the past few months and are excited to announce that NPC Background Checks are now available! Click here to take a look at our background check system.

sitter background checks

I have spoken with dozens of parents and agency representatives over the past couple of years about nanny/sitter background checks. I consistently hear that there aren’t enough options available and that the options that are available are too expensive or too complicated. 

In December, we set out to create a better solution! Our goals were to:

• Create several background check packages that are affordable for everyone 

• But not take away important aspects of the background checks in the name of affordability

• Have the background check order process not take more than five minutes

We were able to achieve all of our goals!

Several packages to choose from starting at $18.99

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Immersing Kids in Culture

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Guest post from Lexi Carr. Lexi is a freelance blogger with a focus on family and life experiences. When she’s not spending time with her nieces and nephews, she’s traveling with her partner and learning about the world around her. You can contact Lexi via email here.

immersing kids in culture

In a world where pop culture is king, it may seem like a nearly impossible task to raise children exposed to “culture” – a term who many struggle with defining. According to the New Yorker, culture can mean the set of practices and beliefs that make up norms or may be used in a more traditional sense involving the arts and high societal activities.

Thanks to globalization and technological advances, culture today means much more than being “civilized” or “well educated.” To be cultured is to be exposed to norms that may not be the norm of your own, to be open to differences, and to be aware of the beauty in all forms of art.

Approaching this idea with kids can be difficult and overwhelming.

However, introducing children to culture locally and in the home are great first steps. And it is the responsibility of nannies as well as parents to take those steps with the children in their care.

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Seattle Children’s Theater: 15% Off TWO SHOWS!

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I know many of you love the Seattle Children’s Theater – it’s one of my family’s favorite activities. Seattle Children’s Theater has put together an AMAZING deal to return the love…

Exclusive Discount for Nanny Parent Connection Members

15% off tickets to see Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience and The Lamp is the Moon. That’s right – 15% off of TWO SHOWS for Nanny Parent Connection members. Thank you SCT!

Read below for show descriptions, run times, recommended ages and how to redeem.

seattle children's theater coupon

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience
Based on the book Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

MARCH 22 – MAY 13, 2018

“They are a little bit rat. They are a little bit mole. They are all naked.”

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Seattle Area Nanny Pay Rates – Three Children

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Over in our Facebook community, we recently surveyed our members to gather some current data regarding pay rates for three children. The results are in!

As the graphic below states, please DO NOT use this as a definitive guide for nanny pay rates in our area. We did not ask respondents to include variables such as full time vs. part time, driving duties, exact number of hours worked, the specific location in our area where the care occurred, etc. Use this as a general idea of current trends in the Puget Sound region.

Parents – what do you pay your nanny to care for three children? Nannies – what are you paid to provide child care for three children? Comment below!

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Special 25% Discount: Roo’s World of Discovery in Kirkland

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Roo’s World of Discovery is partnering with Nanny Parent Connection for the next two months to offer our members a 25% discount on drop-in passes or a monthly membership!  If you’re tired of taking the kiddos to the same old places, here is a great opportunity to try something new.

roo's world kirkland

Roo’s World of Discovery is located at 108 Central Way in Kirkland, WA.  If you are located in Seattle, it’s worth the drive to the Eastside!  Curious? Read on to learn more about this fantastic play space!

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Nanny Discussion: How and When Should I Ask For A Raise?

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Over in our Facebook group, there was a question recently posed by a nanny (I’m summarizing here):

“I’ve been a nanny for my family for over a year.  After what period of time is it appropriate to ask for a raise?  How do I ask for more paid time off and sick leave? How do I ask for overtime pay, when I initially said it was ok to not be paid that?”

ask for a raise

The topic of a raise can be difficult for a nanny, or anyone for that matter, to navigate.  It is pretty standard to discuss any compensation changes with your nanny family after one year.  You may run the risk of things becoming awkward with your family.  The fear of rejection is real. What if they say no? Do you hold your ground and leave if they refuse (even though they are an otherwise wonderful family to work for)? Will they be open to negotiating?

But you know you are providing valuable service to your family.  Their kids are well-cared for.  You’ve never been late to work, or maybe you’ve never even had to call in sick.  You even go above and beyond in chipping in on household duties because you want to.  Making sure you are well-cared for and feeling appreciated is likely important to your nanny parents.  They may just not have thought about it, and may not in the future unless you bring it up!

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