5 Tips for Nannies Choosing Health Insurance

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Guest post from Three Kings Financial Group

As a nanny, life keeps you busy. So below, we’ve listed 5 tips to make it easier when navigating your choices this year.

Tips for Nannies Choosing Health InsuranceChoosing health benefits may be one of the most important decisions you make every year. The current uncertainty about healthcare premiums, deductibles, and coverage may seem like good reasons to wait on making important health insurance decisions. But that hesitation could end up costing you more in the long run. By assessing your health needs and budget now, you will be better prepared to make health insurance decisions that work for you and your family now that Open Enrollment is upon us.

When it comes to deciding what health insurance plan is best for you, one of the first things you probably think about is cost.

However, cost should not be the sole basis for choosing medical coverage. Just as important are having the right network of physicians, pharmacies, and hospitals. Making sure that all the elements of your healthcare work together can ensure improved convenience, efficiency, and ultimately reduce overall costs.

Below are 5 tips when choosing a health insurance plan this year:

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Seattle Area Nanny Pay Rates – Caring for Two Children

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Over on our Facebook group page, it seems like we are constantly discussing Seattle area nanny pay rates. Over the past couple of weeks, we have surveyed our members to gather some current data regarding childcare costs for two children. The results are in!

As the graphic below states, please DO NOT use this as a definitive guide to nanny pay rates in our area. We did not ask respondents to include variables such as benefits, # 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.

As you can tell, there is a vast difference in nanny pay across our region. Parents – what do you pay for a provider to care for two children? Nannies – what are you paid to care for two children? Comment below!

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Are Nanny Shares Illegal in Washington?

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If you are involved in a nanny share or are considering joining or starting one, take the time to read the important information below. We are not attorneys and the information we provide below should be used at your own risk. 

nanny shares illegalWhat is a Nanny Share?

A nanny share is defined as two or more families sharing the expense of employing one nanny to care for their children as a group.  A nanny share can be a more cost effective option for utilizing a nanny.  Care is provided at one family’s home or a combination of both.

There are many benefits to belonging to a nanny share, both for the parents and the children including:

  • For parents, it means a lower hourly wage than shouldering the entire cost of a nanny alone
  • For the children, a nanny share can be a great opportunity for socialization and having a playmate

Note: A nanny bringing his or her child to work with them is considered a perk of employment and not a nanny share.  If you are bringing your child to the nanny’s house, that is considered to be in-home childcare that requires the care provider to obtain a license and is not a nanny share.

Illegal?

Because so many families are turning to this option due to the high cost of childcare in our region, we set out to learn more about nanny shares. What we learned was troubling.

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Seattle Area Nanny Pay Rates – Caring for One Child

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Note: We resurveyed our members in May 2018 to see if the average pay rate changed. To see the results of that survey, click here.

Over on our Facebook group page, it seems like we are constantly discussing nanny pay rates for the greater Seattle area. Over the past couple of days, we have surveyed our members to attempt to gather some current data to share with you. The results are in!

As the graphic below states, please DO NOT use this as a definitive guide to nanny pay rates in our area. We did not ask respondents to include variables such as benefits, # of hours worked, the specific location in our area where the care occurred, etc. Use this as a rough snapshot of current trends in the Puget Sound region.

As you can tell, there is a vast difference in nanny pay across our region. Parents – what do you pay for a provider to care for your little one? Nannies – what are you paid to care for one child? Comment below!

Continue reading “Seattle Area Nanny Pay Rates – Caring for One Child” →

Dealing with Fall Sleep Disruptions by Audra Juraska

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sleep disruptionsSummer is most notorious for bringing disruptions to our children’s sleep. Between vacations, later evenings, and long hours of daylight, many families make peace with some sleep disruptions for their little ones.

We know that once the vacation is over or the nights become longer and darker, most family members (hopefully) fall back into a predictable and appropriate sleep routine, especially if older kids are in school and adhering to a bedtime and waketime all week.

However, I find that Fall often brings its own set of challenges for baby and child sleep. Let’s talk about those today!

Stay the Course

First and most importantly, no matter the sleep disruptions, I always recommend that families stay the course in pursuing their sleep goals or sticking with the framework that is working for their family. You could even call this my mantra as a sleep consultant: stay the course!

Keep the big picture in mind and steer your child’s sleep in that direction, even if it’s a little up and down over time. No matter what you’re working on or dealing with, be it a ‘sleep regression,’ a time zone change, an illness, or a late-night family event, keep your goals in mind.

Make exceptions as needed or as appropriate (life happens!) but be aware of when things should be getting back to normal. For example, after a child has recovered from an illness, don’t let those middle-of-the-night exceptions you rightfully made become the new norm.

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Video Baby Monitor Location: Quick and Affordable Solution

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Long Term Update

We have been using the Vusee Universal Flat Baby Monitor Mount every day for nearly two months now and we still love it! With the special mount up high on the wall, we can keep a close eye on our babies and watch them in their cribs. Since they are able to roll over now, being able to see them clearly on the monitor gives us extra peace of mind.  I also tested the camera mount and everything is still mounted to the wall securely.

Nanny Parent Connection members can purchase this product at a 20% discount with the code that I posted to our Facebook community at www.vusee.co/shop. Get a better view inside your baby’s crib today!

Does the view from your baby monitor look like this? Read on for a product review that will solve your video baby monitor location woes!

I requested this product and it was sent to me free of charge. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Here is the problem we have been dealing with ever since our first child was born:

video baby monitor location

We can barely see our sleeping babies!

Obviously, I want to be able to see my babies with a video monitor when they are sleeping (that’s the point, right?).  The problem I always seem to have is that the edge of the crib is a terrible place to put the camera, but that is where I would get the best picture.  The next best place to put it – usually on a dresser or a shelf that’s across the room – gives me a terrible view of the inside of the crib. 

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Free and Fun: Halloween “Show” on Greenwood Avenue

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The Mr. found something cool for little ones last night while out walking the dog and the two year old boy.

If you are around Greenwood Avenue and 70th Street in Seattle at night, look over at the west side of Greenwood Ave. for a pretty amazing (and a bit frightening) special effects show.

As you can tell, our son knows the Metro buses around our neighborhood 🙂

The exact address is 7107 Greenwood Avenue N. and it is the home of AtmosFX, a company that designs and sells digital decorations.

The hubby, little boy, and dog watched the above show for about 15 minutes with several other people that happened upon it (apparently the boy didn’t want to leave as he was so enthralled with the “monsters”).

Might be cool to check out if you are grabbing something at Ken’s Market or a bite to eat at El Chupacabra. I believe they have this up throughout the month of October.

A Fall Stroll and Mommy Mental Overload

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mommy mental overload

This morning, I walked around Greenlake with my dear friend B.  We do this every couple of weeks to catch up and talk about life in general.  She just started a business several months ago and frequently talks about how busy her work is keeping her. 

On top of running a retail store, she stays very busy doing (amazing) interior design work.  Then after she closes up shop each day there is kids’ activities, dinner, helping with homework, putting kids to bed, and tidying up her house before working more and then collapsing into bed so she can do it all again the next day. 

Sound familiar? I know I can relate to crazy schedules!

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8 Tips to Effectively Utilize our Facebook Community

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family seeking care

Updated: March 2, 2023

A common question we hear is what the best way is to connect with a family seeking care or a provider offering care in our Facebook community. 

The first step is to check out our Facebook group feed to get a feel for what has worked for others.  You can find that here. Check out the posts that have the most reactions and/or comments. Those posts are usually well-written, detailed, humorous, and include pictures/videos and specific information.

Next, decide if you want to put up a post with details about what you are looking for or if you want to browse posts from other members. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing both! Parents – keep in mind that many care providers don’t put up posts – they simply browse posts made by parents and then comment/message if they are interested.

Below are seven more tips to help with your search:

1) Check your Facebook notification settings

One of the advantages of our Facebook community is that you can quickly connect with other members. To ensure you receive instant notifications when a member responds to your post, double check your settings:

Step #1: Open Seattle Nanny Parent Connection in your Facebook app.

Step #2: Click on “Seattle Nanny Parent Connection” – find this right under the profile picture – you will see a drop down arrow on the right.

Step #3: Click “Edit Notification Settings”.

family seeking care

Step #4: Click “All Posts”.

family seeking care

That’s it! You’re done. Now, you will be instantly notified on your mobile when a member replies to your post. 

2) Have a profile picture

It’s true that you need to have a Facebook account to access the benefits of the Nanny Parent Connection online community.  Sometimes people create Facebook profiles just to access the group and don’t put a profile picture up because they don’t intend to use Facebook for other reasons. 

Many of our members are very skeptical of posts without a profile picture and sometimes won’t respond to a post seeking or offering childcare as a result.  If you are concerned about privacy, you don’t necessarily need to have a photo of yourself or something that shows your face.  Use a picture of your dog. Have a logo of a cause you support.

Really anything other than the standard Facebook “I don’t have a profile picture” picture.

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