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The first person you recommended met my needs perfectly.
Carolyn Goodrich, Stay at home mom
I had an emergency situation and had a nanny sent over for the following day. I am so pleased with the service provided by Morningside Nannies. My son immediately fell in love with the nanny assigned to us. We couldn’t be happier.
A. Porter
Morningside Nannies was outstanding. The process was stress free and the caliber of applicants was far superior to that of other agencies. Morningside Nannies was thorough in their review and timely presentation of candidates.
Susan Sherman, CPA
In a time crunch you provided me with two excellent applicants within hours!
Dr. Anita Tonking
Morningside Nannies was far more professional and focused than the other agencies. They listened to my request and responded promptly. I feel very fortunate to have such superb childcare and appreciate the luxury of returning to work with-out worry.
Jeremy and Lauren Blachman
I liked the fact that you screened the candidates before sending them to us, rather than sending the candidate to me before I knew anything about them, like happened with (name withheld), your competition.
Name Withheld
Quality of applicants was way above what we had hoped for. Thoroughly enjoyed working with your agency – we will highly recommend you to friends.
Kim McMillan
I just wanted to let you know that Elizabeth is fantastic! She is great with the boys, and so helpful with such a calm and pleasant way of being. We are so happy with her.
Christine
We’ve been very happy with Amber! She is so sweet with our son, proactive, a huge help around the house, engaging, and super creative with coming up with activities for him. So glad we hired her.
Rachel
I described the person I wanted and that’s what you found for me. Thank you.
At Morningside Nannies, our client needs come first. We’re pleased to present additional add on services that clients may purchase when hiring their new full or part-time nanny. Two of our new featured add-on services include our 365 Worry Free Guarantee and our Built-In Back-up care Package.
365 Worry Free Guarantee
With the purchase of our 365 Worry Free Guarantee Policy, you will know that a new search is covered should your nanny leave your employ for any reason within the first year of employment.
For just a dollar a day, you can have the peace of mind of knowing you won’t pay another placement fee to fill the same position. With the
This optional add-on purchase is an extension, and not a replacement of the Morningside Nannies replacement policy as outlined in our client agreement. This policy is available for part-time, and full-time employers, with clients meeting the same requirements as outlined in the replacement policy section of our client services agreement.
Built in Back-up Care Package
Now you can be secure with built in back-up care. We are pleased to offer clients who hire full and part-time nannies discounted rates on our back-up care fees. Upon hire of a full or part-time nanny, clients can purchase 5 back-up care referrals for $100. This is a $25 savings.
Morningside Nannies successfully staffs 95% of our temporary care requests, including same day requests. Once care is requested, a qualified and pre-screened provider is assigned to the job. The caregiver will call to introduce herself upon confirmation. The set rate for caregivers is $15 per hour, which clients pay directly to the nanny at the end of the shift, and there is only a four hour minimum.
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Recently we had the chance to catch up with Katernia Manoff, of Houston New Moms. When Katerina is not working on Houston New Moms, she freelances as an education consultant. She is mom to 1-year-old daughter Lana, Houston New Moms’ chief playground tester.
Why did you start Houston New Moms?
Houston New Moms was inspired by my own painstaking search for resources when my baby girl, Lana, was born last year. As a recent transplant to Houston from NYC, I had so many questions and nowhere to turn to get them answered. I needed to know how to find childcare, how to meet other moms, ideas for stroller-friendly places to go for a walk, baby-friendly play areas, sources for breastfeeding support, a place to weigh my baby, and much more. I ended up Googling like crazy, making dozens of phone calls, and interrogating every mom I happened to meet. It took several months to get all the resources I needed.
I kept coming back to the idea that there simply had to be a better way. What if new moms in Houston had a directory of everything they might need in one place? An up-to-date list of social groups, baby-friendly places and activities, health/safety information, and more? A free site that listed all helpful resources, not just businesses that had paid to be included?
I couldn’t believe that a huge city like ours didn’t have a single site focused on babies and toddlers. So, when Lana and I came out of the newborn haze and settled into a routine, I decided to create this directory to help make new parenthood smoother for other Houston families.
What do you think is the resource new moms in Houston need most?
I believe what new parents need most is the opportunity to meet other new parents. Research shows that strong social ties are by far the main predictor of human happiness. And, when you have a baby, there’s nothing quite like connecting with other women who are also dealing with nap strikes and diapers and work/life balance dilemmas. The first pages I put together for the site were lists of social and support groups for parents around Houston.
Places to get outside is a close second. Being outdoors has so many benefits for both babies and parents, but in a car-centric city like Houston, it can be a little challenging. Finding outdoor places for new parents, from stroller-friendly trails to playgrounds for pre-walkers, is a big focus for me.
What do you offer for new moms?
I am very excited about how much Houston New Moms has expanded its offerings over the past few months since launching. Our directory now has close to 25 categories of listings, from baby classes to doctor recommendations to birthday party venues. We also have a very active Facebook page where I share updates, post new parent events, and run giveaways of some of my favorite products for babies and toddlers.
What is the best thing you have learned from the New Moms community?
The best thing I’ve learned is how incredibly resourceful and capable moms in Houston are. Local moms have created a rich community of active online and in-person social groups, many with hundreds or even thousands of members. They’ve put together a thriving set of trading groups for everything from strollers to birthday outfits. They own photography businesses and sell handmade baby clothes. I love being part of this community and helping new parents discover and connect to it as well!
Visit www.houstonnewmoms.com to connect with Katerina and the Houston New Moms community!
Recently I had the opportunity to connect with Zeljko and Uma Pavlovic, founders of Vivaldi Music Academy. The Vivaldi Music Academy offers comprehensive music education to students of all ages and levels. Here’s a little bit from my interview with her, below.
1. What are the benefits of music education?
Music education supports cognitive, social and physical development for children of all ages. Research tells us that children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills – they score higher on reading, mathematics and spelling tests. As a discipline in itself, the study of music exercises the mind in a unique dimension, brings appreciation for the arts, and provides a solid cultural foundation. The ability to play and perform music brings joy and is a lot of fun!
2. What age should formal music lessons start?
Vivaldi Music Academy provides an option for every age. Developed by our own faculty, our unique early childhood music classes Vivaldi Seasons encompass ages 1-5. The classes are held within a narrow age range to provide the best music education for each child’s developmental stage. By age 5-6, most children are ready to transition to private lessons. We offer private instruction in piano, violin, voice, guitar, cello, flute and more. Group classes such as our Children’s Choir and Vivaldi Strings Ensemble are a wonderful adjunct and fun-filled experiences.
3. What’s the best approach to take to introducing kids to music?
We always strive for an age appropriate approach and one that encourages children to enjoy the music. A learning environment that is positive and fun is the best approach for music education. Vivaldi Music Academy specializes in guiding each family through their musical journey. We are here to help you choose the right class for your child or which instrument to start lessons with as we teach multiple instruments such as piano, guitar, violin, cello, flute and more. We also support kids in exploring different instruments and genres of music from classical to rock – learning the fundamentals while incorporating their favorite music into the music lessons and classes helps to keep our students motivated.
4. Best tips for encouraging the family to make musical moments together?
Musical moments can be created with your family on a daily basis. Listening to music while prepping for dinner, bath time or other activities are great ways to incorporate music into your daily life. Talk to your children about what they are listening to and encourage them to share their thoughts on different types and genres of music. Houston is a great city for the arts and there are many live musical concerts throughout the year – we encourage our families to attend concerts as it reinforces what our students are learning in their lessons and classes. And it’s a great way to spend time with your family!
5. What approach do you take to teaching? Is it performance based? Process based?
Our faculty members are skilled in assessing each child’s method of learning and lessons are tailored to meet every student’s needs. We incorporate a variety of teaching methods for the best and most comprehensive music education. Performances are a great motivational and confidence building experience for our students so we include two recitals per year in our tuition. The recitals in Houston have been held at prestigious venues such as Rice University, the MATCH, and Houston Baptist University’s Belin Chapel. It is amazing to see our students progress and families love to see their children showcase their talent. In addition, our students were so excited this past summer to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City – it was an amazing experience. And this coming June we will be performing in Venice, Italy!
6. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Our goal is to foster confidence and creativity in students of all ages through exceptional musical learning. With our dedicated world-class faculty, state of the art facilities, and innovative programs we hope to transform lives and bolster our community through the joy of music. We encourage you to join us and develop a life-long passion for music!
Morningside Nannies is pleased to announce it’s partnership with NannyTraining.com!
Morningside Nannies Executive Director Michelle LaRowe has combined more than 20 years of nanny industry experience as an award-winning nanny, published parenting author, past board member and executive director of the International Nanny Association, managing partner of an award-winning nanny agency and editor in chief of a network of online sites including eNannySource.com to develop a specialized certificate program just for nannies.
With over 13 lessons, 350 topics, 100s of resources, 13 quizzes and a final exam, nannies who complete this training will enhance their knowledge, skill set and marketability. Visit www.NannyTraining.com to learn more.
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Recently I had a chance to catch up with Jacalyn Burke about her new book, The Nanny Time Bomb. Here’s a snip-it into our conversation where you can read what she had to say. – Michelle
1. Tell us about the blog.. why were you anonymous? What led to its popularity? How did you deal with the things you read?
I wrote anonymously to provide myself with a broad and safe platform to explore issues in childcare. Why is it popular? Time. If you write 3-5 times a week and repost engaging stories about nannies in the media over ten years eventually Google takes notice. I would hashtag every topic. I added keywords everywhere. I engaged top authors and personalities. And people began to respond. I used what I read to create awareness. How did I deal with tough content? I channeled my frustration and at times sadness into my blog.
2. Why did you write the book?
I wanted to take my platform and message to the next level, and to reach more people. I also wanted to create a tool for parents, agencies and nannies to use in child care.
3. What was the biggest thing you learned? What surprised you?
That it’s complex. There are very few black and white issues in child care because it is predominantly a human to human, relational sector. What surprised me? Quite a few things: how hard women actually work, both moms and nannies to keep homes running smoothly; how often a nanny’s work is not respected in our society; how children suffer when their nanny is disengaged; what low rates some nannies are paid; and how mothers separated from their own biological children hundreds of thousands of miles away and even exploited by employers – can devote themselves to other people’s children – they are truly heroic, no, they are majestic human beings.
4. What’s your best advice for someone thinking about being a nanny?
Get an education first. Attend a good college and take a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development or attend a reputable nanny college. A solid educational background on a nanny’s resume is her best defense against being exploited. My second piece of advice is to find a good, boutique nanny agency that has a solid reputation for excellence.
5. For someone thinking about employing one?
Find a professional nanny agency. If you cannot afford one then buy my book. It will guide parents through every stage of sourcing, screening, interviewing and hiring a nanny.
6. What is your one hope for the future of the industry?
That we all come together into one powerful movement of workers who advocate for reform. Within reform comes better wages, contracts, paid over-time, immigration reform and recognition for the actual work that women do, and their impact on our economy, and the rights of all children to feel safe and loved in the absence of their parents.
7. What is the biggest myth in the industry?
That a nanny is a member of the family. It sets employers and employees up for all kinds of emotional entanglements. Is a teacher a member of the family? No, she is a professional with her own family but that does not negate her powerful role and influence on a child. It’s the same with a nanny.
8. What is the best kept secret?
Fortunately due to the amount of books and resources available about child care there aren’t too many secrets left. It’s all information and information is useful.
9. What do you think makes the nanny/family relationship successful?
In a word : professionalism. A nanny should strive to remain a professional who happens to work in a domestic environment. It always helps to start with an agreement or contract. That sets the tone of the relationship.
10. What is the one thing anyone thinking of getting into this field should do or know?
Prospective nannies should understand that this is a calling that requires a genuine love for children. It often calls for personal sacrifices: a missed dinner date, a sleepless night or a gesture or action that can go un-thanked or even acknowledged. The wages are not always high and the hours are long. There is not much glamor or prestige in this vocation. And YET being a nanny is probably (in my humble opinion) the most important service that any human can provide for another human, with the possible exception of end-of-life and elderly care.
Houston Kid Fun is here to spread the word about all of the neat things that Houston has to offer. Check out KidFun.us or visit their Facebook page to check out all Houston has to offer!
Top 10 Free Things to Do in Houston
1. Play at free indoor play places such as Frolic’s Castle at the Memorial City Mall and the Sugarcreek Playscape
2. Attend Chick-fil-A Family nights
3. Attend museums on “free Thursdays”
4. Play at a local park or splashpad
5. Take tours of local businesses such as the grocery store, our bank, Pet Smart, KSBJ, fire stations, etc.
6. Attend a show at Miller Outdoor Theater
7. Story time at the Nature Discovery Center
8. Visit and feed the horses at the HPD Mounted Patrol
9. Sam Houston Boat Tour ride down the Ship Channel
10. Attend story time at a library, local book store, etc.
Top 10 Things to Do in Houston
1. Houston Zoo
2. Children’s Museum of Houston
3. Theater shows like Main Street Theater
4. Play at an indoor play place such as Stomping Grounds, Wonderwild, or Pump It Up
5. Enjoy water places such as Splashway Waterpark and Noah’s Ark
6. Downtown Aquarium
7. Participate in a learning activity at places like the Houston Arboretum or the Idea Lab
8. Watching a Houston sports team such as the Rockets, Astros, and Dynamo
9. Houston Museum of Natural Science
10. Try something new – I have a huge list of places that we would like to try one day.
Wondering what pediatricians really want you to know? Dr. Amanda Chan of Fannin Pediatrics in Houston shares these 10 tips with Morningside Nannies.
1. Know that Tylenol/Motrin/Benadryl are weight based in children and having a chart to hang up at home can help you to be prepared. Please seek medical evaluation for any children under 2 months old of age with fever.
2. Tips to control fever: Give the correct dosing of Tylenol and Motrin (Motrin only given in 6 months and older). Also keep in mind it can take 40 minutes for medicine to kick in so in the mean time parents can give their child a bath or use cool packs in core body points (groin and underarms) to help reduce the body temperature.
3. Once children are on antibiotic, use as prescribed and finish the complete course of antibiotic.
4. Fever on antibiotics can be expected on day 1, 2, and 3. If patient has a true fever (100.4 or greater) on day 4 of antibiotics please call your doctor.
5. If you have contacted your pharmacy and a prescription is not there, please call the office to check on status; never wait until after clinic is closed to call.
6. Know office hours, policy on late arrivals, walk-in policy, after hours notifications and weekend hours.
7. Take pictures of rashes or injuries.
8. Avoid giving aspirin or aspirin containing medicines in children unless instructed to by your doctor.
9. Do not give children under the age of 2 years old cough syrup.
10. Keep poison control number on hand so you can call right away with any ingestion: (800) 222-1222.
Dr. Chan is now accepting new patients. Call 713-790-9220 to ask about insurance and for appointment information.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you are concerned about the health and safety of a child in your care, contact the appropriate medical provider immediately.
When school gets out for winter break, kids, parents, and caretakers might find themselves with plenty of time to play. And what could be better than hosting a play date with friends as a way to stay in touch over vacation, as well as keep playtime fun! Here’s a 7 tips for hosting a fun holiday play date while staying on a budget:
1. Everyone brings a dish or a snack
One way to save money on food at your holiday play date would be to have everyone bring their favorite snack or dish. Instead of buying food for all attendees, the food that everyone brings can be enjoyed by everyone.
2. Weather permitting…hit the outdoors
Most kids love to play outside, so weather permitting, schedule part of your play date outdoors. Sometimes a game of tag or hide and seek is the perfect way to burn off energy and enjoy playing with friends.
3. Hot chocolate and holiday movies on DVD
Big cups of warm hot chocolate with marshmallows might be the perfect way to watch holiday movies. Curl up with blankets and add some popcorn, and you’ll have happy campers.
4. Making Christmas ornaments or holiday crafts
You can find relatively cheap Christmas crafting supplies at dollar stores, so set up a place where kids can construct their own Christmas ornaments or crafts Make sure there are things like glitter, markers or crayons, glue, and basic crafting materials.
5. Write letters to Santa and make holiday collages
Why not gather all the kids around with special pens and paper, so that they can draft their letters to Santa? Kids can discuss their wishlist, draft it up, decorate it, and then get it ready in an envelope to mail out. Or if wish lists are out, you can always gather up magazines you don’t use anymore, and kids can cut out pictures and make their own collage illustrating winter and the holidays.
6. Hold a coloring book and crayons gift swap
There are so many different kinds of coloring books out during the holidays. It could loads of fun to have each parent draw a name from the attendees and bring a wrapped coloring book with crayons for a gift swap. Each child could leave with a new coloring book and new crayons.
7. Christmas Music Dance Party
If your group likes Christmas music or holiday tunes, why not schedule a dance party? Choose an area of the house with plenty of space, and have the kids dance to Christmas music. They can make up their own routines, and create performances…or they can just dance!
The holidays are always fun, but they can also be a time when staying within a budget is really important. Hopefully these tips will help if you’re looking to hold a holiday play date on a budget.
When conducting your job search, it’s vital that you know your market value. To determine wage expectations, many nannies simply add up their expenses each month and set their salary requirements based on those results. Others come up with a random wage requirement that they are satisfied with and set that as their earning goal. Some even base their wage requirements on what they believe the parents can afford to pay them given where they live and the type of car they drive. And a few see advertisements for high-end positions posted on recruiting websites and assume that’s the norm. Unfortunately, these are not accurate ways to determine a nanny’s market value and earning potential.
In the Houston area, nannies generally earn from $22 to $26 per hour, however depending on the job requirements and nanny’s qualifications, the hourly rate could rise to $30+ per hour particularly for competitive positions such as for part-time after school jobs.
How can you fairly assess your market value and earning potential starting from this base wage range?
Consider your experience. How long have you been a nanny? What ages of children do you have experience with? Have you worked with other household staff? Are you a full-charge nanny? What duties and responsibilities have you taken on in previous positions?
Consider your references. What do those who you have worked for say about you? Are the parents giving glowing references or are they just willing to verify employment? Do you have references and reference letters to support your work history and timeline? If you want to work with newborns, do you have a reference from a parent of a newborn?
Consider your niche. Do you have a specialization? Do you only work with multiples? Newborns? Preschoolers? Do you have a history of staying with a family for 5 plus years? Do you have lots of experience working with children who have special needs? Or who were adopted? Are you a household manager? Do you specialize in working with older children? Are you experienced in the Montessori approach? Are you able to tutor school aged children?
Consider your educational background. Do you have a college degree in early childhood education? Do you attend NAEYC workshops? Do you have specialized training? Did you take child development courses? How do you stay current with best practices in childcare?
Consider your credentials. Are you a newborn care specialist? Are you an INA Credentialed Nanny? Are you a Child Development Associate? Do you have a teaching credential? Are you a certified nurse’s assistant? Are you a home health aide? Are you a licensed daycare provider?
Consider your affiliations. Are you a member of the International Nanny Association? Are you involved with a local nanny support group? Do you attend nanny or educational conferences?
Consider your skill set. Are you a certified life guard? Can you speak a different language? Do you have a gift for teaching music or are you especially crafty? Are you a former camp counselor? Can you tutor or teach a foreign language? Have you homeschooled?
Consider what you are willing to do. Are you willing to take on housekeeping related tasks that aren’t child related? Are you willing to prepare family meals? Can you travel with the family? Can you stay overnight or be extremely flexible with your schedule? Will you work for a stay at home parent? Will you iron?
Consider the employment package. Families are not legally required to offer employment benefits. Some do, as they know they have to in order to be competitive and to attract and retain qualified help. Standard nanny benefits include one to two weeks of paid vacation and paid holidays. Some families will also offer paid personal or sick days or contributions to health insurance. We strongly encourage our families to offer pay 52 weeks per year as well as paid vacation time and paid holidays, at a minimum. Depending on the benefits offered, the hourly wage rate may be impacted.
Like with any industry, the more experienced and educated you are, the higher your earning potential becomes. The more you are willing to work and do, the higher your earning potential becomes. The more specialized experience you have, the higher your earning potential becomes. When considering your market value and wage requirements, please be able to justify why you are expecting a wage outside of local averages. We will gladly present you with your requested wage rate to families, but we need to be able to justify to parents why you are worth a wage rate that is outside of the local Houston average.
For many parents, hiring a part-time nanny seems to be the solution to their childcare needs. But like the old saying goes, all that glitters isn’t gold. Before you begin your part-time nanny search, it’s important to consider some of the most common issues that surround part-time hires and the ways you can combat them.
Part-time positions naturally have a higher turnover rate. In any industry, part-time workers tend to leave jobs more quickly than full-time workers. With nannies, part-time caregivers are often working around other commitments, like their current college schedule, another job schedule or their children’s school schedule, all which can change throughout the year. For this reason part-time nannies are less inclined to stay in part-time positions long-term. Since most families are seeking at least a one year commitment, this results in less qualified candidates available for part-time positions.
Part-time providers also have less flexibility for scheduling changes. Since part-time nannies are typically working around other schedules and commitments, they usually don’t have the availability to work outside of the set schedule they committed to. For parents this can mean that an afterschool provider won’t be available to provide morning care if a child is sick or childcare when school is closed. For families who require full-time coverage during school closings, breaks and summer vacations, a part-time hire can prove problematic.
So what can you do to attract and retain the right part-time provider for your family?
Consider offering a higher wage rate. Qualified part-time nannies are in demand and as a result, nannies have their choice of part-time positions, making them super competitive. While you don’t want to get into a bidding war, if you can bump up your rate above the area norms, you are likely to attract qualified candidates who are truly interested in the schedule and willing to make a long-term commitment. Most nannies are really reluctant to give up a high paying part-time job, so increasing the wages offered typically translates to increasing employee longevity.
You’ll also want to remember that with part-time hires there doesn’t come full-time availability. Carefully consider your needs and be realistic. If you know you need coverage 3 to 7 most days, but at least a few times per week you run late or you have evening work events fairly often, increase the hours from the get go so that you can secure the coverage that you need. The same rings true if you need sick care and coverage during school breaks and vacations. In the end, having the care you need squared way upfront can save you time and money. When you build in the care you need you aren’t left trying to piecemeal arrangements and take time off from work, which can be costly.
Another and probably the most effective strategy for parents seeking a long-term commitment is to consider consolidating their outsourcing and hiring a full-time providers. Many nannies are willing to take on household related tasks like home management, errand running, grocery shopping, meal preparation and housekeeping, especially if the children are in school. When families are seeking a full-time arrangement they significantly increase their candidate pool, giving them more options, and they have the care they need secured when they need it most. When a full-time nanny you don’t need to worry if she has the availability to provide care when the kids are sick or the school is closed; she’s already scheduled and ready to work.
If you are seeking a part-time provider, contact Morningside Nannies for a complimentary consultation. Our part-time nannies are required to be available to make a one-year commitment and undergo the same intensive screening as our full-time applicants.
