Do we really need a routine and a schedule? What is the difference between the two, and what are the pros/cons of having them? No frets I am here to help. In all of my experience in Childcare I find that they are important, not just to us as childcare providers but also to the children.

•  Do we really need to have a routine or schedule, and what are the benefits?

Think about it as adults we have a daily routine and a schedule. It helps us plan our daily activities, get to appointments on time, keep organized, makes for less stress, and helps me to plan what I need to do next. Well that is the same with kids. They need schedules and routines starting at a young age. It prepares them for what is going to happen next, and helps them for when they will go to school. If they have a schedule or routine they will know what is going to happen next, and be able to predict what is going to come next. It is also really helpful in getting young babies to learn to sleep and eat. That way if you are out and about you can plan for what you need to bring and what time you need to be home for nap. Routines help children keep busy, it helps make sure they aren’t bored, helps makes planning easier, it helps with transitions, bedtimes/wake up times are easier, and getting the to listen is easier. Overall I believe that if you have a routine or schedule in helps you in the long run and is beneficial to everyone involved. The only con I see is that when you get a child used to a routine or schedule they will expect that daily. So it might be trouble if end up off of the routine or schedule. Routines are beneficial to all ages but especially infants and toddlers, and schedules are beneficial for older children but still can be good for infants and toddlers. It really depends of your preference.

• What is the difference between a routine and a schedule?-

Routines are a sequence of actions you follow regularly, or to put it simply it is the set things you do everyday. For instance, you wake up, get a shower, eat breakfast, get ready for work, go to work, have lunch, go back to work, come home, fix dinner, eat, watch TV, go to bed, and then the next day you do the same thing in the exact order again.

A schedule is a set time each day that you do activities everyday. For instance wake up at 7:30-take a shower, 8:00- have breakfast, 8:30- get ready for work, 9:00- leave for work, 9:30-12:30- work, 12:30-1:30- have lunch, and etc. You do these things everyday at the same time. That means you have a schedule. You can have a set schedule or a flexible schedule. For children it is good to have a flexible schedule. The reason for this is because you never know what kind of mood they will be in or if they have an appointment or something you may need to switch things around, like do a nap earlier.

Remember it is always important to be flexible, and to have patients when trying to set up a routine or schedule. It also makes things a lot easier when you have more than one child.

Here are some examples of schedules I have used, and an example of a routine I like to use. I always try to balance out activities like something very active and then something less active. It will help if you need to get them to sit down for something like circle time.

• Example of a Routine:

Ok this is what I usually do with C, and you don’t have to do it. This is more of a routine and you can adjust into your needs to make a schedule for your child.

*So I arrive at work at 8:00 am- She has breakfast and we read stories

*Then after that we have free play- which is just her playing with her toys on the floor for about 30 mins

*Then we do something active like dancing, climbing the stairs, exercises, chase, walking with her walker, pushing a stroller, jumping, etc.

*After that we do a circle time with our teaching board, and some songs that go with the theme, also a short book to go with the theme of the week.

*Then we go outside to play or for a walk. If there is a park you can go to the park too

*After that it is back inside for some educational play- toys to do with the theme, developmental goal, gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, or language activity

* We do our daily activity- see below

*Then we have free play inside with her toys

*Then we go outside again for some active time

*Next we have another circle time- this one is shorter with 1 theme book and some more theme songs

*Then it is playtime and mommy and daddy get home.

C still takes 2 naps a day so usually I just do this around her nap times.

*If you have more than one child you can do this if you have a baby and a older child:

When K is eating breakfast you can put H in the High Chair or bouncy seat and he can listen to stories too. The same with when K is doing circle time H can sit too and listen. When you are doing playtime with K, H can be doing tummy time or playing on the floor too. Outside is fun too, H can have a blanket on the ground to play on, or he can sit in the stroller.

If you have a child in school you can adjust this schedule to your needs. Also You can add in field trips for different days too and different times. The field trips I like to have relate to the theme and they can go in the time slot for educational play or one of the outside times.

• Examples of some Schedules-

Schedule

7:30am-8:00am: Breakfast

8:00am-8:45am: Outside time / walk

8:45am-9:00am: Teaching Time

9:00am-9:30am: Free Play

9:30am-9:45am: Snack AM

9:45am-10:00am: Diaper / Stories

10:00am-11:00am: Nap #1 / Diaper

11:00am-11:15pm: Songs / Finger Plays / 2 theme books

11:15am-12:00pm: Flash Cards / Vocabulary Cards / Planned Activity

12:00pm-12:30pm: Lunch

12:30pm-1:15pm: Outside Time / Walk

1:15pm-1:30pm: Work on Concept / Developmental Goal

1:30pm-2:00pm: Free Play

2:00pm-2:30pm: Developmental Skills Activities

( cognitive, social, gross motor, fine motor)

2:30pm-2:45pm: Sign Time DVD

2:45pm-3:00pm: Diaper / Stories

3:00pm-4:00pm: Nap # 2 / Diaper

4:00pm-4:15pm: Songs / Finger Plays / 2 Theme Books

4:15pm-4:30pm: Snack PM

4:30pm-4:45pm: Free Play

4:45pm: Mommy / Daddy Home

Weekly Activities-

Monday: Music and Movement

Tuesday: Sensory

Wednesday: Art

Thursday: Cooking

Friday: Library/Science

• Daily Schedule

Monday: Music

Tuesday: Sensory

Wednesday: Art

Thursday: Cooking

Friday: Field Trip

8:00-8:30- Breakfast/Stories

8:30-9:00-Cognitive, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Social/Emotional, or Language Skill

9:00-9:30-Free Play

9:30-10:00-Educational Activity/Developmental Goal

10:00-10:30-AM Snack

10:30-11:00-Planned Daily Activity

11:00-12:00-Outside Activity

12:00-12:30-Lunch

12:30-12:45-Circle Time/Teaching Time

12:45-1:00-Stories

1:00-2:30-Naptime/Quiet Time

2:30-2:45-Songs/Fingerplays

2:45-3:00-Toddler Page Activity

3:00-4:00-Outside Time

4:00-4:30-PM Snack

4:30-5:00-Free Play

• If C had a Schedule this is what it would be:

8:00-8:30: Breakfast and Stories

8:30-9:00: Free play with her toys on the floor

9:00-9:30: Something active- dancing, walking, climbing, running, jumping, or outside time

9:30-10:00: Snack

10:00-10:30: Circle Time- Teaching board, short theme book, and 2 songs

10:30-12:30: Morning Nap

12:30-1:00: Lunch

1:00-1:30: Outside time

1:30-2:00: Educational Play

2:00-2:15: Work on Developmental Goal

2:15-2:30: Cognitive, Language, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Social/Emotional development skills

2:30-3:00: Daily Activity- music, art, cooking, sensory, etc.

3:00-3:30: Nap

3:30-4:00: Inside Free time-playing with toys

4:00-4:30: Outside time

4:30-5:00: Circle time again- Theme book, and theme songs

5:00-5:30: Theme Toy play

5:30-6:00: Free time

* Notice I didn’t include TV time on here in any of these schedules. I don’t like to use the TV as a babysitter. TV is ok in moderation and I think a minimum of 30 minutes a day is good and a max of 1 hour a day is ok. I really think that it should be something that is educational though. This is a schedule of a working nanny or childcare provider that is at home. However if you are a stay at home mom/dad or grandparent I still think it is a good idea to have a schedule or a routine. It is also important to do education things. This will help your child to be stimulated, and helps them to learn things that they need to know. It also keeps them from being bored.

I leave you with a question, and would love to hear your feedback.

• Do you do a schedule or routine with your child? What does it include? Tell me why you have a routine or schedule, or why not. Thanks

As always thanks for reading my blog posts. Please feel free to answer the questions, and leave your feedback.

Adoption is a great option

I just feel so strongly about this, and after the news coverage about the doctor who was found guilty of murdering babies after her delivered them, I felt like I needed to get my message out there and hopefully help to change someone’s mind.

Placing a Child for Adoption | A Birth Mother’s Story., this is a great link from a mother who decided to give her child up for adoption.

Did you know that it is legal in most states to have an abortion, and did you also know that you can have an abortion into the 2nd trimester. To me this is all sad to hear. Having an abortion means that you are killing an unborn child. Your baby starts to develop at the week 5 mark, and at 6 weeks your baby begins to have a heartbeat, but you are unable to hear it on the monitor or through ultra sound until 8 weeks. So to me that says that your baby is forming and a full developing baby at 5 weeks old. Why in the world would you want to have an abortion, when you know that your baby has already started to develop?

Many people have abortions for many reasons. Some of those reasons are they are young, not ready to be a mom, not financially stable, no medical coverage, homeless, single, birth control failure, scared to tell parents, medical emergency, tubal pregnancy, rape, to prevent birth defect, baby has life threatening illness, or incest.

The rate for abortion is really high, which saddens me. Each year 1.2 million women have an abortion to end pregnancy. That is 1.2 million babies that could have gone on to be adopted. For most of those 9 out of 10 are done in the first 9-12 weeks while 1 out of 10 are done latter. The ones that are preformed later are due to not being able to afford it, or miscalculating when you got pregnant.

I guess you can tell by this post that I am 100% against abortion unless it is a medical reason, like an atopic pregnancy. I feel like you made the decision to have sex, then you should know that having sex could cause you to get pregnant even if you use protection. I truly believe that every child and every pregnancy is a gift from God, I also believe he never gives you more than you can handle.

I am for adoption for many reasons. Some of those are because I know numerous people who are unable to have children who have adopted, you are able to give the child a better life, a stable home, financial security, love, and you are giving that child a family. I myself and my husband have been trying to have children since we have been married. I suffer from irregular periods, and when I have gotten pregnant I didn’t know and it ended in miscarriage. On top of having irregular periods which makes it hard to calculate ovulation I have the RH factor and have to have a shot right when I find out I pregnant or my body attacks the fetus. So with not having symptoms and irregular periods it is hard to conceive and hard to keep the pregnancy going. We have considered adoption and are all for it. We are going to stop trying for a while and focus on getting healthy, and when the time is right we will have a baby either through adoption or through conceiving.

Adoption can be costly, but well worth the rewards you get from becoming parents. You get to share the love that you have for each other with a little one, and best of all you get to become a family.

Some things you might consider before having an abortion. When you have an abortion you have to pay for it yourself, some insurance companies may cover it, but most don’t. If you give your child up for adoption the agency you work with has fees, those fees go to helping you get medical care, and a lawyer to handle all the legal stuff. Not only are you making a wise decision you are helping another couple have a child that they have been dreaming about, praying for, and waiting for. For couples who have trouble getting pregnant it can be very emotional and trying. There are many options for adoption too, you can have an open adoption, closed adoption, or semi-open adoption. If you are a family looking to adopt you can go through an agency, the state, or do foster to adopt.

If you are pregnant and don’t know what to do there is help out there, and there are options. If you are afraid to talk to your parents, then talk to a friend or a counselor they can help and direct you to the right place. I urge you as someone who is trying to get pregnant think about giving your child a chance at life, before having an abortion.

For parents please make sure that you talk to your children about protecting themselves if they are going to have sex. Make sure that they can come to talk to you about anything, and that they feel comfortable talking to you. Please don’t judge them, be understanding and try to help them. Educate them on their options. You don’t have to accept that they got pregnant or that they are having sex, but you do have to help them figure out what to do. They will need your advice and support because they will be going through a tough time. You may not agree with the fact that they got pregnant but you can’t change it. Let them know you don’t agree with the fact that they had sex, but that you are there for them. Make sure they can talk to someone about it, and make sure they get proper medical care. Most of all make sure that if your children are having sex that you teach them about protection. That means condoms and birth control. I know it maybe a hard topic to talk to your children about, but it is necessary. It is also necessary to teach them about Morals, right from wrong, and that it is best to wait until you are married before you get pregnant or in a stable relationship. They need to know that they are still growing up, and how hard it is to take care of a child at such a young age. Being a parent means you are giving up a lot and that means you have to not be selfish.

Thanks for reading, I encourage you to talk to your kids about sex, and protection. They get some sex education at school but they need it to come from home too. They also need to have a relationship with you that they can feel comfortable talking to you about anything. Let them know that you are there for them no matter what.

For me Mother’s Day has been one that I loved to spend with my mom, that was until she passed away. Being a mom is such a great experience and such a great thing to have that mother daughter bond. However for many women who suffer from infertility, trouble getting pregnant, and reoccurring miscarriages Mother’s Day can be very hard. Add to the fact that my mom is not here and it is even worse. Let me start by telling you my story, and then I will go into details. Thank you to Evelyn who just recently did a blog post about miscarriage and her friend Lauren that just suffered a miscarriage, because of them I was inspired to tell my story in hopes that it will help other women cope with miscarriage, infertility, and having trouble conceiving. Their blogs are www.momsicile.wordpress.com, and www.onfecundthought.com, these have great resources.

Many women don’t talk about having trouble conceiving or miscarriages. My opinion is because they are embarrassed or because you usually don’t announce your pregnant until after 3 months. Up to 25% of women’s pregnancies end in miscarriage, and there can be several reasons why.  About 10% of women in the United States, have trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant. Wow so that’s not a lot you may think but it is 6.1 million people. You are considered to have fertility problems if you are under the age of 35 and have not conceived in 6 months of actively trying, or a year of actively trying if you are over the age of 35.  So why is it that we don’t hear anything about it, I believe it is because it is something we don’t like to talk about, it is a hard subject, and an emotional one. For couples trying to conceive it is a roller coaster ride, a waiting game, and a guess game. I know for me I just didn’t talk about it because I didn’t want anyone to know.

*So here is my story:

I have always since I was a little girl wanted to get married and have kids, after all wasn’t that what we were suppose to dream of?. When I was 20 and in a relationship with a guy I dated for 3 years I found out I was pregnant. I was on vacation visiting my dad, and realized I had missed my period. This was ok I thought because I was under a lot of stress personally. But dad and his wife suggested I take a test. I took 3 the first 1 didn’t work and the last 2 were positive. I was in shock and disbelief. What was I going to do? I wasn’t married and having trouble supporting myself. Dad reassured me that everything would be ok. I was so upset that night and couldn’t sleep and I had terrible pain in my belly. So dad took me to the doctor there, and they verified the pregnancy and said everything was ok, just to make an appointment when I got home with my OBGYN. Well I didn’t have one and I had never had a PAP or anything done before so I didn’t know where to start. I ended up calling my sister and went to see her doctor, but only could get in a month after I got home. Well 2 weeks after getting home I started spotting and went to the doctor. They said to take it easy and go to the ER if I started to bleed heavy. That night I did and went to the ER only to find out I had miscarried. I was devastated, but relieved because I found out why I miscarried and it is because I have the RH factor and have to have a series of 3 shots with each pregnancy. So if I get pregnant and catch it in time I will be fine in the future.

Now fast forward several years, I am now a nanny and living back in NC where I grew up. I met a wonderful man named James who is now my husband for almost 6 years. I was really sick about a year into dating James. I kept getting upset stomach and vomiting. I kept going to the doctor and they kept saying it is just a stomach bug. Of course I just wrote it off because they were doctors they must know what they are talking about. James and I were already engaged, we got engaged after dating for 6 months. So on the weekends I would stay with him. During the week I worked as a live in nanny so I stayed at home. One day during the week I got really sick and decided to take the day off and go into the ER because something had to be going on. They did several tests, and found out that I had a cyst in my ovary but that it looked fine. That weekend I went to James’s, he had to work so I just hung out until he got home. However I started to feel sick again and really hot. I took my temperature and I had a fever so it was back to the ER again less than a week later. I explained to them about what had been going on and they did some more tests. This time the cyst on my ovary had ruptured causing me to have a fever and be sick. They told me to follow up with my doctor and I did. She put me on birth control to help prevent more cysts from forming.

Now fast forward another year and we are married. I am still taking my birth control although sometimes I would forget and double up on pills. Which is a big no, no but I wanted to make sure that we didn’t have any more trouble when we wanted to get pregnant. Apparently when I missed those pills I ended up getting pregnant and not realizing it. Now how can you be pregnant and not know it? It is because for the first month I had a period for 3 days, and then the next month only a day. Then I decided I was going to stop taking it because it was making my period not come. I didn’t realize it until the next month that that was spotting and that I was pregnant. I found out the next month when I started to cramp really bad and have a really heavy flow. I thought I was going to have to go to the emergency room. The only problem is I couldn’t because I didn’t want to miss my Paw Paw’s funeral.

Ever since I have been off birth control we have been trying to get pregnant, my cycles have been all off whack coming some months and not others. So my goal was to try and get healthy and exercise. Most importantly looses some weight. Much to my surprise just recently we were pregnant, only I didn’t know again either. I had no symptoms or what symptoms I had I just wrote off due to the fact that I have stomach issues and headaches anyway. Until on a Sunday in Mid April of this year I went to dinner with James, I had been spotting and cramping a little bit about 2 weeks before and just thought my period was coming, but it never did. Well I suffer from irregular periods anyway, so I just thought it would come soon. Then that Sunday we went to dinner and I had heavier spotting and started to cramp really bad. I ended up going to the bathroom, as soon as I got up I felt a gush. I knew it then, we had just suffered another miscarriage. Even thought I didn’t know I was pregnant this was so hard, because we both want to be parents so bad. We have been together for almost 8 years and we are not getting any younger. I think it is harder on me because I had looked back and realized that all the fluttering in my belly, cramping, pressure, heart burn, tiredness, etc. was because I was pregnant. But why didn’t I know better, so all I could do was cry. This was so hard on me I was so disappointed and I felt like I had let James down. He thinking was lets just move on and not talk about it, at least we know we can get pregnant, that’s a good thing right? For me that is not what I wanted to hear and I thought he was not being supportive and insensitive. But then I realized he is hurting just as much as me, he just doesn’t want me to see it. He was right though, one good thing out of this is that we can get pregnant, we just needed to be proactive about it.

For now we are not trying and trying. If we get pregnant than great and if we don’t than fine. It will happen when it is meant to and when God thinks the time is right. I have a sweet little baby girl that I get to enjoy taking care of, and she gives me all the love and baby fix in the world. I have a wonderful husband and 2 sweet dogs. I am quite happy, but I am still hoping soon we will be able to hear the pitter patter of little feet. I will not get upset when all my friends announce they are pregnant, or when I see a pregnant women, I will be happy for them and wish them all the best. The reason is because I know that our time is coming, and we will be parents. If it doesn’t happen naturally there are other options and we are very open to possibly adoption. I feel like the more we stress about it and the more we try the more it isn’t going to happen.

For now we are taking a proactive approach to it. By that I mean we have bought pregnancy tests to make sure the minute I don’t have a period we test, we are eating healthier, drinking water instead of sodas, exercising and taking vitamins. The next step is to loose some weight, and to try some fertility blend vitamins. Not to try and get pregnant but more or less to try and help me to regulate my cycles so we can get pregnant eventually. The minute I do get pregnant I have to go straight to the doctor to get my shot so that I can keep from miscarrying.

Thank you for reading my story. Some advice to you if you are trying to conceive or having trouble with miscarriages. Please don’t give up, don’t loose hope, and talk about it. It really helps to talk to others who are in the same situation. Your doctor may also be able to recommend someone you can talk to, or get you in contact with a local support group. Remember whether it is infertility, trouble conceiving, or carrying to full term you are not alone. Lots of women go on to have normal pregnancies after a miscarriage and lots of people get help and are able to get pregnant.

*Some things that I am doing are, and some things that may help you are:

• Exercise regularly
• Give up caffeine
• Take a multi vitamin or prenatal
• quit smoking
• loose weight if you need to
• refrain for drinking alcohol
• Go to the doctor to have a health check up
• Get lots of rest
• Try not to stress about it
• Chart your cycles
• Take your temperature daily so you can tell when you are ovulating
• Quit taking birth control 3 months prior to wanting to try to conceive
• Take Royal jelly- it is an all natural herb that is given to the queen bee-http://natural-fertility-info.com/royal-jelly.html
• Take primrose during your period up until ovulation and not after

There are also some fertility vitamins that you can buy and kits that will help you to regulate your cycles, help you conceive, and help you to ovulate. Yes Men they have them for you too, to help with sperm count, mobility, and quality. I have not personally taken any of these so I can’t say if they work. However in doing research for this post I found them.

*They are:

• Uconcieve and you can find them on facebook or on their website. They have a whole kit you can buy and it is patented. There website is http://uconceive.com/, and you can read all about it there. They also have a men’s version
• Fertility Blend you can find them at GNC or order them online at http://www.fertilityblend.com/order.php, also for men and women
• Fertil Aid you can find them on there website and order there, they have them for men and women. There site is http://www.fertilaid.com/?_s_ref=6Q44ToL5S&kw=”fertility%20vitamins”&creative=11707956985&gclid=CPHExKmkhLcCFYRM4AodK08ANA#Buyfertilaid, and you can buy the women’s version online at Walgreens.com too if you would like.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story and for reading it. I hope that this will inspire other women to talk about there issues. As always I am not a doctor and I am not affiliated with any of the above companies, nor have I used there products. Just wanted to offer some help to you all. You should consult with your doctor before starting any kind of new vitamin regiment. This is a cheaper way of trying to conceive, and a more natural way rather than going on lots of drugs. After taking the products you may still need to take the drugs that the doctor prescribes, but it is worth a shot at taking something natural.

I have been taking a multi vitamin, exercising, eating healthy, taking primrose, and royal jelly and have already noticed my cycle trying to regulate itself. James is also taking a multi vitamin and vitamin C. I also highly recommend using a period tracker or ovulation tracker.

Some of those examples are:

• My days period tracker- tracks periods, and ovulation
• Fertility Friend- tracks periods, and ovulation
• Baby Med- tracks period and ovulation-http://www.babymed.com/fertility-ovulation-calendar-calculator
• My monthly Cycles- Tracks ovulation and period-http://mymonthlycycles.com/

Top 2 I have used and find them very helpful. They are on my phone. The bottom 2 are online and are very helpful too. All of these will help you know when you ovulate and when to expect your period next. They also give you high fertility days. You can also go in and add notes, start period dates, end period dates, and when your were intimate.

A special thanks to Lauren and Evelyn for inspiring me to share my story, and for sharing yours. Most of all thanks for letting me use a link to your blog for this post. Thanks to all my readers and supporters. Remember don’t give up and trust in God he has a plan.

All the different cancers represented by different colors of ribbons

Well last week was a terrible week for the country, for my family, and for a dear friend of mine. It started off with the bombings in Boston, then the Explosion in Texas, and then two special people lost their battle to cancer. I must say that I am glad it is over. I am also relieved that they caught the other bombing suspect alive, and I am hoping we get some answers as to why. I have to put a big thanks out there to all the men and women who helped to save lives in both of the tragedies. With out the first responders, police officers, firefighters, doctors, EMT, and just civilians that helped and put their lives on the line it could have been much worse.

My family is no stranger to the big dreaded C word, it has affected me since I was a little girl. My grandma, and uncle on my dad’s side passed from cancer when I was little. Then as an adult I lost my Paw Paw, 8 months later my mom, and then 3 years later my cousin Alise. Sunday of last week a dear friend of mine who is like family lost her husband to cancer.

Cancer is a vicious disease, it takes away the ones we love sometimes without any word. It causes hurt and pain to everyone. However cancer can also make us stronger, it makes up tougher, and it makes us fight. It can’t break our faith in God although it will get tested, it can’t take our memories, it can’t break your spirit, it brings you closer to the ones you love, and it helps you have a will to survive. There are many ways to treat cancer but they all leave you drained and tired. Most times making you feel worse than you already do.

Even though it may be hard when a family member has cancer, it is important to stay strong. We don’t always know the outcome, but we have to keep faith that God knows what is best. When a loved one is taken it is because they have earned their angel wings, and God says it is time for them to not have pain, and not to have to suffer any longer. They are always with us, and we can carry them everyday in our hearts and our minds. God may take them away, but in their place he leaves us with all the sweet memories.

I am asking that you share this post, in honor of those suffering from cancer, who have had cancer, who have passed from cancer, and all their loved ones. With more funding and research we maybe able to find a cure for cancer. I have set up a paypal account for donations. I would like to reach $500 but I would also love to go over that. If you donate please include a name of who you are donating for. After all donations are made I will send a check to the American Cancer Society in your loved ones name. I know it is not much but every little bit helps. I have been wanting to find a way to help and I think this will be a start. To send money you can go to paypal and request to send funds to Renee King and my e-mail address is reneemwilliams1982@yahoo.com I will take donations until June 30th, 2013. Thanks and please share.

I am in no way shape or form a professional writer, in fact I hated to write when I was a kid. But for some reason as an adult I am finding so much joy in it. Is it because my mom started to write articles for work, or because I have an aunt who writes? I am not sure, but whatever it is I hope it continues. Below are 2 poems I have written-one is for my mom and paw paw and the other is for Alise and Frankie, but it also goes to everyone who has lost a loved one to cancer.

Gone But not Forgotten- Written by: Renee King- Dedicated to my Mommy and my Paw Paw

You were here for such a short time, called to heaven because you had earned your angel wings.

No more pain, no more suffering, and most of all no more cancer. How can it be, that your time has to end? I have so much to tell you, so much to say.

I miss you everyday and have so many regrets. You have taught me so many things, and I am proud to say that I am more like you everyday.

I ask myself, why was I such a brat, and why did I give you such a hard time?

You’ve helped so many, and always had a bright smile. You were my ray of sunshine, the one I looked up to.

I watched you suffer, but prayed you would make it through. God wouldn’t take you so soon. You’re to strong, and have so many more people to help. God they have so many Gifts to share, why can’t they be spared?

The tears fall like rain, but I thank God for the time we’ve shared, and for the many things that you have given me. Your strength, your voice, your talents, your love, your caring, and your hope I will carry them with me everyday. I will hold those memories close to my heart and never let them fade.

Your time on Earth has come to an end. With that end comes a new journey, your journey in heaven. God only takes the best, and he needed you. You earned your angel wings, and there is much more work to do. I just wished it could be done here. You will stand guard to watch over all of our loved ones and make sure they are safe from harm. I take comfort in knowing that we will meet again.

Your Fight is Done- Written by: Renee King- dedicated to: Alise Dunn and Frankie Pernell

You’ve fought so long, but you’re still strong. You leave but you will never be gone. Your sickness, and suffering can finally be gone. No more pain, no more tears, no more treatments, and no more medicines.

God has called you home, He says your time is done. You have earned your angel wings. Goodbyes are hard and emotional, so let’s say until we meet again. Our memories I will hold dear.

You are in my heart forever more, until my time on Earth is done and God calls me home. I will see you in my dreams, which makes it like you are still here.

You may be gone but you’ve given it all you’ve got. Now spread those angel wings and fly. Go spread that sunshine with that beautiful smile, and make sure you tell our loved ones that we said hi.

Remember you meant the world to me, and you still do. I may cry and be sad for a while, but that’s OK because I know that it won’t last for long. Eventually those tears will turn into a smile. The time we have had will never fade, and as time goes by I will never forget how much you meant to me and how much you were loved.

• My tip for the day is to make sure you have a yearly physical. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, know your body, and ask questions. Early detection is the key to helping cure your cancer. Do research find out more about what the signs and symptoms are. Eat healthy, and exercise regularly. You can also make sure that you take vitamins. All of these things can help with early detection and reduce your risks for cancer.
• Please share this blog post, help spread the word about cancer, and help to donate so that we can try to find a cure for cancer.

Thanks guys I really do appreciate all of you visiting my blog.

Teething is a hard thing for everyone involved. It is a lot of sleepless nights, and a lot of crankiness. Some are lucky and their child seems to weather the storm fine. Can we blame a child for being cranky when they are teething? The answer is no, teething is painful and we can do everything that we can to comfort them.

Babies can get teeth anywhere from 4-7 months and sometimes as early as 3 months. While other babies might not get their first tooth till a year old. Teething can last for weeks or months at a time. It can take a while for a tooth to cut through, even though you may be seeing some signs of teething. When your baby is teething remember to have extra patients, and do all you can to comfort them.

*So what order do the teeth come in? (They usually come in this order but every child is different and just like different children get teeth at different ages, they can come in different orders too.)

• The First 2 teeth to appear are the two middle teeth on the bottom
• Next comes the two top middle teeth
• Then comes the teeth on the bottom/top on each side of the middle teeth
• Then teeth start to come in along the sides, and stop right before the molars
• The molars then come in-Usually molars don’t come in until right around the 2nd birthday

By the age of three your child should have 20 teeth total. permanent teeth don’t come in until the baby teeth fall out, and that is around the age of six. However for some children it can be earlier or later.

*So what are the signs and symptoms of teething?

• Drooling
• Runny nose
• Gum swelling and sensitivity you may start to see white on top of gums too
• irritability or fussiness
• Bitting behavior problems
• Low grade fever
• Rosy cheeks
• Runny nose
• Cough-from excess drool
• Refusing food or bottle
• Sleep problems
• Diaper Rash
• Loose stools-Dirrehea
• Chewing on hands and other toys
• Rash on chin or face- due to excess droll

*What can you do to help with baby’s discomfort?

• Cold teethers
• Teething necklaces found at www.amazon.com- keyword search “Necklace teether”
• Freeze wet wash clothes for them to chew on later
• Frozen waffles if baby is old enough
• Tylenol or ibuprofen
• All natural teething tablets Found at Walgreens- They are called Hyland’s teething tablets. You can also get them on their website at www.hylandsteething.com
• Baby orajel naturals found at any drug store, or place that carries medicine (see link at bottom about teething gels)
• Give them a teething cookie like- Earth’s Best Teething biscuits, Gerber Graduates Biter biscuits, Heathly Times Organic biscuits for teethers, and Zwieback cookies. These all can be found at www.amazon.com- Keyword search “Teething Cookies”.

(These are hard cookies and supervision will be required so that they don’t choke. Most of these are ok because as baby chews on them they get really soggy and dissolve. However if baby has teeth already they may break a piece of and it can cause them to choke if they swallow it without chewing it.)

• Rub a clean finger over their gums
• For drooling you can put a bib on them
• For a rash on the face you can put vaseline, Eucerin, or Aquaforium ointments on it
• For rash on the bottom, or when you know they are teething use diaper cream/ointment as a preventative measure, and a treatment
• Lastly Lots of extra love and patience from you

I have listed using orajel, the natural kind. It has no dye, is alchol free, and benzocaine free. However I am sure that when they did the study on orajel this product was out yet. So my advice is that before you use the teething tablets or orajel to ask your child’s doctor. Both the Orajel Natural and Teething Tablets are all natural, but just in case. The link for the article is here, and it tells why orajels and teething gels are not recommended. http://www.webmd.com/fda/benzocaine-babies-not-good-mix, upon reading this article it does state that the Benzocaine, is the issue. So you should be fine with the all natural Orajel, but still check with the doctor first.

I would also like to note that I am sorry for being away for a bit. I have had some feminine issues, that I will go into more detail in another post, providing that my husband doesn’t mind. I would also like to add that when doing this blog I write all my posts in my blog book ahead of time. My blog book contains ideas, themes for posts, and what I am going to write in my posts. So I have a lot of blog posts written ahead of time, and when I have one I want to post I just type it from my blog book to here. More on that in a post too. The reason I say this, is since I have been under the weather, I haven’t had a chance to post anything for a bit, so my next post in my blog book was on teething. My friend has a great food blog, and about a year ago started a blog about her pregnancy and motherhood. She also recently did a post about teething, so I didn’t want anyone to think I had copied her idea. Her post on Teething can be found on her blog, and at this link http://www.babykerf.com/- then search for “Teething Tips“, it is very helpful.

I hope this post helps, As always thank you for reading my blog. Please follow me on twitter, Facebook, pintrest, and follow my blog by subscribing.

• Upcoming posts: Safety in home, Our journey to becoming parents, Lesson Plans, Finding a nanny, Weekly Things to do with kids, Field Trip Ideas, Examples of developmental areas, milestones, behavioral, Tips and Tricks, Toys I love, Products I recommend, Things to have in the car, Classes, Accessments, Book Recomendations, Nanny Forms, My Binder, Nanny Sites to find a job, and so much more.

This post is for other nannies out there, or working moms. Do you find it hard to find that work and life balance? I mean finding time to spend on things that you like to do, spending time with your family, or really separating yourself from work for a while. I think this is a topic that some of us have a hard time doing.

Why is it so hard to find that work and life balance? I find that it is because being a mom or a childcare provider means that you have to juggle many jobs besides your paying job. You are mom, meal preparer, laundry doer, clean up crew, transporter, organizer, keeper of schedules, alarm clock, wife, dog walker, hero, homework helper, bill payer, and so much more. On top off that all you work another full-time job.  With all of that it is hard to find time to spend to yourself or with your family. I find it hard to make time to want to do stuff for myself, make time to spend with my husband, and to make time for my dogs.

But let’s be honest, your job is important, but your family is just as important. So are your hobbies, and having time to do the things that you love. Even if it means that you just go out and drink a cup of coffee by yourself. As parents and childcare providers it is important to have a balance in life, and in work. You still need to make sure that you are spending time with your family, and staying focused at work. With doing all of that sometimes you put yourself on the back burner, and sometimes you put your family on the back burner.

The important thing to remember is you will change jobs throughout your life, but you will have your family forever. I love my job and I also love blogging. Sometimes I think I really need to make time to enjoy time with my husband too, and that is hard. However it is really important to make time for you, and make time for your husband, family, or kids. If you don’t make time for that, you will not succeed at anything. Your children need to know that you have a stable relationship, because they look up to you. So I guess my point it even thought it may be hard, and you may feel overwhelmed at times, or to tired make sure you make your family a priority, but also remember to take time for yourself.

So what are some ways that you can make sure you find the work-life balance?

• Make sure you set up a date night for your and your husband at least 1-2 times a month
• Set up a family night at least once a week
• Make sure you take family vacations
• Make time for Romance
• Make sure you spend quality time with your kids
• Make time for hobbies, and for you
• Draw a line between work and life
• Prioritize tasks
• Exercise and Eat healthy
• Learn when enough is enough- learn that saying no is ok

Being a nanny can be hard, especially if you are taking care of their house, kids, and then coming home to take care of yours. It can be overwhelming at some points. This is where team work comes into play, and making time for yourself, and for your family. You may be a mom and find it hard to be at work all day and come home to a house full of stuff that needs to be done too. These tips above will help you too.

Divorce is a big issue in our country today. Not only does divorce affect the parents it also affects the children too. With leading such busy lives it can be hard to make sure that we are spending time with our husband, our family, and yet making time for ourselves. This is very important, it helps to relieve stress, it helps to keep the love alive, it makes for happier children, and longer marriages. Remember you are your child’s role model, and they look up to you. We want to set the right foundation for them, and the right values.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post. Please feel free to find my page on Facebook by searching “A Nannys Perspective”, when you do that please like my page. You can also hit the like button on the right hand side of my blog. This helps me know that people are reading my blog. You can also find me on Twitter @reneeking8505 I will follow you back.

I am so excited I can hardly stand it. We are having our pictures done. My husband and I haven’t had pictures made since our wedding and that was almost 6 years ago. That is really sad when you think about it, but I guess when you don’t have kids you really don’t think about getting them done or needing them. That was until recently, when I decided that it was about time to get some made, especially since I have been wanting to have them done with our 2 fur babies. We got pictures made for our save the dates, our wedding, and when we bought our house. But out of all of those none of them except for the wedding were professional pictures.

So why now are we getting them? The reason is because as a wonderful christmas gift we got a gift certificate to go have them done. So why is that such a big deal? To us it forces us to go and use it. I guess part of the reason of not having pictures made has been laziness, not wanting to take the time to do it, and because I have really been struggling with self-esteem issues. I just turned 30 this year and I feel like I am really starting to notice the signs of aging, and feel like I have gained a few pounds. Having our pictures done by a professional means that I get to go have my make up done and my hair done, which gives me a little bit of pampering time. It also helps me to feel like I am beautiful. I am a childcare provider, a nanny, and a blogger. So when I am working I don’t find the need to get all dressed up and have my make up done. For one because no one is going to see me, and for two because you are always getting dirty. So having pictures done gives me the opportunity to dress up some. Although on the weekends I try to get gussied up if James and I are going to go out to dinner.

So with all that being said, I will leave you for now. After we get our proofs back and the pictures I will post before and after shots.

So as a nanny I have used several diaper bags, and several types of diaper bags. Over the years I have found some styles that are really helpful, easy to use, and some not so much. I wanted to take the time to share my experience with diaper bags, to hopefully help you in making your choice a lot easier. After all we know that going in to register or buy a diaper bag can be so hard. There are so many choices out there. So many choices is not such a bad thing either as long as you know what you are looking for and it is convenient.

Pottery barn convertable-from carry in hand, to messanger, to shoulder

So what do you want to have as far a diaper bag?

• It has to be light
• Lots of pockets
• Lots of storage
• Comes with a changing mat, bottle holder, and wet bag
• Something that is washable or easy to clean
• Durable because they take a lot of abuse
• Wide non slip straps that are padded- diaper bags get heavy when you pack them
• Look for size- you want one that is big enough to hold all of babies stuff
• Look for a pattern that is neutral- dad may want to carry it too, and he won’t want the girlie pattern
• Find one that has convertible straps- it can go from shoulder, to messenger, to backpack style
• Make sure it has room for some adult stuff- like wallet, keys, lotion, and etc.
• Make sure that it can grow with your baby- remember they won’t always be a peanut and need to carry around all the stuff they need when they are a baby.
• Make sure if fits your style
• Make sure it is something you can use after baby is out of diapers
• Make sure it can attach to your stroller- Most diaper bags have stroller straps, this will make it easier so you don’t have to worry about carrying it all the time, or it fitting in the bottom of the stroller

Design that looks more like a purse rather than a diaper bag- Its by OiOi

Now what are my favorite diaper bags?

I prefer to have a convertible diaper bag. This is just super convenient to use. You have many different options in carrying it. If you have a convertible diaper bag you are never limited in how you use it, or how you can wear it. It can go from shoulder strap style, to messenger, to backpack. The best part is that convertible bags leave you hands free. Lots of brands make convertible diaper bags like Pottery Barn, Skip hop, OiOi, Vera Bradley, Petunia Pickle Bottom, and Baby Style. I am sure there are many more out there too. You can also find a diaper bag that looks more like a purse, so it doesn’t scream diaper bag.  As long as you look for the things I have listed above in your diaper bag search I think you will be able to find one that works really well for you.

Petunia Pickle Bottom- Covertable from backpack style, to shoulder strap, and to messanger

Here is consumer reports top 10 diaper bags list from 2012, I think you will find this to be very helpful, I know I did. It was updated in November of 2012 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/diaper-bags/buying-guide.htm

Skip Hop brand- Convertable from shoulder to messanger

I hope you find this post helpful, if you are looking for a post on what “The Essentials are For your Diaper Bag”, I have that covered in a post I recently did you can search for it on my blog under “Diaper Bag Essentials”. As always thanks for stopping by to read my blog and my posts. I hope you have found them to be very helpful.

I wanted to take a minute to tell you all Happy Easter,  I know that it is a little late, but things have been busy. I had a migraine on Easter Sunday, followed by some stomach issues on Tuesday. Lets just say being sick really is no fun. Luckily by mid afternoon I was feeling better, with only a headache to deal with.

One of the most fun things I remember doing as a kid was dying Easter Eggs. I loved to see what kind of new creations I could make, and what colors I could mix together to make new colors. What a great learning experience it can be for kids. You can also color on them with white crayons and then dip them to see what happens. With so many options for kits today the possibilities are endless. Some of the effects you can get are Tye dye, ghost writer(white crayon), glitter eggs, stickers, make them into animals using paper scraps, Monogram them, make them speckled, and so much more. With so many different kits on the market now days, it is easy and fun. To make it an educational experience let children mix colors to see what new colors they can make, count eggs with them, talk about the colors and what colors you can mix to make new colors, and use the white crayon method as a science experiment, and talk to them about why it doesn’t stick to the crayon.

PAAS Color Snaps for dying Easter Eggs. Super Easy and less mess. Great for younger children

*With Easter Egg Dying comes lots of mess too, so I have some tips for you that I hope will help. You can use them every year.

• First make sure you cover your work surface You can use an old drop cloth, use plastic(trash bags, plastic drop cloths, or a small tarp), or use several layers of newspaper. You can use all of these or a combination of them. I find that if you lay plastic down, and then lay newspaper on top it works great. The newspaper absorbs any spills and the plastic is just an extra layer of protection.
• Wear plastic gloves to keep hands from getting dyed. You can also cover your hands in oil or a thick layer of lotion. This will help when you wash your hands, it keeps the dye from absorbing in.
• Some tools you can use when you are dunking eggs are the dipper that comes with egg dying kits, a tablespoon, or my favorite put the egg inside a whisk and dunk it in.
• You can also use q-tips to dip in the dye and then paint the eggs or use a paint brush to create less mess. Or you can buy PAAS COLOR SNAPS. You snap off the end and the dye is concentrated and flows to the other end for easy painting. A lot better for use with younger children, that won’t be able to dunk the eggs.
• Wear and apron or old t-shirt to keep dye from getting on your clothes.
• For Drying the eggs 1.Cut long strips of card stock and cut a slit in each side, put the slits together to form a circle, and set the egg in it. 2. Cut a hole in the top of a Styrofoam cup and set the egg in the hole. 3. My favorite buy your eggs in a paper carton and set them in there, this will absorb the access dye and help them dry faster.

Now how do you get the dye off of your hands should you get it on you?

1. Try to mix witch hazel and antibacterial soap then apply to your hands using a cotton ball
2. Vinegar and baking soda mix together to make a paste and scrub hands
3. Lemon juice Apply with a cotton ball then wash with soap
4. Use regular dish washing liquid and warm water
5. Make a sugar and oil scrub scrub your hands with the mixture and then wash with soap and warm water. This will also make your hands very soft.
6. Shaving cream Coat hands and scrub
7. Rubbing alcohol applied with a cotton ball
8. Hand sanitizer

These next to I don’t recommend to use on children’s hands because they are not all natural and might cause harm. But you can try Windex or bleach. Or if it doesn’t bother you too bad, it will go away eventually with a few hand washings and baths.

Finished Product

I hope this post helps. I have not used all these methods of getting off dye, but it can’t hurt to try. Some of the ones I tried worked better than others. My best tip is to just make sure you coat your hands in cooking oil like canola, vegetable, or coconut oil. The oil keeps the dye from penetrating the skin.

As always thanks for reading, share this with your friends, and I hope this is helpful.