Life Lessons from Dad
In our family, there is someone called the Health and Safety Officer, and another called the Illness and Danger Officer....
Child Care
The Live-in Carer Guide: Making Your Au Pair or Nanny Feel Welcome
Some extra toiletries, flowers in a vase or a little box of chocolates and a card wishing them well goes a long way...
The Live-in Carer Guide: The Au Pair or Live-in Nanny Manual
General family information Parent’s working patterns. Children’s weekly timetable e.g. school hours or holiday activities. Meal times: Will the nanny eat with...
How to Interview a Childcarer: Phone Interviews
Once you’ve narrowed your job applicants down to a manageable group, it’s time to pick up the phone to talk...
Why Should I Request a Reference for My Prospective Childcarer?
When you are employing a childcarer for your child you are entrusting them with the most precious thing in your...
What Character Traits Should a Child Carer Have?
First, let’s state the obvious: Childcare such as nannies, au pairs, babysitters and any kind of childminder must love children....
8 Ways to Have a Great Relationship with your Nanny
I have two loves of my life: My husband, and my childcarer. In our house, this is specifically a nanny...
Back to School Mistakes
>> Looking for after-school care? Find carers in your area now. Recently, we did a straw poll of the sort...
The Stressed-Out Carer: How Not to Snap
Jane* a mum to 2 in London, knew something had to change when she found her temper going from 0 to...
Creating an After-school Plan
>> Looking for after-school care? Find carers in your area now. Farewell, lazy days of summer, sort-of decent weather. Hello,...
Rainy Day Activities for Children Aged 3-5
The good news: The right activities can keep children entertained and prepare them for school success by enhancing their fine...
How Parents and Carers can Create a Discipline Plan
What if your nanny hit your child? This would be a reason to dismiss them on gross misconduct – but,...
How to Interview a Special Needs Carer
Here are some specific questions that are important to ask in order to ensure that you and your family are...
United Front: Childcare and Consistency
Sometimes it seems that every week brings new physical, emotional, or behavioural changes in a child’s life, with the behaviour...
Things to Consider when Choosing Between Day Nursery and at Home Childcare
There is no point beating around the bush here – as a Norland trained nanny, I am always going to...
5 Gift Ideas for Nannies
Extra Paid Time OffDo you often see your nanny looking a little exhausted at the end of the day? Why...
Childcare — Knowing Where to Start
Helen Egan is a Pharmacy Manager at Boots and has just has her first baby. Helen talked to Care.com about...
The Path to Pregnancy
Helen Egan is a Pharmacy Manager Boots and is about to go back to work after having her first baby....
Preparing for Christmas
It’s easy to let yourself feel stressed and overwhelmed by the upcoming Christmas holidays. Even if you’re starting your Christmas...
How to Stick to a Christmas Budget
When the festive feeling starts, with tinsel, baubles and wrapping paper everywhere, it can be easy to start spending beyond...
Getting a New Year’s Eve Babysitter
You’ve been invited to a great party but there’s one problem: your usual babysitter has been invited to another party,...
International Parenting Techniques: Learning from Other Cultures
Parenting is hard work no matter what part of the world you live in. However, a host of new books...
5 Tips to Get Kids to Believe in Father Christmas Again
Oh dear, it’s happened – someone has let the reindeer out of the bag and told your children that Father...
Who’s the Daddy?
Missing your child or feeling guilty for leaving them when you finally return to work is a familiar topic, but...
6 Working Mum Tips
Executives by day and mothers by morning-noon-and-night, women are leading companies across the country. Between board meetings and parents’ evenings...
Teaching Your Child About Peers with Special Needs
The term ‘special needs’ can be applied to a wide range of disabilities; some are obvious, such as a child...
7 Common Stress Scenarios – Solved
You’re stressed out. With children, a job, a life, parents aging, siblings fighting – not to mention the enormous amount...
How to Supervise Your Children Online
For most of us, the words “social networking” and “social media” seem to stare at us from every page of...
How to be a Plugged-in Parent
Your child’s energy seems to shift to a new website every week. He has new friends and you can’t keep...
Your Nanny Is Pregnant – 6 Tips To Make This Work For Everyone
Your nanny has just texted you to say that she has some wonderful news to share tonight, once you have...
When To Teach Kids About Money?
If, like me, you were never much good at the money “thing” until your first rent arrears scared you into...
Starting School
The requirements and age to start Reception across the UK are generally that the child should be starting school within...
Toilet Training Tips
With the news that more children are starting Reception without being able to use the toilet by themselves, we revisit...
Parenting with Balls: Twitter Interview with @SingleParentDad
Care.com took to Twitter to discuss the highs and lows of raising a child solo, and the importance of dads...
Babysitting for Family
Babysitting for family members can be great: you know the children and they are more comfortable being left with you...
A Moving Abroad Checklist for Families
Moving abroad can be a challenging, but hopefully also rewarding experience to go through. It is often difficult enough for...
A Day in the Life of a Royal Nanny
What will it be like to care for the new royal baby and work for Prince William and Duchess Catherine? Clara...
Beating Those First-Day-of-School Nerves
It’s only natural to be worried about heading back to school – and that goes for parents and children! Of...
Parents – it’s time to get involved in the classroom!
Being involved with your children’s school is a great way of showing that you’re all on the same page and...
Helping Friends With Children Cope With Cancer
When a close friend or relative with children is diagnosed with cancer, it is natural for you to want to...