Parents Guild Questions

Paying a babysitter when you cancel

Lena — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:58:42 -0700

For the last month we have had a college student come 2 afternoons a week to watch our 3 kids for a few hours while I run errands or get some work done. Today the 2 older ones were sick so I told her not to come so she wouldn't be exposed. She wrote back saying she was counting on the money and wanted us to pay her anyway. I told her then she ...

Two answers so far.

How do I get my 2 yr old son to potty at home?

Mvarner87 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:52:54 -0700

My 2 year old son will potty at his babysitters ALL DAY LONG when she catches that he has to go. I try and do the same in the evenings and on the weekends BUT he won't do a thing on the potty. He won't even sit long enough to do anything. I try not to force the issue, but it is frustrating me that he won't potty at home. I know ...

One answer so far.

Suzuki violin or not?

andrea — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:30:47 -0700

Did you or your child ever learn an instrument with the Suzuki method (listening and playing vs. reading music)? What are the pros and cons? How much involvement of the parent is required? At what point did you switch to traditional music lessons?

One answer so far.

Tags: suzuki, music lessons, violin

How to respond to an inappropriate preschool teacher?

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:32:06 -0700

My 3 year old son started a preschool last month and goes twice a week. He is very overwhelmed there as he is always been with either family or me. He started getting anxiety issues and would throw up. The teacher claims she has been teaching for 30 years or so and has recently started her home daycare/preschool. She called me up and we chatted and everything seemed fine. Today when I went in ...

One answer so far.

Tags: preschool, rudeness, bad daycare, babysitter

Children's books about facts of life

momofQ — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:45:39 -0700

I'm looking for a book for my three year-old that gives the basic facts of life (or as much that is apprproriate for his age). He keeps asking me how the baby is going to come out and I'm unsure how much detail to share. Also, I'd be interested to know if anyone has a favorite book about beocming a big brother/sister.

Four answers so far.

Tags: books

Splitting time between 2 preschools?

Evelyn — Fri, 4 May 2012 09:03:06 -0700

For various reasons, my 3-year-old son has been attending a preschool near our house with kids he's known for a long time. This preschool is not great for our schedules, as they are closed for 4 weeks during the summer, 2 weeks in Dec, and 2 additional weeks in late winter and spring. (They follow the school calendar, so their core year is really Aug - June, with an abbreviated summer program.) The hours are ...

Two answers so far.

Tags: preschool

What should we get for our first baby?

Betsy — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:04:47 -0700

We could really use some help figuring out what stuff we need to get for our first child. Below is a list we've managed to cobble together. Does anyone have any recommendations for things we've omitted? Or is there anything we've listed that we don't need? If anyone has any recommendations about brands or products to get or avoid, that would be awesome.

cradle/bassinet; cradle bedding; crib; crib mattress; crib ...

Five answers so far.

finding nanny in bay area?

Anonymous — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:36:43 -0700

Ok, I am convinced we could use a babysitter/nanny but now we need one and do not know where to find a reliable person. Most agencies charge a lot and it seems like a waste but perhaps not?

We are located in the Bay Area of Calif so it is already expensive. Any thoughts or tips with specific places to look would be appreciated?

Three answers so far.

Tags: nanny, find babysitter, babysitter, finding a nanny

How do you handle pressure to have another child?

Anonymous — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:28:28 -0700

I have a wonderful two-year-old daughter, who is beautiful and bright. Yet I have no desire to have another child. A few factors come into play here. I am 37. I have stayed home the past couple years, and I miss my career, and I'm afraid if I stay out of the work force any longer, I'll be out permanently. In addition, my daughter still has never slept through the night, despite rounds ...

Three answers so far.

Is there a good way to transition a toddler to daycare?

Kelly — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:00:32 -0700

I'm interviewing for a full-time job, which, if I decided to take it, would require my toddler to transition from being at home with me to being in full-time daycare or with a nanny. Has anyone out there had success doing this? What are some ways you've eased the transition? (I realize these are probably quite different scenarios, nanny vs. daycare.) My daughter's always been a great napper at home, but I ...

One answer so far.