ADCAN nannies attend Nannypalooza 2011

Here's what a few of our members had to say about attending the event ...

I really enjoyed attending the Nannypalooza weekend. It was a great benefit and lots of amazing information for nannies and moms too! I really liked the play workshop. It was great reconnecting with old friends and making new ones too. I am so glad to still be a part of ADCAN! Thank you all for allowing me to stay involved in such a great organization.

I would definitely try and attend another Nannypalooza weekend in the future. I found it overall a great opportunity for all nannies to stay educated and connected to our amazing field.

Thanks!!

Lisa Holzbach Webb

Nannypalooza is always a great conference. Sue Downey and her helpers manage to get a good choice of speakers. One session that helped me was “Learning all about Learning Styles” with Joy Lesnick, Ph.D. She presented three basic learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The group discussed helping children or students using four scenarios. Suggestions were given for each kind of learner. “Book Chat with Children’s Book Author and Blogger” with Julie Sternberg was also quite enjoyable. I may be biased a bit, because I recently left a long term job, and she wrote a book about a child whose nanny has left. The book is LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE. Julie also read from several children’s books and made some very good suggestions to get kids engaged in reading.

Nannypalooza does a good job educating nannies, but as always the best part for me is the networking. I made some important new contacts with agency owners. I reconnected with nannies from around the country that I know through going to conferences over the years. The conference gives me a great feeling of professionalism. The weekend is uplifting and highly motivating. All nannies should attend whenever possible .

Sue Krzos

Nannypalooza was a lot of fun this year. There were many good choices for workshops. I really enjoyed three workshops. The first being The over Programmed Child: Making Time to Play with Carolyn Stulberg. She enthusiastically discussed how important play time is for children. Later in the day I attended ‘Why Do They Do That?' What We Now Know About Developing Healthy Brains with Linda Lomabdo Ph.D. This unwittingly went hand-in-hand with aforementioned workshop. It discussed why play time, nurturing, and encouraging children are important for a developing brain.

Creative Tools to Teach Kids about Healthy Food with Debra Dennis of HealthyNannies4HealthyKids was the third session I enjoyed. It is important to teach kids to eat healthy. It is just as important for nannies to model this behavior.

And as always I have a blast seeing friends and making new ones!

Angela Jackson

What, Exactly, is a Nanny?

by Christine Watson Holsen

ADCAN Board at Large

The big question was raised at the most recent monthly meeting of ADCAN members: What exactly is a nanny? What sets her apart from a babysitter, an au pair, a parent/mother's helper, etc.? ADCAN Vice-president Janinne Gardner had been thinking about that question ever since she attended the recent Nannypalooza Conference. A speaker at that conference offered a definition that did not satisfy her. At the meeting, Janinne first asked the members to jot down their own definitions on index cards, then she gave a brief list, from dictionaries, nanny agencies associations, and from Wikipedia. There followed a general discussion of how a babysitter or an au pair differs from a nanny. The members agreed that a babysitter provided "basic supervision," and "follows the parents' instructions." An au pair, they agreed, is "a foreign exchange student who serves as the mother's helper" and becomes "part of the family." Her primary interest is educational opportunity and international travel."

The members then split into three working groups for in-depth discussions, which were at times quite passionate. When they reconvened, a representative summarized the views within each group, and the whole group discussed them. There was consensus on some basic points, and difference of opinion on others. On the question of how much authority and autonomy a nanny should have, for instance: "I'm a great nanny because I can adapt to my family's needs," or "I have no say in consequences/punishment [for a child's negative behavior]," vs. "... and adult who co-parents and assumes responsibility for the children in her care..." In the end it was agreed that this was different in every situation.

The definitions submitted anonymously by each participant before the discussion started showed an even greater range of views, including: "...first of all an educator, not a housekeeper.... a guide, a counselor, a second mother, disciplinarian...", "...takes full care of children (no parent at home)...", "...searches for ... opportunities for professional development and has no other defined agenda besides child care.", "does not use TV as a babysitter", "Mom substitute -- all things related to child(ren) + field-related continuing education."

This "focus group’s” consensus definition of a Professional Nanny :
* Legal
* CPR/First Aid certified
* Makes it her career, not just a job
* Pursues ongoing training through meetings, conferences, etc.
* Has the experience and confidence to advise and direct parents. Has the ability to offer options, resources and recommendations. Teaches parents how to parent.

Your thoughts on this important and complicated subject would be much appreciated by the author, possibly to be used in a follow-up article. Please email Christine at McLeanBabyPro@gmail.com.

This article appeared in the November / December ADCAN Newsletter.

Ways to Save ... The Financial Nanny

Ways to Save Money this Summer and all year round!

I just started getting the magazine All You. You can only get it at Wal-Mart or via subscription. I got an assume deal on the subscription through Southern Living at Home for $19.99 for two years. In store it costs around $1.99. That is a savings of about $24! The cool thing about this magazine is that it is chocked full of useful coupons from food, bathroom and household items etc. I also like that it has a month worth of meal planning and recipes to go with it. I will be getting a link to purchase it shortly up on my blog, The Financial Nanny.

The June 26 issue has a great article on when to buy things to get the best price. For the month of July, your best deals are on gym memberships. You can most likely get a great deal on a month to month membership. The gyms are trying to keep their membership quotas through the summer months. If you have been looking to join the gym, it sounds like now is the time. For the month of August, is of course, the biggest back to school shopping events. Everything from clothes, crayons, notebooks, pencils, pens and computers have large discounts on them. If you are in the department for a new air conditioner or camping equipment, August provides healthy deals too.

Are you one of the people who don’t like paying full price for things? If so, I have a website for you! This website, Current Codes, contains codes for over 2000 websites. These codes can be used for discounts on purchases and shipping etc.

Nannypalooza Deals:
There are two ways to enter for a free conference registration to Nannypalooza in the fall. The first one is sponsored from NannyNetwork/Homework Solutions

Details:
How to Win:

#1 You must be a registered NannyNetwork.com Bulletin Board Poster with a minimum of 5 posts on 5 separate dates. Why? NannyNetwork.com wants to reward loyal posters who understand the value of networking with peers.

#2 You must be a nanny! Sorry, business representatives and others are ineligible.

#3 Contest is open June 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009.

#4 Email Webmaster at NannyNetwork.com with the following information: Subject = NannyPalooza 2009, NN Screen Name, Your Name, Your email Address, Your Telephone Number, Sentence (or more) on why you post at NannyNetwork.com that may be quoted on NannyNetwork.com.

#5 HomeWork Solutions will choose a winner at random.


The Conference Pass and Hotel Room night are NON TRANSFERABLE. All entries agree that their name and quotation ONLY may be posted by the operators of NannyNetwork.com when announcing the winner. The winner agrees to confirm within 10 business days their firm intention to attend. If you are the lucky winner and you cannot attend - please have the courtesy of allowing another nanny to attend.

The next one is the Nannypalooza Bounce Back Scholarship. Details:
It’s been a tough year for our industry. Many longtime nannies have lost their jobs and are finding it challenging to land a new position at a livable wage. One of the results is that some past Nannypalooza attendees won’t be able to join us this year because of their financial situation.NANC, with the help of some generous nanny sponsors, is offering a scholarship to help those nannies make it to Nannypalooza 2009. The scholarship includes conference registration and Saturday night accommodations at the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel.

Eligibility Requirements

• Worked as a nanny for at least one year and lost her job due to economic reasons.


• Currently unemployed and actively looking for a permanent position OR currently working but were unemployed for 4 or more months between Nannypalooza 2008 and now.


• Attended a Nannypalooza in the past.


• Facing a financial situation that would making attending Nannypalooza 2009 a hardship.

To enter to win the Nannypalooza Bounce Back Scholarship, please send your full name, your city / state, and support group affiliation if you have one to info@nannycredential.org with Bounce Back in the subject line. On Friday, August, 14th, we’ll draw a name from random and notify the lucky winner.