National Kids Day - Sunday, August 7, 2011

We found this information and wanted to pass it along to you. We believe in children and families - so sharing information you may find helpful is part of our goal. National KidsDay was created in 1994 by KidsPeace, a 129-year-old national children's charity, to encourage adults to spend more meaningful time with their children.

Nannies from the Heartland Staff 

http://www.kidspeace.org/aboutkidspeace.aspx?id=2060

National KidsDay is …
an opportunity to celebrate childhood; to demonstrate our commitment to nurturing children; to inspiring our nation, our communities and our families to love and appreciate children; and to prepare our children for a healthy, happy, successful future.

Ways to celebrate!
With more than 129 years of expertise on helping children facing crisis, KidsPeace created National KidsDay as an annual event on the national calendar to honor and celebrate the inherent value and worth of children.

Chill Out with Cold Treats

Keep cool with frozen treats you make yourself. This article with recipes comes from the Star Tribune's taste section. You'll find Fruit Salad Ice Pops, Banana Malted Milk-Shake Pops, Watermelon Paletas and more. Check out the link for more on keeping cool and treating your family!  http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/125493568.html

Enjoy!

Mixed-Age Play

By Kelly Miller

In one of my previous nanny jobs, the girls I cared for played together wonderfully although three years apart in age. They really enjoyed being together. The oldest taught her younger sister a lot, and vice versa. In fact, their mother once remarked to me that she is thankful I taught her girls to be friends.

Children can learn a lot when they play with children of a variety of ages.

Lilian Katz, director of the Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse, said, “The more competent kids teach younger children, and the younger kids can learn by example.” She cites that younger children often engage in more complex activities than they might otherwise.

Escape to the Parks

Three Rivers Park district is a vast and varied park system in the metro area. The parks and trails are calling, and so are the special events that are planned throughout the year. You can also search for specific activities for any interest. Check out their website to plan your next great adventure!
http://www.threeriversparks.org/

Make It Project: Using Resources Wisely

I enjoy projects that allow you to recycle items and also be creative. Here's one idea that is nanny tested and child approved. Enjoy!


Block Party

Children love building and creating. You don't need fancy commercial block sets to have fun building. One year for Christmas I decided to make a block set for all the children to share and enjoy. They loved this set so much they wore them out.

REMINDER ABOUT KEEPING BUSINESS AND HOUSEHOLD PAYROLL SEPARATE

Here's a good reminder from our friends at Breedlove & Associates. If you have questions remember that Breedlove will be happy to answer them. See their phone and website information at the end of this article.

We've had several families call recently after having made the mistake of putting their nanny on the company payroll. Understandably, they've been VERY frustrated after making a well-intentioned mistake that -- with just a little guidance -- would have been easy to prevent.

Here's a quick reminder of the law so it doesn't happen to any of you:

Nannies from the Heartland

wishes you

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!