Archive for May 4th, 2010

Parents’ Night Out – Send the Kids Out Instead of Bringing a Babysitter In

Author: admin

May 4



It was supposed to be the perfect night out: you, your husband, a romantic dinner and a bottle of fine red wine. But as you are putting the finishes touches on your makeup, the phone rings and it is the babysitter calling out sick fifteen minutes before she is due to arrive. You frantically call the other three sitters you know, but they are already booked for the evening. With a sigh of disappointment, you change into sweats and order a large pizza for the family to share.

Alternative to babysitters

No parent wants to make plans for that rare night on the town and have the babysitter cancel at the last minute. For a dependable source of child care, you might consider taking advantage of parents’ night out events hosted in your local area. These events are typically sponsored by trusted organizations in your local community such as:

Churches Schools YMCAs Extracurricular organizations such as dance studios, martial art centers, camps, etc.

The organizations announce in advance the date, times and cost for providing the child care services. You drop your children off at the organization’s location rather than having a babysitter come to your private home. Members of the organization watch your children so you can go out to dinner with your spouse, catch up on errands such as grocery shopping or enjoy some peace and quiet to yourself.

Benefits for you and your children

The fees for parents’ night out are much more economical than paying a traditional babysitter. At parents’ night out, you pay per child per hour or a lump sum per child for the whole evening. To further reduce your costs, some organizations provide a discount for two or more children.

This can add up to a savings of 50% or more than what you would pay a babysitter. For example, in Los Angeles, the going rate for a sitter is about $15.00 per hour for one child. However, many organizations charge only $7.00 per hour for each child at parents’ night out; a savings of $8.00 per hour!

You can also feel secure in knowing that your children are being watched by child care professionals or employees of the organization; people you already trust with your children. Instead of one individual with your children, there are multiple staff members on site to watch all children.

Activities are usually guided by the staff members and can range from art projects to group games to story time. Occasionally, age appropriate movies will be shown for all children to enjoy. And your kids will love getting to play with friends and schoolmates.

Tips to get the most out of it

There are some things you should keep in mind before you bring your children to parents’ night out:

Due to the group nature of it, a parents’ night out may be a better child care option for older children. A child may not get individual attention and this could be especially stressful for younger children. Try to pick up your kids before their bed time. Children may become over stimulated when they are involved in group activities. They may have a hard time winding down at home; causing them to miss their bed time and possibly oversleep the next morning. Make sure to feed your children dinner before you drop them off and pack a light snack for them. Most organizations do not provide dinner or snacks. It’s best to check in advance if you are not sure. Do not bring kids when they have homework unless the organization provides a quiet spot just for this activity. Note in advance when organizations you belong to have scheduled their events. Most organizations hold them once a month or once per quarter and you should take advantage of them when you can.

As you can see, a parents’ night out is an excellent alternative to hiring a babysitter and will give you peace of mind to enjoy yourself on those rare evenings with no kids.

By: Amy Blakeslee

About the Author:
Amy Blakeslee is the CEO and Founder of http://www.parentainment.com and the mother of two young daughters.

Parentainment.com is a unique social networking site that allows moms and dads to connect with other parents, social groups and child care providers, and supplies them with the tools they need to be the best parents they can be, while enabling them to enrich their own lives. The site offers up-to-the-minute parenting news from around the world, blogs for parents and informational articles written by experts and other members. http://www.parentainment.com – have kids and have a life!



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Spy Cameras – Why Are They Important?

Author: admin

May 4



Why are spy cameras so important? Simple: they give you true, honest video evidence in the face of lies, suspicion and deception. If you’re worried that your child’s nanny is mistreating your kids when left in their care – you want to find out for sure and then put a stop to it. The best way to do that is to secretly monitor and record what goes on when you’re not there. Nanny cams may seem deceptive and dishonest, but, when it comes to the safety and welfare of your children, there isn’t an expense, nor an avenue, that you won’t explore.

Now, consider this scenario: you’ve just started your own business and you’ve hired employees that you believe to be honest and reliable. However, you also notice that your important inventory is going missing. You don’t want to immediately confront your employees on it unless you have concrete evidence to do so. Therefore, the best way to capture that information is to use a secret hidden spy camera to catch ‘em in the act – and then take appropriate action. Remember: you’ve worked extremely hard to start your own business, and you want to protect your investment. A nanny cam is your extra layer of security that can keep your business safe and protected.

Besides being an important tool against crime, theft and bad behavior, spy cameras have another valuable aspect which enhances their usability: nanny cams can be affordable and easy-to-use. High-tech security systems can cost a lot of money to purchase. Then, after you’ve bought it, you have to pay for it to be installed and set-up. And after you’ve paid for installation, you then have to shell out money for maintenance and troubleshooting. Hidden spy cameras that you can place anywhere in your home or office are designed to be practical – hence their affordability. If you’re looking to see what your kids are up to when you’re not there, all you have to do is purchase a simple camera with a great disguise that you can literally stick in any room. You don’t need to spend a fortune on an effective and reliable video camera recorder.

More and more people are turning to spy cameras when they want to turn doubt into fact. If someone is concerned about how their spouse is behaving when left alone at home, they don’t need to hire a private investigator or an expensive and complicated camera system. There are many different nanny cams and spy cameras available to help people get the video surveillance evidence they need at an affordable price. Additionally, spy cams are becoming easier to set-up and use. What that means is that, it doesn’t matter if you’re technologically inclined or if you’re new to camera technology – there is a spy camera that will fit your needs and your budget.

Nanny cams give people the peace of mind they’re looking for. If you’re worried that your kids are engaged in illicit behavior, wouldn’t you want to learn the truth so you can help them? Nanny cams blend in perfectly with any environment – which gives you an unimpeded look into what people are doing when they think they’re alone and not being watched.

By: Manny J Manuel

About the Author:
Manny J. Manuel is an expert on spy cameras and he wants to share his knowledge and passion with you! He believes that all families should have access to affordable, reliable wireless nanny cameras which can keep families, homes and businesses safe from harm, violence and crime.

Living in Canada, Manny J. Manuel understands that there isn’t anything more important than the safety of your family. That’s why he wants to spread the word and inform people about hidden spy nanny cams that families can afford and which offer reliable protection and security. He also believes that spy cameras shouldn’t be too complicated to families to actually set up and use.



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Choosing A Middle Name for Your Baby

Author: admin

May 4



What many parents seem to forget when naming a child is that they also must choose a middle name for their babies. This is a very important step in the process in which a child is named. A middle name not only adds to the personal identity of a person but it also gives them another term that people can refer to them as. This is highly useful when a person finds he or she has the same first name as someone else, as the middle name will almost assuredly be different. This article should help guide new parents into choosing the best middle name for their newborn child!

To start out with, middle names can be the same as a father or mother’s name. While it is usually not a good idea to name a child the second in line of a name his or her father or mother had, it is a completely different story with middle names. Many cultures and religions only have middle names in which the parent’s name is used, so it is quite common to see this happen. This middle name, however, is not the best choice and should only be used if it is tradition or if there are really no better options available.

Another way of choosing a middle name is by finding a close friend or relative and giving the child their first name as a middle name. Many times parents will use the godparent’s name as the middle name. It also makes sense to honor someone who has helped parents face and overcome struggles in life by naming a child, at least partially, after this person. And of course, if a close one has passed away recently then their first name is a good candidate for a middle name as well.

For parents who want to name their child something extravagant or weird, like “Strawberry” or “Jelly,” it is harmful and a bad decision to do so with the first name. But, again, this unorthodox name can be used as a middle name. For starters, no one close to the child really has to know or refer to them by their middle name most of the time, making an embarrassing choice okay in this regard. And if a parent is just dead-set on using a weird name, than it is of course better to use it as a middle name than a first name which identifies a child for life.

Naming a child, first or middle, is a long process in which two parents, usually, debate amongst each other and swap ideas. Each name should be carefully thought out and planned for because a child is going to have to, unless he or she changes their name, live with these names for the rest of their lives. The middle name is an important addition to any person’s name and should not be pushed aside until the very end. It should get just as much consideration as the first name. And parents remember, the middle name is the one that you can have fun with!

By: Joseph Kenny

About the Author:
Joe Kenny writes articles for various sites including Infant Names. If you would like more choices on what to call your baby visit today at http://www.infantnames.net.



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