Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Elizabeth via e-mail:

Hi Christine, I recently started looking for a babysitter for my 9-month-old daughter. I tried Craigslist with mixed results, and signed up for a free trial with Sittercity and Care.com. I have been SO disappointed! Sittercity never made it clear that while I could post a job, I would not be able to contact any of the applicants without paying a membership fee of $50-100. Care.com's free membership was slightly more clear, but I still did not understand that I would have to pay their monthly membership fee to contact any applicants as well. I understand that this is partly my fault for misreading; however, I can't help feeling that these websites are taking advantage of me. Now I either lose out on the 8 applications I already received, and go back to slogging through Craigslist, or I have to pay for a membership to a website that I have lost trust in. I'm wondering if this happens to a lot of moms, and if people in your community have suggestions for other ways to find a good sitter!

Continue reading "Dear Boston Mamas: Finding Babysitters" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 9 Sep 2010 | Permalink | Comments (12) | Filed in Childcare; Dear Boston Mamas; Web (Admin)
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There are two things any mom undoubtedly could use and enjoy: spa treatment + babysitting help. So I'm thrilled that in honor of Mother's Day, and as part of my Giveaway Goodness series, three of you fabulous readers will receive a $100 gift certificate to kick back and relax at Bella Santé day spa (good at the Boston, Lexington, or Wellesley locations) + a yearlong premium membership to Care.com so you can find some child care (or tutoring, special needs, senior care, pet care, or housekeeping) help. Woo hoo! Simply leave a comment below about this giveaway by midnight, May 9, 2010 to enter to win.

Continue reading "Giveaway Goodness: Bella Santé & Care.com" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 May 2010 | Permalink | Comments (102) | Filed in Beauty, Fitness & Wellness; Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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It’s been over a decade since I visited Houston and I’m thrilled to return to this city next month for the Mom 2.0 Summit. Last year I heard incredible things about this conference, which serves as a meeting grounds for moms and marketers and this year explores professional, product, and personal paths. My attendance, however, would not be possible were it not for the kind and generous sponsorship of Care.com.

Continue reading "Mom 2.0 Bound" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Jan 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local; Web (Admin)
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And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:

Moms’ Buzz features the PNP (Positive-Negative-Positive) method for checking your kid’s homework. One Chic Mama recommends trying Relish, an online meal planning resource. And you could win a $200 PicStreet.com shopping spree over at MomFinds, and a pair of Robeez over at Classy Mommy.

Posted by Christine Koh on 5 Sep 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Home; Solutions
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And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:

Weekend reading: One Chic Mama highlights citrus spiked hues that will add a dash of warmth and a burst of color to your wardrobe. Moms’ Buzz has a report on men’s trends for spring. Classy Mommy offers a Q&A chat with Dr. Bob Sears, author of The Vaccine Book. Clever Parents features ideas for entertaining and connecting over Sunday brunch.

Continue reading "Weekly Web Roundup" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 11 Apr 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare
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Weekend Reading: Car & Caboodle features an LA dad who tells of his road to becoming a minivan owner. Healthy Bump chats with former nanny Deborah Smith, who offers advice on how to search for a nanny. Moms’ Buzz offers 10 tips to help parents encourage children to eat right and maintain a healthy weight. Clever Parents highlights an easy, cheesy cauliflower pasta recipe from Rachael Ray. Coochicoos features the ultimate Batman home theater set up.

Continue reading "Weekly Web Roundup" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Jan 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; Childcare; Diapers & Potty; Feeding & Nursing; For Grownups; Gear; Home; Recipes
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Back to school season can be both wonderful and stressful, and allergies add an additional layer of concern to the mix. Today, Tracy shares some great resources for families; useful to check out if your child has allergies, or in the likely case that one of your child’s peers does:

Continue reading "Back to School With Allergies" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 Sep 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare; Family Issues; Feeding & Nursing
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I had the unusual opportunity of growing up in a three-generation household where, one by one, as circumstance dictated, my parents took in each of their parents (not to mention other periodic immigrating family members along the way). Most modern families, however, can’t sustain this arrangement, whether it’s due to logistical, emotional, or medical constraints. For this reason especially, I was extremely impressed when I learned about Care.com.

Continue reading "Because You Care" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Aug 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Family Issues
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Both positive and negative feedback is important; particularly when your babe’s care is at stake. For today’s birthday contest, HowsMyNanny.com - a stroller tag/web service that allows passersby to report good and bad childcare incidents to parents – is offering one lucky winner a 2-year membership ($94 value), and a second lucky winner a 1-year membership ($50 value). To enter to win one of these prizes (worldwide entrants eligible), email us (by midnight EST tonight, Tuesday, July 31) the answer to the following question: Who is the New York prosecutor behind HowsMyNanny.com?

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Jul 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Web (Admin)
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Finding childcare is an incredibly stressful process, and matters are made worse when general or personal reports of abuse (e.g., the December incident at Bright Horizons, Lexington) or neglect (e.g., an “honorary niece” of ours suffered from neglectful nanny treatment) surface.

On the latter, luckily our niece’s nanny frequented a neighborhood park replete with the nannies and children of local families. Even more fortunate, the other neighborhood nannies were proactive enough to contact our niece’s parents when they witnessed the ill treatment.

Continue reading "How's My Nanny?" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Jan 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare
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It doesn’t take much to push a parent’s worry button, and the source often is another parent, either in an attempt to make conversation, or enlist you as an accomplice in their web of worry.

The other day during day care drop off another parent commented on Laurel’s maturity (a relative term, of course), looked at the birthday board, and said gravely, “Oh, you’re going to have the same problem as us.” The problem being that both of our kids were born in early September; we thus would just miss the typical cutoff date for kindergarten (August 31 or September 1 in many Mass. towns) and be relegated to an extra year in pre-school.

Continue reading "Web of Worry" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 14 Nov 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Development & Behavior; Local
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As a parent, there never seem to be enough hours in the day, but sometimes you really feel as if the world would spin on a better axis if you just had an extra hour or two to run some errands solo, squeeze in a work call, or get a pedicure.

My sister passed along a terrific idea from her best friend’s mother (who we’ll call Grandma P.). Grandma P. loves taking care of children but all of her grandkids live an airplane ride away. She’s an active retiree and thus didn't want to commit to a fixed babysitting schedule. Instead, she decided to post on Craigslist, offering on the fly childcare to parents in need of a few hours of relief.

Grandma P. has been inundated with calls; not surprisingly, there are plenty of parents out there hunting for short term babysitting solutions. So if you know of retirees or other flexibly scheduled folks who love looking after little ones, have them post in the childcare section on Craigslist; likewise, take a look in said section if you are in need of a last minute sitter or other childcare arrangements.

Posted by Christine Koh on 31 Oct 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare
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Earlier this week my ears perked up when NPR’s feature on college preparation, stress, and teens aired. Obviously, this phase of Laurel’s life is many years off (assuming she opts for college instead of a painting commune) but even now, as I see her and her little friends becoming more complex little people, I alternatively feel joyful and anxious about the years to come. I so want Laurel to be peaceful and happy and confident but times as a teen are invariably tough.

NPR’s feature, the catalyst of which was a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on the negative impact of stress and pressure on teens, focused on the stress associated with the college application process. At the end of the broadcast I was interested to hear that the AAP devised a new web site where teens could design personalized stress-reduction plans.

Continue reading "Teen Stress" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 12 Oct 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Tweens & Teens
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Our quick and easy bedtime routine evaporated when we moved a couple of weeks ago. Pre-move, after stories we could leave the room and Laurel would happily chat and sing her way to sleep. Now there’s a lot of stalling and sadness if we try to leave when she is awake. From what we could understand from Laurel, she was scared of the dark.

While our move clearly changed things, a conversation with the mom of one of Laurel’s pals – who, even as the world’s most unflappable toddler, recently has become fearful of the dark – prompted me to look further into night fears.

Continue reading "Dark & Scary Nights" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Sep 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Sleep
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A mama friend needs help! Her mother-in-law (MIL) appears to have a hang up about feeding her grandchildren unapproved and/or inappropriate food. Some data: 1) MIL fed my friend’s nephew his first solids (without his parents approval obviously), which resulted in a mild facial rash; 2) MIL tried to feed my friend’s daughter ice cream when she was an infant (luckily the parents were there to intervene); 3) MIL fed my friend’s daughter three new (i.e., not yet allergy tested) foods in one day, including meat, finger foods, and refined sugar products. The behavior persists despite repeated admonishments, conversations, interventions, instructions, and piles of prepared baby food.

At an emotional level, it is frustrating that MIL stole some major feeding milestones from these parents. MIL also doesn’t seem concerned about deviating from the food instructions provided, or the possibility of dealing with allergic reactions (or leaving it to the parents to deal with them). But MIL clearly loves her grandkids (she’s part of the weekly care routine) so what gives?

Continue reading "Grandma Gone Wild" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Aug 2006 | Permalink | Comments (8) | Filed in Childcare; Family Issues; Feeding & Nursing
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A local mama of twins found her fabulous nanny through Craigslist. After seeing a friend tango unsuccessfully with a nanny agency (to the tune of a $2500 matching fee), this mama posted an advertisement on Craiglist, interviewed 25 (!) candidates who responded to her post, picked the top 4, did trial periods with each, and ultimately was able to hire Super Nanny.

Hiring a nanny was more economical than enrolling her twins in day care; this mama suggested starting the nanny search about two months prior to actual need so you can do a thorough search and not settle for a so-so candidate.

This strategy also would suit a search for a babysitter or mother's helper. Click here for the direct childcare link on Craigslist.

Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare
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Among taboo mama topics is that of how a mama feels about her maternity leave. Polarized responses such as “I’m so sad for my leave to end!” and “I can’t wait to get back to work!” are common.

Regardless of how you feel during leave time, it’s probably safe to say that all mamas feel some degree of guilt if and when they return to work. A Mayo Clinic article offers some helpful tips on how to ease transition, cope with guilt, and continue to breastfeed. An article from U. Michigan Medical also offers tips on returning to work and description of different types of child-care options.

Continue reading "Working Girl" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 25 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Feeding & Nursing; Mama in the Workplace
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Day cares – especially those that take infants – are tough to find, but Bright Horizons offers plenty of places to look. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Bright Horizons from several mama pals. Bright Horizons is massive; they operate more than 600 child-care centers and schools across the U.S., Canada and Europe. In Massachusetts, locations that are open to the community for application include Allston, Andover, Bedford, Beverly, Boston, Boxborough, Braintree, Cambridge, Charlestown, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Hingham, Lexington, Marlborough, Milton, Natick, Needham, Newburyport, North Reading, Norwell, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Quincy, Randolph, Sudbury, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, and Wellesley. Click here to narrow your search by distance from your home; check specific locations for age limits.

Posted by Christine Koh on 24 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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I am grateful that I have a husband who both brings home a steady income and makes it a priority to get home in time to play with the babe and put her to bed several nights of the week. It’s hard to be “on” every day, and that’s why single mamas are especially amazing to me.

Linda Tucci’s financial feature in The Boston Globe, "Child-care costs strain single mom’s resources” (March 19, 2006), offers a quantitative window into the struggles of single mama hood. The article presents the financial case study of Joan Lieb, single mother of two, and describes various options reviewed to try to make child-care for Joan’s two children possible.

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare; Family Issues
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A mama from Medford passed along recommendations for two local family day cares. Carol Ricker (5 Bussell Rd., Medford, 781-395-4212) takes babes from 3 months to 3 years old and comes highly recommended for infant care. Donna Swales (61 Paris Street, Medford, 781-395-5612) takes babes from 3 months to 5 years, and comes highly recommended for toddler/pre-schoolers (2.5 – 5 years).

Thanks Mama N. from Medford!

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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A mama pal struck babysitting gold using Sittercity. Search for babysitters by zip code, view detailed profiles (including reviews, references, a personal statement, photos, contact information, and schedule availability), then interview your candidates. My mama pal interviewed five candidates (all fabulous) and happily was able to secure the most fabulous of the five.

Two sign up plans are offered. The annual plan is $7.99 per month + free registration and an included 2-year subscription to Parenting magazine. The monthly plan is $9.99 per month + a $39.99 registration fee.

Posted by Christine Koh on 17 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare
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