Posts by Debbie Hipp
Christmas time Activities for Kids in Atlanta
Christmas time is a fun and active time of year for kids! Today we want to point out our staff’s favorite Christmastime activities for kids in Atlanta. These kid-friendly activities take place during the Month of December and some have already started! If you have a little one that doesn’t want to go out just let us know. You can request a sitter from TLC for Kids at www.tlcforkids.com.
MACY’S PINK PIG Priscilla the Pink Pig was a staple for Atlanta for almost 50 years, from the early 50’s to her close in 1999! She returned in 2004 and re-imagined as a conventional train ride pulled by a miniature locomotive. Priscilla continues to carry children of all ages through a life-sized storybook filled with friends and fun underneath the darling Pink Pig tent. This is an adorable Christmastime activity for kids!
CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS This December families will have a chance to experience Celebrations in Lights. The exciting event explores numerous cultural holidays from around the world with music, dancing and crafts projects for kids honoring Las Posadas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. Don’t forget the museum has “Sockefeller Plaza”, a sock-skating rink built especially for little ones…no skates required! This Christmastime activity will be a learning experience for you and your kids.
HOLIDAY BRICKTACULAR This cool event starts the first weekend of December with the annual Big Tree Build. Kids and adults can learn how to create LEGO holiday trees of their own, join build challenges, and grab some selfies with Rudolph and his glowing nose. The winter takeover of MINILAND happens every weekend in December. Going to Legoland is a favorite Christmastime Activity for my kids!
ATLANTA FESTIVAL OF TREES This year’s festival is at the Embassy Suites in Centennial Olympic Park. Thirty local charitable organizations are putting up their festive themed Christmas Tree displays in the hotel lobby. Come by to look at all the fun trees!
All these events are fun Christmastime activities for kids, but if you want to leave the kids at home and enjoy them yourself you can! Request a sitter from TLC for Kids at www.tlcforkids.com.
Let TLC Family Care Connect You With A Great Nanny!
Are you looking to hire a nanny? Using a nanny agency like TLC Family Care is a great way to find a nanny. TLC has been assisting families and nannies for over 30 years and we want to connect you with a great nanny. We love hearing back from our nannies and families. This TLC family is sooo thrilled with their nanny! And, their daughter loves playing with her nanny everyday. Let TLC Family Care help your family, too!
Hiring a nanny can be stressful and time consuming. It’s not easy for a family to do alone. Let TLC Family Care do it for you! Our placement counselor will take the time to get to know you and your family’s needs. We will present only screened and qualified nannies for your review. TLC will set up interviews with the nannies you want to meet. After meeting with the nannies, you make the final hiring decision. The process is easy and designed to connect you with a great nanny.
Visit TLC Family Care to start your nanny search today.
‘Tully’ Through the Eyes of a Newborn Care Specialist
I spent a lovely afternoon at the movies in South Miami watching “Tully” with TLC Miami’s most loved and requested Newborn Care Specialist Patricia Demerite. Even though reviews have been mixed we really enjoyed the movie.
Tully spoke to each of us in so many ways. As a parent of 2 and owner of TLC, I could relate to the chaos and sleep deprivation of a Postpartum mom and the demands of a special needs child while managing a household. Patricia, who has helped over a dozen families over the last 5 years navigate the demands of adding a new baby to a family could relate to the the sensitive nature of working in an intimate family environment. Throughout the movie Pat would lean over to me saying things like “she should wash her hands when she walks in the house,” “she shouldn’t be wearing that midriff,” and “she needs to give the mom more personal space.” When things get weird in the movie and she brings Tully to the bedroom we both look at each other like ‘ok, now this is really weird.’ At the end of the movie we discovered the reason for a lot of the immature oversharing behavior and took a sigh of relief.
After the movie Pat and I discussed Marlo’s (mom) lack of support. We both questioned why Marlo was not willing to take the gift of the night nanny when offered. Why is there a stigma that women have to do it all? Had Marlo accepted help or at least engaged the support of her husband and family she might not have ended up where she did. ***I don’t want to give away any spoilers!***
Postpartum depression and manic behavior require professional help. Hiring a Newborn Care Specialist will not treat postpartum depression. But Patricia and I both feel that the help would have given Marlo support and perhaps directed her to the right professional. Like Marlo, many moms suffer sleep deprivation and loss of identity aftee the birth of a baby. This is because they feel they like they have no support and help. Hiring a Newborn Care Specialist can help moms get on track to feel like themselves again.
Reach out to Chrissy Wheelington, TLC’s Newborn Care Director, to learn more about the different newborn services TLC offers.
Written by Sharon Graff-Radell owner of TLC Family Care.
The Art of Swaddling
As the Newborn Care Director for TLC in St. Louis and Miami, I love to share articles about caring for newborns and their families. Many parents are looking for information about keeping their newborn safe and secure. TLC is partnering with Parenting Resources to train postpartum doulas, newborn care specialists and baby nurses so that they can assist new parents.
This article by a mom talks about the benefits of swaddling. Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping a baby in a blanket for warmth and security. It can keep your baby from being disturbed by his or her own startle reflex, and it can help keep the baby warm for the first few days of life. Do you remember trying to swaddle your babies once you came home from the hospital?
“Swaddling is an art, really, and through two children, I never mastered it. Both of my babes were happy and content in the hospital, when they were wrapped like little burritos by those capable nurses in the postpartum unit. That all went downhill once we got home. I tried to re-create those magical bundles, but no matter what I did, within minutes their arms had busted out, and they were anything but calm. It was my first mom fail.”
Click here to read the full article and get the step-step-by step instructions on how to swaddle like a pro!
The “Uber” of babysitting has just arrived in St. Louis!
St. Louis based TLC for Kids is partnering with the technology company, Sitter, to revolutionize the childcare industry with the “Uber of Babysitting”
Over 30 years ago, TLC for Kids pioneered the industry by being one of the first to provide quality, professionally screened childcare to their clients. Now, as one of the nation’s top nanny agencies, they are transforming it again. Together with Sitter, they’re on a mission to radically simplify the way parents book, pay and find high-quality babysitters. Parents can now use Sitter to book one of TLC for Kids’ fully screened, professional nannies with a tap.
This partnership combines the decades of TLC for Kids’ skilled vetting and matching expertise with the cutting edge technology required to support today’s parent. Parents don’t have time to sift through thousands of unscreened caregivers online, nor do they have the expertise required to ensure the caregiver they find online is capable of keeping their child safe. With TLC for Kids and Sitter, parents save time and worry less by getting a sitter screened by experts on-demand, skipping the ATM, and saving all the critical information (emergency contacts, allergies, etc.) their sitter needs.
“A cleared background check just tells you a potential sitter is not a criminal. It doesn’t mean they’re good with kids. We’ve devoted our lives to developing an expertise in finding the best childcare providers. Now, we’re thrilled to be able to give parents access to them in the most convenient way possible.” says Stephanie Graff, President of TLC for Kids.
Current members of TLC for Kids have access to this new technology as part of their membership. Families in the St. Louis area who are not current members can access and use the app for free for a limited time. Join the Sitter app now to book screened TLC for Kids caregivers.
The only thing left for parents to do is get out of the house. They can rest easy knowing TLC + Sitter have them covered!
To get started using TLC caregivers through the sitter app, visit our TLC/Sitter page.
Newborn Care Certifications for TLC Caregivers
Increase Your Earning Potential by becoming a Certified Newborn Nanny or Postpartum Doula!
TLC for Kids is once again partnering with Parenting Resources and is offering customized training.
What is a Certified Newborn Nanny?
A Certified Newborn Nanny is a nanny who has pursued formal training to work specifically with newborns to provide childcare.
While you don’t need a certification to work with a newborn, certification shows a potential client that you know all of the fundamentals and have advanced skills needed to take care of their little one. Parents can skip the stress about what you know and don’t know and you can both focus on whether or not you’re a perfect match!
Certified Newborn Nannies earn $18-$22 per hour
• Jaundice and Care
• Swaddling
• Circumcision Care
• Umbilical Cord Care
• Infant Massage
• Pace Bottle Feeding
• Common Skin Conditions
• Breast Milk Handling
What is a Certified Postpartum Doula?
A Certified Postpartum Doula is considered an all around ADVANCED support person for a family with a new baby. You support all facets of the new family, from breastfeeding support to newborn care. A Doula is not focused solely on the baby, but on the client, partner, sibling, home, and everything that goes into the family transitioning well into their new roles. You are not left alone with the baby to “babysit.” You are there to work within the family system.
Here are just a few of the roles that you may fill (and don’t worry, we teach you how to do ALL OF THIS!):
Postpartum Doulas earn $20-$25 per hour
• Helping get breastfeeding off to the right start
• Teaching proper upright bottle feeding
• Assisting with pumping
• Setting up an environment conducive to postpartum
healing
• Night shifts caring for the baby while the family sleeps
• Night shifts bringing the baby to the client for feeds
• Light laundry or meal prep to allow the family bonding time
• Providing and teaching the family everything they need to
know about newborn care
• Alerting families to red flags or warning signs if an issue
presents itself
• Pediatrician or OBGYN appointment accompaniment
• Integrating healthy sleep habits into the family’s routine
• Helping the client process their birth and postpartum
experience while providing support and acceptance
• And much more!
Both classes are great for TLC Temp Caregivers who are currently caring for newborns and their families and for TLC Nannies who are looking to increase their salary potential in future jobs.
Contact Chrissy for more information at Chrissy@tlcforkids.com.