Calling Mary Poppins – Three necessities for finding your next babysitter

Your best friend calls and says it’s time for a girls' night. Your husband has chanced upon not-to-be-missed Thunder playoff tickets. Your mom/dad/aunt/uncle/grandparent needs you to hang out at the hospital while they undergo a procedure. Your kid has just spilled milk on the floor for the FOURTH time today, and you are one crushed animal cracker away from cracked.

It’s time for a babysitter.

Unlike Mary Poppins, who will float down to your door with an umbrella, smile, and a bag full of junk for your next garage sale, most babysitters—the good ones—are hard to come by, with parents guarding their sitter’s contact info better than their own social security numbers.

But you don’t have to rely on word of mouth or your teenage neighbor with pink hair to get you some peace and quiet. You just need a little help. So here are three checkpoints for ensuring your sitter is more Mary, not Scary, Poppins.

1. A clear background check. You can find sitters who have already had background checks on services such as caregiver.com and sittercity.com. In addition, the Edmond branch of College Nannies and Tutors contracts with a nationally certified criminal screening company that runs courthouse records checks on all of their applicants. Better safe than sorry, although they do have some crazy fun nanny cams these days.
 

2. Training. The second item on the list is concerned with how a sitter handles emergencies. Ask your sitter if he or she has received any babysitting, CPR, or first aid courses. If not, and you really like the sitter, let them know that the American Red Cross provides babysitting education online, and that CPR and first aid courses are offered at most hospitals. Then make it a condition for employment, especially if you’re looking for a long-term candidate.

3. Personality. Finally, a babysitter should love what they do, and they should enjoy playing with your kids, whatever age that is. Texting, surfing the web, and talking on the phone aren’t acceptable behavior, and you’ll be able to tell, by talking to your kiddos (if they're old enough), whether the sitter was interactive and fun. Of course, this usually takes a trial run, but don’t be afraid to lay down ground rules. Remember, teenagers need money. If you pay a fair price (and you’ll have to ask around for the going rate), most sitters will try to meet your expectations.

And when you do finally find the right fit, there’s nothing better than the feeling of hitting babysitter gold. Then it’s just a matter of keeping them on speed-dial and not giving their names to competitors—ahem—I mean, other parents.

Edmond summer camps - Get yourself on the shortlist

Next week, I've got some fun info for you on finding your perfect babysitter (also see May 2013 Community Connections). But this week, I thought I'd start your summer planning out with a helpful list on what camps are available in the immediate area for kids and teens.

Now, I have to tell you--the first time I saw something called "princess" camp or "pop star" camp, I snaughed (which entails snorting and laughing at the same time). I mean seriously, someone wants me to pay for my daughter to have more attitude? More snaughing. But then, after rounds and rounds of Disney's Princess Sofia and my daughter turning everything into a microphone, I thought, just maybe, that these camps could be kind of fun. If anything, I'm curious what the benefits could be (and whether the princess camp might save me watching multiple episodes of Princess Sofia talking to various woodland creatures).

Then again, princess and pop star camps are just the tip of the iceberg on what Edmond has to offer the little star(s) of your life. From sports to ballet, this town has it covered. The list below is certainly not comprehensive (and I'm happy to add any I've missed), but it should give you a good taste of the variety from which you and your child can choose.

Artic Edge Summer Sports Camp (ages 7 and up) (morning workout, basketball, and ice skating;  weekly activities include swimming, martial arts, hip hop dance, arts & crafts, hockey, ping pong, gymnastics, ballroom dancing, cheerleading, and skateboarding)

Camp Cadence (ages 6 - 13) (horseback riding)


Dance Phase (princess & pop star camps)


Edmond Public Schools (school-specific camps, clinics, and leagues)


Edmond Racquet Club (ages 5 - 16) (tennis)


Edmond Soccer Club Recreational Camp (boys and girls of all ages)


Farm & Ranch Day Camp - Parkhurst Ranch (ages 6 – 12 and 4 – 5 years if accompanied by an adult) (horsemanship/pony rides, plant/harvest vegetables, and nature walks and crafts).
 

Fine Arts Institute of Edmond  (ages 3 - 14 years) (art and theater)

Francis Tuttle Summer Quest (ages 11 - 14 years) (art, web design, babysitting, robotics, cooking, and more)

Kickingbird Tennis Center (ages 4 and up)


Mad Science Camps (1st - 6th grade)


Upstage Theater (ages 5 - 15) (theater)


YMCA of Edmond Summer Day Camps (ages 5 - 12) (arts and crafts, recreational swimming, indoor and outdoor sports, drama, reading, games, interest centers and weekly field trips as well as other specialty activities including dance, martial arts, photography, theater, sailing, and scrapbooking)


For more on this year's summer camps, see the Just Us Kids by the publisher of the Edmond Sun.

Floaties, Noodles, and Swim Diapers – Navigating the world of Edmond swim lessons

If there is anything that frightens me more than another installment of the Saw movie franchise, it’s a swimming pool right outside someone’s back door. With two kiddos under the age of four, getting my little ones water-safe is no joking matter.

So I’ve set about finding what Edmond has to offer by way of training my little puppies to swim like guppies. Or, at least, to learn how to float and maybe do some simple dog paddling.

Here’s what I’ve found. First of all, until your kiddo turns three, you’re probably going to end up in the pool with them (with the exception of one place, which is mentioned below). That sparks bathing-suit terror in me, but really, shimmying into colorful spandex  is the least of my worries when it comes to my kids’ safety.

Here’s a brief list of what I’ve found:

Pelican Bay Aquatic Center. The American Red Cross holds two-week swim lesson courses during the summer at Edmond’s water park, for ages two and up. The park offers a range of instruction, everything from parent/child classes to advance stroking and water survival skills.

Infant Swim Resources.  These lessons are open to babies as young as six months and are geared toward water survival. These are not parent/child classes. I will say that watching a tiny baby learn to float may be strange and a little unsettling, but these lessons (which go up to age six) offer skills meant to keep you child safe if they happen to fall into water. See Edmond specific (lessons at Oak Tree) information here.

YMCA. Several locations through the greater Oklahoma City area, including the Edmond and Guthrie YMCAs, offer parent/child classes for kiddos six to thirty-six months and beginner classes starting at age three.   

Transformation Fitness. This Edmond fitness center offers classes for kids ranging from six months to thirteen years of age. Again, a parent must be in the water with a child who is under age three.

Lighthouse Sports, Health, and Fitness. And for those willing to go a little farther (Lake Hefner area), this Oklahoma City fitness center also offers a variety of swim classes for ages three and up. They also have “Water Babies,” which is their equivalent of a parent/child class, with the added benefit of being “drop-in.”

With so many options, parents are certain to find something to float their boats (sorry, I just could not help myself).  Because really, getting introduced to swimming is fun and exciting for little ones, but most of all, it’s one-hundred percent necessary.

Shhh!!! The parents' guide to taking junior to the movies

So, my husband and I had the opportunity to see Silver Linings Playbook a few weeks ago (thank you Mimi and Papa, babysitters extraordinaire!), and I was pretty darn excited for some grown-up time. Of course, before the previews even started, we both became aware of a little girl, maybe about three-years-old, sitting with her mom or grandma a few rows back.

I scrunched up my face. “Not appropriate,” said I. My husband just shrugged. He’s not as judgey, which made me wonder:

What is appropriate when it comes to taking kids to a movie theater?

Well, there are no easy answers here. When it comes to what age you can bring your baby/toddler/child into a theater, it’s pretty much up to a parent’s discretion. And movie theaters don’t have specific rules beyond asking you to leave if your baby is disrupting the show for others. Some theaters offer Mommy/Baby showings of certain films, but then a parent has to consider if the volume level or experience is too much for a small child.

Well, I applied my super-duper web-hunting skills to the task and found there are plenty of sites out there who want to help. Here are a few resources I tracked down with my good friends, Bing and Google.
 

- A checklist for deciding if a movie is appropriate for your particular child.  Although, the first checkbox--watching the movie first--may be difficult. I mean, I'm not going to see The Croods twice.


- A site where films are rated by age. Heads up on this--most movies out there are suggested for teens and older.


- Tips for taking your child to the movie theater. This includes packing snacks, which made me chuckle. My purse is like a travel-size vending machine already.


- Advice from an expert on the issue. Age three seems to be the time when parents can start testing the waters, although Silver Linings Playbook, in my book, still isn't preschool-friendly.

When it comes down to it, most of us really do want to do right by our kids, so making sure a movie is kiddo-friendly isn’t a bad idea. And deciding whether your child can sit still and function as a good audience member is important too. Because, let’s face it, are you really going to enjoy that movie if someone like me is shooting you scrunchy faces the whole time?

Okay, so maybe I’m a little preachy. I know how hard it is to be tied to the house when the third (fourth?) rendering of Iron Man is coming out. But have no fear, those kiddos grow up fast (so I’ve been told), and sooner or later, you’ll be trying to decide if their movie is appropriate for you.

Shaping up—Just another part of your awesome parenting job

Shorts. T-shirts. Bathing suits.  They’re coming. Cue the Jaws music.

At first, the idea of warm weather (especially after that unfortunate arctic blast we experienced earlier this week) is a pretty happy one. And then, something hits me.

In a few weeks, people are going to be seeing a lot more of me.  I don’t mean I’ll be busier. I mean they’ll be seeing more of me. As in, legs, arms, and maybe even (don’t say it!) a midriff. That’s because summer clothes are on the horizon. And I know I’ve got to get serious about getting in shape.

It’s not that I don’t want to work out. It’s just that with preschool, gymnastics, getting Easter baskets together, potty training, changing diapers, making and washing bottles, (deep breath) feeding the family, grocery shopping, playing dress-up and Disney princess Little People, and getting some work done, there’s not much time…

But then I get a hold of myself. Excuses get me nowhere, and besides, working out isn’t really about looking a certain way. It’s so I can be healthy and feel good about myself, two things parents need in spades.

Edmond has a variety of workout options, many of which provide childcare (see a list here), so my excuses continue to dry up. Take, for example, Edmond’s YMCA. Fitness equipment, a pool, and an awesome lineup of classes satisfy all kinds of workout needs. Then there’s something more unique, like the Barre3 workout, a combination of Pilates, yoga, and ballet (and the studio also provides childcare), or a variety of other gyms that cater to your personal fitness goals.

The list goes on and on. We’ve got parks, running clubs and trails, twenty-four hour gyms, golf courses and aquatic centers. Even just strolling through the aisles of Academy or Dicks can give you an idea of what might inspire you to get moving.

If you’re still lacking motivation or feeling guilty about taking time for yourself, take a tip from Edmond mom, Misty Kennedy, and her facebook page, Foxy Moms 4 Fitness, which encourages and supports moms working out.  

“If I am having a bad day, I work out, and if I am having a good day, I work out. I need that time to recharge to be a better mom.”

Because, when it comes down to it, just a little activity goes a long way toward having a longer, healthier life. And that’s one of the biggest gifts we can give our children.

So bring on the treadmill…

Edmond fitness centers with childcare

barre3
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Edmond YMCA
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Fitness 19
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Golds Gym
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Results Fitness USA
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Trails YMCA
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Transformation Fitness Center
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If you feel your service or business fits this list and would like it to be added, or you would like to be removed from this list, please email mmcoxbooks@live.com.

Hunting down awesome Easter traditions

So, Easter is early this year, and I’m staring at my daughter’s lovely, sleeveless dress thinking, how does Easter always seem to arrive before the weather and I are ready?
Well, there’s no time to whine about it. I have too much to accomplish. And now that I’ve entered an era where my kids will remember the extra little things I do to make the day special, it’s time to come up with a winning Easter game plan.

Here are my eight steps, in particular order, for creating a perfect lead-up to Easter joy. Why eight? Why not eight?

1.     Learn a rockin' Easter Bunny song. When my daughter asked me to sing a song about the Easter Bunny this week (something akin to “Here Comes Santa Claus”), the best I could come up with was “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” She was not impressed. Time for me to do a little rabbit hunting on YouTube.

2.    Talk about the true meaning of Easter. For some it may be about chickies, bunnies, and chocolate eggs, but for many, we’ll want to emphasize the meaning of the day—God’s sacrifice and love—even if we are inhaling pastel-colored M&Ms.

3.     Attend an Easter bunny meet & greet. Okay, I’ll admit it. My name is Megan Cox, and I am afraid of the Easter Bunny. Does the rabbit suit really have to be so big and creepy? The Quail Springs Mall has Easter Bunny Photos, but I’m tempted to take the kiddos to Petsmart and let them check out a real “Easter Bunny” from behind glass.

4.    Get ready, get set, egg hunt. These things are popping up all over the city. See a list of local events here. If you don’t have the time to get to one of these nifty shindigs, you might set up an Easter egg hunt with friends or neighbors, or even just Daddy versus the kiddos. Let me tell you, having been subjected to family egg hunts as a child, the home videos make for many laughs decades later.

5.    Search for the perfect bunny. I’m one of those traditionalists—a new bunny each year. The issue is finding ones that are unique. Hobby Lobby isn’t a bad place to start (it’s not usually as picked over as Walmart or Target), but if you’re creative, you might come up with something better. I always thought, if I could actually sew, that putting bunny ears on different types of stuffed animals would make for a fun Easter bunny tradition (think Cadbury).

6.    Buy a snazzy Easter outfit. This is already checked off for me. But for parents still shopping, the good thing is those Easter outfits will probably get marked down next week, so even if you don’t have first pick of the selection, you may get a great deal.

7.    Find an Easter service. Edmond is an area with churches, and lots of ‘em. Maybe you’re not a frequent churchgoer, but don’t be ashamed to be an Easter/Christmas attendee. Most churches I know have a “the more the merrier” approach.

8.    Go "Martha Stewart" on a bunny cake. Maybe you’re like me, and Martha Stewart is a complete enigma. Never fear, even the most novice cooks (how I am still a novice after so many years of practice is a question I’m sure my husband has often pondered) can try their hand at a bunny cake (see examples here).

 

     Because, at the end of the day, you won’t remember how many chocolate eggs you ate, but the pictures and traditions—those are priceless.