SarahG

Hello! A friend of mine has a surf shop down in Lyme Regis who, like many businesses have suffered in the economy. Please take a little look on their website- www.boylos.co.uk they have some great christmas gift ideas for those tricky people in your life! :-) She'll be over in ED this weekend, keep an eye out for her little blue van! She'll be here supporting our local businesses, it'd be nice if a few people think they could return the favour to her! Merry Christmas! Sarah x

I do! I used to buy it (I'm 26) but just read it online now! I love it!

There's a canon ixus 75 for sale for ?35 on here which is SUCH a good deal. Why not go for it and see how you get on, you could definitely sell it on if you aren't keen. Well worth the money! :-) xx

If its a compact camera you're after, go for a Canon. Spend as much as you can but stick with Canon. Ixus are smaller and lighter and Powershot are usually larger and heavier but offer more controls and settings if you like that sort of thing! Many cameras can be disappointing even compared to phone camera quality images. Consider older Canon cameras which are more likely to be discounted if you're after a bargain! Sarah x

The best wipes out of all of them by FAR! Have got 2 of the Mums I work for onto them too :-)

You've hit the nail on the head with regards to rewarding the bad behaviour. And you know what you need to do, you need to make sure you are not giving in, easier said than done I know. The key to disapline is consistency and clarity. It needs to be at the time of the insident, not later on if at all possible. Any 'you will not have' threats MUST be followed through- every single time. If you can't or won't follow it through, don't threaten it. It's very possible at quite an early age for a child to easily pick up on what you will or will not carry through, until you do it- it's possible he simply won't believe you will (and he's right), meaning your stressed threats are pointless. Use a calm voice- don't shout unless in a dangerous situation to gain his attention quickly. To shout will advertise your lack of control. Remember that eye contact and any talking to him is attention. Often, moving him physically but with no eye contact of words is very effective. With regards to the car situation, it cannot happen that you are driving along with him out of his seat for many reasons. A way to handle it would have been to instantly pull over when safe to do so, silently put him back on his seat with no eye contact, tell him that if he does it again his sweets will go in the bin, if he gets out again put the sweets in the bin when you put him back in his seat. Drive again with no mention of it and repeat if necessary. There is no need for words at this point, you'll be feeding the behaviour- he knows its wrong, it doesn't need reiterating. When you get home, take him into the house as usual, get down to his level clearly and firmly tell him that you cannot drive with him out of his seat and that he must not get out of it. Do not go on about it again, it will put attention on it and remind him to do it. One warning- clear and direct with an immediate consequence which put YOU in control. There are many other ways to correct behaviour like this but they are all based on blanking bad behaviour by not feeding it and giving it attention. You can beat this. You need to beat it! Well done asking for help :-) Sarah x

Have emailed for 2 places for the boys i nanny forplease let me know if I have got them or not. Thanks!

If you get stuck I have started children's birthday cakes, some photos on Facebook group Sarah Does Cakes. Feel free to email me too :-)

The Sanderson for their Mad Hatters cream tea is lovely and a bit different, ?35 per head but a gass of champagne or a cocktail is included!

The eggs are white, it's the poos which are tiny and black! Easiest place for a quick check is the roots of the hairs behind the ears, that's where they like to hang out best. Clean or dirty hair doesn't matter and they can't jump so it's head to head contact which allows them to travel. Headlice become immune to chemicals insanely quickly which is why conditioner and a comb is usually your best bet as the conditioner means that they struggle to be able to hold on to the hair and you can comb them out. A routine check fortnightly or monthly of your child is no bad thing. The letters will only come home every so often from school but you can pretty much guarantee that at any one time there will be nits somewhere in the school!

The key element is the understanding- as a 2.3 year old I would very much expect him to know the rights and wrongs of such behaviour, as you the parent have told him many times. The fact that he continues to do it with that knowledge indicates that he's getting something out of it. Most commonly that is attention even if it occurs due to frustration also. But a younger child who does not yet have the understanding needs a clear 'no pushing' in a firm voice each time until its clear they understand. Still be very wary of too much chat, all that does is feed the behaviour. If its clearly coming when someone takes a toy etc, try and shadow his playing more closely when he's playing with others so you can intervene on his behalf before he has a chance to get in first, you will then be able to model appropriate behaviour for him, phrases such as 'no thank you, my turn' or 'excuse me'. Also when you play with him try and make sure you play a little more like another child- not taking his toys, but if he tries to take yours saying 'no thank you, my turn', once again so he can easily see the desired behaviour. It's often too easy when playing with a child just to pass over any toys you have to them if they want them!! But remember, frustration is a reason for the behaviour, not an excuse. You still need to be clear that the pushing is not ok. If you give him a minute out make sure you say to him when you go and get him (not before, but after) that you understand its difficult when other children do XYZ, but he still can't push, then remind him how he could have delt with it differently. You will tend to find that initially he will play better with you, copying the phrases such as 'no thank you ' and 'excuse me', but it will take a lot longer to happen with other children- its because he will be able to make the distinction that an adult will respond better to politeness but other children respond better to pushes/snatches etc! Don't worry though, he'll get there!! But still, I will reiterate, keep it simple! Not because children are stupid, because they definitly aren't! But because if they know they shouldn't be doing it you'll be feeding it and encouraging it if they feel they are gaining (any sort of ) attention like a chat with you, or being held, eye contact etc. Especially if you are breaking away from a conversation with another adult or child to deal with them I don't want to sound too preachy! But as a nanny and child carer of many years I have seen this behaviour more times than you imagine! It's generally easy to combat but often due to embarrassment and/or frustration of the parent/carer as well as the concern that the child may not understand, it tends to linger far longer than it needs to. Sarah x

Chances are, you'll be baring the brunt of it as its purely to get your attention. Hense why it doesn't happen at nursery. Fail safe method would be to stop paying attention to it. When it happens, say nothing- there's no point as he already knows its wrong, talking to him at this point is simply feeding the behaviour. Either sit him down where he is, or out of the room- which ever is more effective. If you move him make sure it is no form of cuddle, don't make eye contact and ignore anything he does. Leave him a little time with no attention whatsoever, pile the attention on the 'victim'- go full on with cuddles and kisses etc. If he sits happily away then leave him longer but if he gets upset then less time, though not immediately upon his upset otherwise he'll learn to 'get upset' to get his way!! When you go over to him, tell him to stand up- this puts you in control of the situation, reiterate that hitting/kicking etc is wrong in a clear voice with not too much chat- simple language. Get him to say sorry to whoever it was then get playing as before, making sure lots of praise is given for generally good playing, make sure it's all over and you've moved on. He will soon learn that it gets him nowhere, key element is lack of response from you- that's the motivation so make sure he doesn't achieve it! :-) Sarah x

Oh no!! I remember them well! I'll keep an eye out for them Lucy, I hope all's well. Sarah x

You could also give him his own brush to hold while you brush, then he can use his brush to have a go when you've finished? Or do it in front of a mirror so he can see, some distraction may keep him going for longer. Use just a very small bit of age appropriate toothpaste- it will have been designed with toddler nomming habits in mind! :-) Just keep going, the more consistent you are, the better it will become- teeth is really not something you want to relax on.

I'd just like to say that the above description of a 'play date' is not something I've ever encountered as a nanny. Perhaps 'common practise' is a little unfair. The odd personal business such as a post office run can easily be educational for young children to participate in- waiting and queuing, being quiet, handling money, following instructions etc, I would make a feature of it, not shun my work to do it. Nannying can be lonely work- we have no colleagues, so going out and meeting other people who care for children is imperative for your sanity! Someone who you get on with and trust, and whose children get on with yours make the nannying day far more practical. It helps so much to have an extra pair of hands and eyes on trips out especially. Play dates are wonderful for developing peer to peer social skills and relationships, sharing toys which belong to someone, not neutral toys like in a playgroup, perhaps encountering others pets or house rules but of course, like anything it should be done properly. Sarah

I swear by a pound cake recipie for almost all cakes I make. I use it for cupcakes, birthday cakes, cakes for baking with children all the way up to wedding cakes! For a round 10" cake tin (same as 26 cm), and about 3 inches deep you would probably be ok with- 16oz (1lb) of butter or marg 16oz (1lb) sugar 8 eggs 16oz (1lb) self raising flour. Cream butter or marg with sugar until fully blended and pale cream/white colour. Whisk eggs a couple at a time then add and mix in. Finally fold in the flour with a large metal spoon. Bake a large cake this size at about 170 degrees until a knife can be stuck in and clean when removed. Bake in a greased and lined (with greaseproof paper) tin. For a pound cake mix it's very easy, it's 2 oz of each ingredient to 1 egg (an egg is about 2 oz). You can add pretty much anything to it- dried fruits, cocoa powder (I always mix mine with a little water before mixing in to avoid lumps), orange and lemon essence and/or zest, espresso or coffee essence, etc. I am in do doubt that mint could be done, perhaps with essence and chopped mint leaves but can't quite imagine a minty cake...! Hope that's ok, it's my standard recipie I use for almost everything! Sarah x

Wagamamas yes please! My favourite restaurant by far! The prices arn't too bad, not compared to many other restaurants, until you add a large apple and lime juice... And some chocolate cake... Hmmm Bring it on!

Hmmm, well accept that could happen, take some rescue remedy before you go and maybe some pain relief in advance and take a bowl! It's so quick and unlike ears you only take one hit!

It's fine! I'm shocking with blood tests, though not too bad with injections admittedly. Look away and it's over before you know it, there's not time to worry about it, honestly. The hardest bit is waiting while they get the bits ready, maybe take a friend or iPod? It's like a sting rather than hurt- a bit like getting ears pierced. Good luck!

As a nanny, I'd like to support lildeakin84 I'm on ?10 net an hour, which was the amount offered when I started my first job, upon my move to London, when I had no idea what I was expecting, it was more than I expected but having met other nannies it is not unusual. I'm am now on my 2nd and 3rd nannying jobs, both of which I'm on ?10 per hour net. One of them is a nannyshare. It's an interesting point to note that nannying unlike many if not most other jobs doesn't offer anything in the way of promotional or career ladder prospects. From nannying, one may move to other jobs with 'better' prospects, as it were, but it's not like getting a promotion, or potential pay rises. I'm not going to pick out points which have been made others, only to say I'm a little saddened to see such negative views about the salaries and other benefits which nannys may get. it is the parent's choice to have children, hire a nanny and keep working, also how much they offer to pay and what they offer contractually. It is your discretion if you wish to advertise for a minimum wage nannying job- if the going rate is so much lower than ?10 an hour, and we are all 'having you on', then you should still get applicants. Nannying can be far harder than you imagine, not necessarily the care of the children, but the complex liaison with the parents and family members. Lovely as I'm in no doubt most families are, there can still be many awkward situations in the job of 'replacement parent'. Besides, the responsibility alone is worth a lot more, to me at least anyway. Like anything, there's a spectrum of nannies- good to bad, and none of us as perfect all of the time, just like a parent. Please bare that in mind if you see us in the park or at a playgroup. Hopefully all we all want is the best for all 'our' children- which is certainly how I think of all the children I care for, past and present. Sarah x

It probably won't help you for November as there is no longer any resorts open then but I used to work for Neilson Active Holidays (part of Thomas Cook), as a windsurfing instructer and children's club staff. Massive recommendation especially for families to go on a Neilson holiday. Feel free to email with any questions! I worked for them for a number of seasons, mostly summer in 3 different Greek resorts but did a winter too as a Chalet Host in Courchevel, France. I now work as a nanny in Dulwich. Sarah