With the best movies of 2011 out in theatres right now, it would be total shame to miss them. Thanks to a new group of movie-loving parents, you can forget having to hire a babysitter in order to see Hugo or The Artist.  One Brooklyn mom has started Parent and Babies Movies, a community of cinephiles who love to bring their babies to the movies.  Relax: bring your blankets, binkies, boppies and burping babies to a matinee where unrest isn’t shunned or shushed and you are surrounded by sympathetic movie going parents.

Their first weekend brunch movie is this Saturday and they are expanding from Nitehawk Cinema to BAM next Wednesday. To get on their mailing list, sign up for their newsletter here.

Saturday, January 7th at 12:15 pm
Young Adult (R, Charlize Theron…looks hilarious. Check out the trailer!)
Nitehawk Cinema
136 Metropolitan Ave
(between Wythe Ave & Berry St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 384-3980
Info: Arrive 30 minutes early for pre-show and to order food. Tickets are
$11.00 each. The lights will be dimmed, the sound will be turned down and
they said they are installing a changing station in the restroom. Strollers
are welcome.

Wednesday, January 11th at 2:20 pm
Hugo 3D (supposed to be amazing for kids & adults, our first 3D flick)
UA Court Street
108 Court St (near State St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 246-8170
Admission: $13.50

Wednesday, January 11th at 4:30 pm
The Artist
BAM Rose Cinema
30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
btw St. Felix & S Ashland Ave near Flatbush/Atlantic
Phone: (718) 636-4100
Admission: $12, $7 for Cinema Club members

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Whether you are an adoptive parent or an adoptee, there is a playgroup and peer-support group called All Together Now (ATN), where you can gather, connect and share resources.  There is something for all ages: an adoption playgroup for 3-8 year olds, Tweens Peer-Support Group, Parent Group Discussions, and Volunteer Opportunity for Teens.

For 3-8 year-olds:
• 3–5 year olds: free and group play with a craft project each session.
• 6–8 year olds: free and organized group play, as well as an expressive discussion, which informs craft and play projects each session.

For Tweens:
The tweens group, a related but separate offshoot of ATN, offers children, 9-11, the opportunity to come together in a more mature setting with the aim of fostering personal relationships with other adoptees at similar developmental stages in their lives. The aim of the group is to provide a safe, secure, and fun environment that will embrace adoption issues, as they come up, through participation in a variety of age-appropriate activities. The tweens group is facilitated by Kacy Ames-Heron, LCSW, who is, herself, an adult adoptee. The fee is approximately $175 for the semester. Enrollment for the Spring is already closed, but will reopen in the Fall. More information can be obtained by contacting Fran at weinstockf@earthlink.net.

For Teens:
They have volunteer opportunities for teens to assist with playgroups. Community Service credit is available. Please contact Fran at weinstockf@earthlink.net for more information.

For Parents:
ATN runs a parallel parents group, which discusses adoption-related issues.  Adult Adoptee Liaison Liz Raleigh, PhD, is a key component of these discussions. A sociologist specializing in adoption-related issues, L

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Sitters Studio new daycare in Carroll Gardens

Over the last five years, I have visited loads of daycares and schools for the blog, so it’s exciting when I can suggest a daycare that I think is worth looking into for your child.  Sitters Studio , a well respected sitting service, has decided to expand to a brick and mortar and open a daycare in Carroll Gardens.  I have used them personally and love their philosophy of employing professional artists as sitters. The artsitters combine their training and love of art with their passion for childcare. Think of it this way: when we came home one night after having an artsitter, my son complained that I “didn’t do the voices” in the books like his sitter did and I certainly didn’t know how to properly dance with scarves!

The new Studio Daycare is called Cassatt Studio Daycare, I’m guessing after the famous female Impressionist painter who was known for her child portraiture.  The daycare is based “in an art centered philosophy that allows toddlers to learn the most important thing of all: creativity.  Using music, theatre, visual art, and dance, the children work on motor skills, cognitive skills, language skills, and social – emotional skills.” 

They are currently accepting students for the spring semester . Sign up soon as their class size will be strictly limited to 10 kids.

This weekend they are hosting an open house so that you can see their space, do a craft, play in their backyard and discuss why art is one of the most important aspects of a child’s life.

Dawn Mordarski is the Director of Cassatt Studio Daycare. Her bio from their site reads, “Dawn has worked at Sitters Studio for almost two years and is a favorite to many of our families. Before coming to us, Dawn spent several years as a Pre-School teacher at The Children’s Playhouse daycare on Long Island, where she ran a 2 & 3 Year Old Classroom for 2 years, and then a 4 & 5 Year Old Classroom with a Pre-K Curriculum for 2 years. There, she used art projects, songs, stories, cooking and outside play to teach social and academic skills. She is excited to merge her daycare experience with the artisitter childcare philosophy.”

Dawn Mordarski, the Director

I hired Sitters Studio for an event after experiencing their services at our home and at another event.   Here is a photo of some of the sitters and the kids they took care of that day. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to have these gals watch you all day, every day?!

Sitters Studio at our event in NYC. Photo by Jennifer Lee Photography.

Details:
On Sunday December 11 from 10AM  – 12PM, Sitters Studio will be hosting an open house at their Studio Daycare in Carroll Gardens.
Sitters Studio’s Studio Daycare Open House
Sunday December 11, 10AM – 12PM
53 3rd St #1R. btw Smith and Hoyt.
Phone 646.246.6024
Visit www.sittersstudio.com for more information.

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Playtime's space

The family-friendly amenities in Greenpoint and Williamsburg are starting to rival those of Park Slope. The play spaces, play groups and stores that have cropped up in the last year seem to be mainly begun by design-minded mums and dads, whose stylish taste brings sophistication to kid stuff. But there are a few Greenpoint places that are still happily low-key and kid-friendly that make for a fun day trip. I’m beginning to feel that my neighborhood of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill is a sahara of kids’ activities in comparison.

Mom, Melanie Sawyer (who just happens to also be a baby wrangler), started a weekly playgroup last year that is perfect for the littlest ones from newborns up to age 3. Who better to create a great playspace with fun and attention to kids’ needs than a baby wrangler?!  The Playtime! Brooklyn playgroup is run on both Mondays and Fridays so you can catch two days of fun in the cold.

At Playtime: A big space with indoor stroller parking,  dress up and lets pretend toys, kitchen play set, tents, tunnels and even a bouncy castle. Have a car or train buff? Thomas the tank engine with lots of railroad track is there along with car parks, building blocks and many more toys of differing types to keep your toddler occupied. For babies still unable to support themselves they offer baby floor gyms and bouncy chairs to interact and feel more independent in and big cushions and rugs for you to relax on too.  The most unique thing about this playgroup? The suggested donation of $5.00 for one child, $8.00 for two go to the food pantry at the Greenpoint Reformed Church.  The food pantry services over 2500 people every month, aprox 700 of them children.

An aside: Melanie does lend out the castle strictly for the under 3 year olds and ask that a donation be made to Playtime! Brooklyn in return.

Love those wood floors!

The Greenpoint Library, while not in the beautiful state that the newly renovated Williamsburg Library is, has popular storytimes. And, you can’t leave Greenpoint without tasting the authentic Polish fare and puffy pastries. Here’s my suggestion for a day out in Greenpoint.

A Day Trip

Monday or Friday: Start early so you can get a delicious donut and coffee at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop. This famous Polish bakery offers donuts in flavors that are extra special: red velvet, apple crumb and honey dip! Then head 1.5 blocks to the Greenpoint Library for Read and Play (Monday) or Greenpoint Library for Toddler Time (Friday)  for some story readings and play time at 10:30 am.  If you want a whole day out, then drive or take the G or B43 to the the Playtime! Brooklyn playgroup which runs from 10:30- 12:30. Having worked up a healthy appetite, walk 1.5 blocks (3 minutes) to Karczma Polish Restaurant. Treat yourself to typical Polish fare of stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, goulash or for the less adventurous: roasted chicken breast or potatoes.

Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop.

Donut selection is outrageous at Peter Pan.

Greenpoint Public Library

Karczma

Details:

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
727 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Brooklyn Public Library: Greenpoint
107 Norman Avenue
Greenpoint, NY

The Playtime! Brooklyn playgroup
Mondays and Fridays from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
In the hall at the Greenpoint Reformed Church
136 Milton Street
Greenpoint
You can take the 43 or 62 bus to get there. Get off at Calyer Street next to Dime Bank and God Bless Deli.

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Bay Ridge; photo by Iliana Zuniga

Are you paying your nanny enough? According to the 2011 Park Slope Parents Nanny Survey that came out today, “nannies (in Brooklyn) are earning an average of $14.89- twice the NY minimum wage of $7.25- and are receiving an average of 11 paid days off a year”.

Their findings also noted that despite the higher than minimum wage,  “the overwhelming majority of Nannies who work over 40 hours a week are not receiving overtime pay for their work and only 15 percent are paid completely on the books.”

The Park Slope Parents report is based on a survey of over 1,000 Brooklyn Employers of Nannies.  (BTW, if  you are looking for a nanny, check out our post on “How to Find a Nanny in Brooklyn”.)

Here is a roundup of what they found with their 2011 survey:

In an email today, they reported more of their results.

The Park Slope Parents survey reports other findings that show the Nanny employment situation can be generous:
On top of the 11 days paid time off, more than 8 in 10 also pay their Nannies for the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.
4 in 10 employers pay for a Nanny’s Metrocard, which costs the employer over $1500 a year
However, there are also aspects of the Nanny/employer situation where employers fall short :
Only 4 in 10 employers have a written agreement with their Nannies
Since less than one-quarter are paid any of their income on the books, Nannies receive no Social Security benefits from their work situation
1/2 of all Nannies work over 50 hours a week, but only one in four of these Nannies is paid overtime above the 40 hours a week.
Recent legislation such as the Wage Theft Protection Act (WPA) and the Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights (DWBR) are trying to mediate against unfair labor practices. The WPA requires employers to document, among other things, pay rates and designated pay days. The DWBR requires that employers pay one and a half the hourly wage for work above 40 hours, 3 paid days off after one year of employment as well as other workplace protection.

The report, “The Park Slope Parents Nanny Compensation Survey 2011,” is currently available here.

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Post tags: brooklyn nanny, brooklyn sitter, hiring a nanny in brooklyn, how much pay for nanny in brooklyn, how much to pay your nanny, nanny rates, park slope parents nanny survey, rates for nanny in brooklyn, sick days for nanny, vacation days for nanny

One of the many unfortunate results of the tanking economy, is that there are a lot of nannies out there looking for positions.  But with all the available nannies, it still comes down to finding the right one for you and your family. This includes a nanny that can meet your needs (number of hours, whether or not you want your nanny to take your child to school/activities, etc) as well as one that you can afford. Here are some of our top suggestions to help you find a nanny in Brooklyn and please let us know how you found your nanny in the comments section!

1. Yahoo! Parent Groups. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods have list serves or mirco-sites like Yahoo! Groups where you can connect with people in your area. This is also a great way to place an ad for a nanny where you can list your specific needs including hours, pay and start date. We also recommend branching out and placing an ad on other list servers and forums – you never know you might find a nanny willing to travel. To find your local Yahoo parents groups in Brooklyn, click here to see them all listed in our NEW marketplace!

2. Place on Ad on College Boards. Living in Brooklyn, there are numerous colleges like Brooklyn College, St. John’s and Pratt where you might be able to find a student to be your part-time nanny or sitter. Consider finding someone who is majoring in education or the arts who wants the experience and may be a fun and high-energy person for your child. The only downside is that hiring a college student situation may only work for families who need part-time or occasional help.

2. Ask Around. Your friends are a great resource when it comes to looking for a nanny – especially those that use nannies. Consider a mass email where you see if anyone you know has any recommendations or calling up friends (if you have the time!). You can also ask nannies themselves – not so that they can work for you – but whether they have friends looking for work and what community boards they use to find employers.

3. The Irish Echo. This widely read Irish-American paper has always been a place where nannies place ads and where many people place ads in the classifieds section. This is a great resource where you will find high quality nannies as well as a quick turn around for resumes.

4. NY City Explorers. NY City Explorers can help you find another family to “share a nanny,” find a nanny or a babysitter or you can join their babysitting club.  They also have drop-off too if you have to run errands. Both owners are lovely and the sitters we have met through their services have been vibrant and fun.

5. Use a Nanny Service. There are numerous services like Now Nanny, Brownstone Nannies, and the Nanny Gold Group who will do the work you and place you with the right nanny based on your needs. These customized services will of course be more costly but they will save you time in finding the right nanny. You can do a background and reference check with a service like Nanny Track too.

6. CraigsList. CraigsList is still a great resource to locate everything from an apartment in Brooklyn to a place to sell your old baby things. It’s also a resource to locate a nanny. You can either post an ad with your specific needs or comb through the ads based on your location. Since you will get a lot of responses from Craigslist, pre-screen all nannies first via email – maybe by asking them more specific questions about their experiences. Try to weed out as many people as possible and aim to interview about 5-6 nannies from your ad. This will be time-consuming but many parents have found their nanny from Craigslist!

Tips for finding nannies:

• Create a list of criteria that are important and then schedule time to interview qualified childcare providers.
• Sharon Tepper of Brownstone Nannies recommends scheduling a paid playdate (about two hours) with your potential nanny. This will allow you to evaluate how the nanny interacts with your child. This will allow you to learn pretty quickly who is good mesh with your family, which is worth the cost even if you are just a room away.
• A nanny provider should have extensive experience, excellent references, and a record to prove it. You should ask them for copies of their photo ID, which you should keep with your records. You can also use services like NannyTrack to investigate a nanny’s work history, verify employment dates, interview former employers, and based on that, make suggestions about which questions to ask the nanny about her former employment.
• Create a contract between you and your nanny. A contract gives you a chance to discuss expectations on both of your parts. Do you expect light housekeeping or just baby’s housekeeping? Telephone or not? TV or not? Vacation days, sick days, overtime, advance notice. If there’s a misunderstanding, you can always go back together and check the contract and resolve a question easily. Please refer to this excellent nanny contract that you can fill out.

Park Slope Parents also conducted a comprehensive survey in 2009 about how parents are concerned about the availability and affordability of childcare. While researching your nanny, be sure to read the survey, which can be found here.

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Acetaminophen in concentrated infant drops will no longer be produced by manufacturers- and that’s a very good thing. There were dosing errors as people used concentrated infant drops on older children. It was easy to get it confused: if a child weighs twice as much as in infant, wouldn’t it make sense to give them twice the infant dosage? Of if you give one teaspoon of children’s Tylenol/Acetaminophen to your child- then couldn’t you give them one teaspoon of infant drops for the same result? With that understandable reasoning, the danger begins. Dr. Hugh Gilgoff of LICH Pediatrics explains, “if you use one teaspoon of the concentrated infant drops you will be giving 500mg!  This is an adult dose, and this potential for confusion or a real overdose is the very reason they are now taking the concentrated drops off the market.” Now, there will be just one dose- 160/5 ml.

To clear it all up and explain how and when to use Acetaminophen and Motrin, our Expert Pediatrician for the blog, Dr. Hugh Gilgoff of LICH Pediatrics, clears it all up.
What is Fever?
Fever is a sign of an infection – either a virus or bacteria.  Fever also comes at times as a reaction to vaccinations.  Fever by itself is not dangerous, but you may want to bring your child to see the doctor if you are not sure where the fever is coming from.  If there is a mild cough and cold, it is most likely a virus, and no antibiotics are needed.  But if your child is acting very sick, and is not energetic and/or the fevers are getting higher and lasting many days, you should bring them in so we can diagnose the source of the infection and give medicines if needed.  We usually say fever is any temperature above 100.4 if the baby is less than 2 months old, and then anything above 101.  Higher fevers are not necessarily predictive of more serious diseases, as many viruses can cause high fevers.  True lethargy or breathing fast is always worrisome regardless of the temperature.  I encourage parents to bring down fevers mainly to make the child feel better, and therefore eat, drink and play more.  With a bad bacteria, even when a fever is down, the child will often remain lethargic, but with a virus, they often perk up.  There is not rule that is 100% – that is why computers will never replace a good pediatrician!
Fever Medicines
Fever medicines are safe if used in the right doses.  The real reason to use a fever medicine is to make your child feel better, as they are usually not as happy with a real fever.  You can use Tylenol, and after 6 months, you can use Motrin.  The real name of Tylenol is Acetaminophen.  The real name is Motrin is Ibuprofen.  There may be different manufacturers, and the actual name brand of Tylenol and Motrin was actually taken off the market in certain ages/concentrations, so any generic version is fine to use.
Confusion
There is confusion now because they are phasing out, or taking off the market a certain concentration of Tylenol/Acetaminophen.  This concentration was stronger, and therefore you needed to give less of this liquid to achieve the same strength.   This was called the infant version, and came 80mg/0.8ml and the dropper was graded as 0.4 or 0.8ml.  The way that we dose all fever medicines – both in adults and children and infants, is by the medicines’ strength or milligrams.  The newer infant Tylenol is in fact the same concentration as the children’s liquid.  They are both 160mg/5ml, which means that IF you gave 5ml, which is one teaspoon, you will be giving 160mg.  If you wanted to give 80mg, you would then give half that amount, or 2.5ml.  This 80mg would the SAME 80mg as 0.8ml of the older infant Tylenol.
What was the big deal? What do we change?
If you have the older infant Tylenol dose, you can still use that medicine.  Just make sure that you are using the correct dose.  If you use one teaspoon of the concentrated infant drops you will be giving 500mg!  This is an adult dose, and this potential for confusion or a real overdose is the very reason they are now taking the concentrated drops off the market .
Again, the children’s Tylenol, at 160mg/5ml is ok to give to babies, as long as you give the correct dose, and that dose is based on their weight and not age.  After a 2 month old gets their shots, you can surely give Tylenol, and you can give the dose every 4 hours overnight.  After 6 months old you can use motrin/ibuprofen, and you can use only Motrin, or only Tylenol or you can rotate the medicines every 3 hours.  The Tylenol medicine can only be given every 4 hours, and the Motrin medicine can only be given every 6 hours, but you CAN give one medicine one hour after giving the other if the fever has not come down enough.  You can check drgilgoff.com for doses of the medicines based on your child’s age/weight.
Is a Fever ever Dangerous?
There are situations where the fever shoots up very quickly and a young child can get a “fever seizure”.  These are very scary, as your child is shaking and having a real convulsion for many minutes.  If it is a straightforward, “simple” fever seizure, it is not dangerous.
We don’t give aspirin to children.  Be careful of combination products, like those cold medicines that have Tylenol in addition to Sudafed, as you can’t use these AND give Tylenol on top of it, or you risk an overdose.  We don’t recommend cold medicines in young children anyway, as they don’t work well and can have side effects.
Your child is bound to get some fevers!  It is a right of passage, as kids just love to share their germs!  But hopefully you now feel better equipped to assess and then help treat that fever.

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There is a new spot in TriBeCa for after school drop offs, birthday parties and date night drop off

If you think the bubble machine at your kids’ yoga class is pretty darn cool, do we have something that will rock your world!  ExerBlast, an action-packed adventure play space/family gym that recently opened up in TriBeCa, boasts everything from yoga to a light-sensored jungle-gym. Created by four parents along with fitness experts, artists, animators, this adventure gym is all about fun and interactive adventures where families can enjoy obstacle courses, a rock wall, geometric twists, Pilates-balls and a way to calm down from it all with a yoga-inspired BlastDown Zone. The activities are designed for kids 5 and up who can be dropped off – although parents can also stay if they like.

This newly opened 6,400-square-foot space is getting rave reviews. Time Out NY Kids stated, “Kids will have so much fun that they’ll hardly realize they’re getting a serious workout.” Local sites like NewYork.NearSay.com also noted, “The high-tech obstacle course gives users a workout with a twist.”

Exerblast photo. Courtesy of Time Out New York Kids

ExerBlast has afterschool programs for kids 5 to 14 and fall family programs like the ‘Friday Night Family Fitness Blast and Food Adventure’ or the ‘Mom & Dad’s Night on the Town’ program where you can drop-off your child to play while you enjoy a date night! Kids can also have their birthday parties here and they plan to expand by offering parenting classes and senior fitness courses.

Details:
ExerBlast
100 Reade (bet. W. Broadway and Church)
NYC
Phone: (888) 898-9797
Hours:
M-F: 3 pm – 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm
Additional family hours are available with reservation in advance.
October programs include: After School is Cool, Teen PowerBlast, Family & Friends Blast, Saturday Night Kids Only Blast & Halloween Adventures.

For additional information, please click here.

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Post tags: ExerBlast, fitness center, gym, new play space, NYC playspace, tribeca

Do you want to meet other parents, have a date night and make playdates for your children? Join a babysitting co-op! The parents of the 1970′s had it right when they realized that instead of paying for babysitters, they could pay “in kind” for a swinging night out with their partner.

Times have changed, but there are still babysitting co-ops everywhere and very much alive in Brooklyn!

I am hosting a meetup on “How To Start A Babysitting Co-op” where I will give you all the pointers on how to start a babysitting co-op and hopefully, you will find like-minded parents right then and there to start your own.

Lauren, the owner of the lovely Bija Kids yoga classes and camps thought it would be fun to do it in her studio so that there’s enough space for everyone to hear, meet and play while I give you some pointers. In other words, children are welcome.

Starting a babysitting co-op can seem daunting, especially if you don’t know enough parents to get one going. But…check out what one can do for you.

a.    Nighttime sits.
b.    Daytime/playdate sits esp for freelancers or SAHP or emergencies.
c.    Emergency sits (use Yahoo Group or phone in addition).
d.    Weekly swaps with one family.
e.    New baby. Playdates for older kid, social & relief time for you.
f.    Babysitting party- night out for parents.
g.    Airport rides.
h.    House sits.
i.    Pet sits.
j.    Sleepovers. You get a night away!
k.    Meal swaps.
l.    Last minute sits. Put a call out that you are free.
m.    Socialization for your kids
n.    Community of parents for you and for your children

Sounds good, doesn’t it?!

A few babysitting co-ops were formed at the last Meetup (2 in Greenpoint alone, 1 in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and 1 in Park Slope), so I’m hoping we will continue that tradition.

The biggest bonus: the possibility of lifelong friendships and all that help through a co-op! So exciting.

*If you want the handout I give to everyone about “How to Start a Babysitting Co-op” then sign up for A Child Grows in Brooklyn Meetup Group and go to the Files section of our Meetup and download the Word document. You do have to be a parent in Brooklyn however!

I have written about “How to Start a Babysitting Co-op” many times on the blog too, here is my latest post on the subject.

The event is FREE, you just need to RSVP as we have limited space.

Yes! Bring babies, kids and partners!

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Think you might have a child who will qualify for a Gifted and Talented Program next year? Or, how about, you don’t? Either way, I hope you read this post because it might help you decide if it is right for your family. Take a look at these statistics reported by The New York Times: “This year, 22 percent of test-takers scored in at least the 90th percentile, as measured nationwide, up from 18 percent last year. Students scoring in the 90th percentile qualify for gifted programs in their district, while those scoring in the 97th percentile qualify for more selective programs throughout the city.” Those statistics might seem daunting, but just think- that’s about 3 times the rate that a student is admitted into an ivy league university. Give it a try!

FasTracKids, an educational program that focuses on technology, communication, and creativity for kids 6 months to 8 years old, will be providing a series of FREE Parent Seminars  in order to clarify these programs so that you can determine if they are right for you and your kids.

Hosted by education experts, this seminar we will be discussing Gifted and Talented programs, where they are available and what is covered on these tests. The informational session will also discuss how to prepare your child (and whether you should prepare your child or not), what these programs are looking for in students, and many more issues!

There will also be a question and answer session at the end of the seminar.

FREE Parent Seminars – Centers and dates:
Sheepshead Bay: Tuesday, September 20th at 6:30pm
1605 Voorhies Avenue

Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights: Thursday, September 22nd at 6:15pm
7612 13th Avenue

Staten Island: Friday, September 23rd at 6:30pm
1461 Hylan Blvd.

Park Slope: Saturday, September 24th at 1:00pm
150 4th Avenue
(718) 260-8100

For additional information, please click here.

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Post tags: fastrackids, gift and talented seminars, Gifted and Talented Programs, Park Slope FasTracKids