A Message From Kathy

Happy New Year!

The holidays may be over, but that does not mean the spirit of giving has come to an end! It gives me great pleasure to announce a new program that we instituted at MBF—our way of showing gratitude by giving back to the local communities that have contributed so much to our success over the past 13 years.

MBF is contributing $25 of every client membership fee to a charity that positively impacts the lives of local children in the community. This represents an exciting step forward for us. For many years, the staff at each of our offices has adopted its own local charity and volunteered its time with them. Given our success in recent years, however, we now find ourselves in a place where we want to share even more, bringing each of our member clients directly on board with our core mission of serving children and families.

Our new charity program will accomplish this by allowing each new member client to choose from several nonprofits handpicked by local MBF staff (see www.momsbestfriend.com/charities for a complete list). Whichever of the three charities the client most supports will be the charity to which Mom's Best Friend will make a donation.  

Because it truly is all about the kids, the staff at MBF expect our new charity program to do a tremendous amount of good for children in each of our local communities. You can help by spreading the word to friends in order to maximize these dollars. We hope that this program can fully demonstrate our thanks to local families for all the confidence they have placed in us in past years and for many years to come!

If you are interested in learning more, I discuss this exciting new program further on our company blog: www.mbfagency.com/blog.

Kathy Dupuy, Founder and Owner

Additionally, nannies will no longer need to call in their hours (HURRAY!!) unless they fall into one of the following exceptions:

• The job has been cancelled
• The job is a corporate assignment
• The job was booked for 6 hours or less, and the actual hours worked exceeded 6 hours
• The job has been booked directly between the nanny and the Mom's Best Friend client (This practice is highly discouraged; p lease remind families to contact us directly to book your services so that neither you or the family violate the Mom's Best Friend Agreement)

Apprentice Program
On-the-job experience is extremely valuable in any profession, and the new Apprentice Program at Mom's Best Friend provides hands-on nanny training to the Austin community. Experienced veteran MBF nannies will prepare newer caregivers for a professional nanny career path through supervised training and specified curriculum. To view all the program details, or if you would like to become an apprentice or a coach, view our Apprenitice Program Website.

Nanny Christmas Party
Thank you everyone for making the Nanny Christmas Party a fun and inspiring time! We came together at Kathy's home for food, fun and a gift exchange. It was a great turnout with many good laughs and talking along with our annual ornament gift exchange. We all left in good cheer to bring in the holidays!

First Impressions Extend Beyond the Formal Interview
When interviewing for a new position, first impressions are essential.  At Mom’s Best Friend we highly value all of you and would like to send a word of caution your way as you enter or reenter the interview process.  Be aware of the power of internet information flow and the level of credibility you build. Your personal websites reflect and define you. The following article provides tips on how to make a positive first impression, in order to support you in your successes!

Playgroup Schedule

• Wednesday, January 16: Central Market (38th and Lamar)
• Tuesday, January 22: Suntree Park (2222 and Mopac)
• Wednesday, January 23: Rollingwood Park
  
• Tuesday, January 29: Texas Natural Science Center (University of Texas Campus)
• Wednesday, January 30: Waterloo Ice House (Corner of 360 and 2222)
  

Playgroups
Please see the Calendar section above for November Playgroup dates. Playgroup will be held wherever it is scheduled unless it is raining, has rained and everything is muddy, or winds are excessive. If you feel the weather is a problem for a given playdate and would like to make a suggestion for a relocation, please communicate via the nanny network yahoo group no later than 24 hours prior to the event so all the nannies will still be able to attend!

• Playgroup will meet at around 10 AM and last till around 1 PM (Feel free to leave whenever you need to go).
• Please bring a lunch for yourself as well as your charge. We will make a note if we plan on eating at a restaurant.
• Remember that Austin stays pretty sunny during the days throughout most of the fall so be prepared.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive this schedule and is not currently receiving it, please let us know. Also, if you haven't signed up for the Austin nanny network, PLEASE do so! It is the easiest way for all of us to keep in touch and hear about any upcoming events. It only takes a minute to register!!! Email austinareananny@yahoo.com to join.

• Have a clear purpose.  State a specific goal by using deadlines and a detailed plan of action.
• Write it down. If you take the time to write down what you want to change, you will have a better understanding of your goals.  Describe in detail what you want, how you will earn it, when you want to achieve it, and the benefits you will receive from following through with your resolution.
• Commit.  Be realistic with yourself and commit to your resolution.  A great way to make sure you commit to your plan of action is to share it with a friend who is also trying to achieve their resolutions. You can support each other by calling, texting or emailing daily or weekly to keep up the motivation.  Another tactic to ensure success is to allow yourself a special indulgence if your goal is met. (For example: If you complete that child development course you have been wanting to take for years, treat yourself to a pedicure.)

Thanks!
Ashly Fontenot, Nanny Network Coordinator

I was a young, first time nanny, with a job I found in the paper. A nanny-share for two families, taking care of two infants and the occasional three-year-old, making ten bucks an hour. Not bad for a first time nanny, right? Each family was only paying me five dollars an hour! And I received no overtime (at least one parent was always late), no extra compensation when I watched the three-year-old, five days of vacation, two sick days, and if the families didn’t need me? I didn’t get paid. I even had a degree in Psychology – with a specialization in Child Development – and multiple years of daycare and child development center experience, including a position as a lead teacher in an infant room.

Now, you may be wondering why I am bothering to tell you this because, yes, I have moved on to better nanny jobs. Excellent, enjoyable, well-paying jobs with families that became extensions of my own. The reason I have progressed is because of the help I received from Mom’s Best Friend. Many people don’t realize – MBF doesn’t just help families find nannies. They also help nannies find families. They try to match the nanny’s needs with suitable families. They will go to bat for a nanny with regards to salary, vacation, personal days, perks, bonuses, and more (and they usually hit a homerun).

Having issues with your current family? MBF is there for that too. Anytime you need help, advice, or an understanding ear, someone at MBF can help. They listen, provide advice, and even mediate if the need arises.

So, as a nanny, why wouldn’t you use MBF? If you don’t, I assure you that there are families that will take you for granted and underpay you. I realize I sound like a commercial for MBF, but that’s what happens when you love your job and you have someone to thank for helping you get it. Thanks MBF.

Mom's Best Friend Voted Best Babysitting Service
Mom's Best Friend continues to earn recognition for our level of service and caliberof candidates across cities. DallasChild and FortWorthChild both announced Mom's Best Friend as the Best Babysitting Service in their January, 2008 Annual Best for Families Reader's Poll.

Austin's Supernanny Finalists are Truly Mom's Best Friend
Mom's Best Friend was featured in the December, 2007 issue of Austin Woman Magazine . Following is an excerpt, "With only 10% of applicants making it through the hiring process, this agency can ensure that kids and parents are receiving the best care out there."

• Newspaper
• Popsicle sticks (60-100 depending on how large you want your box to be)
• Glue
  
• Paint
  
• Glitter, foam stickers, jewels, decorations

Instructions:

1. Cover your work space with newspaper, overlapping pages to avoid cracks

2. Paint your popsicle sticks (start with one side and then the edges and other side after the first side is dry)
3. Place 9 popsicle sticks side by side in a row to create the bottom of your box (repeat for the top of your box)
4. Glue 1 popsicle stick across the top and 1 popsicle stick across the bottom of the base to adhere the popsicle sticks together (repeat for the top of your box)
5. Alternate gluing horizontal sticks across the bottom and top followed by vertical sticks across the edges until your box is as deep as you want it.
6. Use your paint, foam stickers, jewels, and decorations to decorate your creation.
7. Personalize even further by putting a picture on the inside top of the box or bottom

We also want to remind everyone about the fantastic temporary caregiver opportunities as a corporate backup sitter. Not only do you save the day for families whose childcare has fallen through, but you get higher pay than typical sitter jobs, and you gain valuable work history since these jobs are processed through Mom's Best Friend payroll! Please contact Sarah Alstrom to get started.  

Don’t forget to check out the job board for a comprehensive list of all of the current opportunities we have available! Please email us if you know anyone who might be interested in any of these positions, as we are always offering referral bonuses.

Making a Brighter Christmas at the Settlement Home
The staff at Mom's Best Friend came together to fulfill the Christmas wish list of the many children at the Settlement Home. Each child requested a gift of choice. General gifts were delivered as well for everyday uses with arts and crafts and other activities. The children received presents such as crayons, markers and clay for daily projects and clothes, shoes, pajamas, and stationary from their wish list. The smiles on the children's faces when distributed made the holiday season brighter!