'Quickie' School Treats

'Mom, the teacher said that the school is having a bake sale and everybody has to bring something. I told her we'd bring <insert fancy food item here>.'
'Sure, honey. How many do you need?'
'<insert insane amount here>.'
'And when does she need it by?'
'Tomorrow.'

How many times have you had this conversation? Your child tells you about a bake sale or party at her school or daycare that she needs to bring something for.  You're more than happy to help and know just what to make; that is until he tells you he needs it by tomorrow. Suddenly you find yourself in a time crunch and have to think of something you can make a lot of without having to stay up all night baking. Luckily, I've managed to find a few reasonably-quick but fun recipes for treats your child's class will love. If the recipe doesn't make enough as it is, you can always adjust the recipe to fit.


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies-yields 36
40 unwrapped miniature peanut butter cup candies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine salt, flour and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugars and butter and stir together until they are at a 'fluffy' consistency.  Then, beat the egg and add the milk and vanilla. Combine everything into one bowl and stir together until well-mixed. Now, form into small balls and put one ball into each cup of an ungreased mini-muffin pan. Bake for 8 minutes. When you take them out, put a peanut butter cup into the middle of each muffin. Cool and serve.


If you simply don't have time to bake, here's a cookie-esque sweet treat that doesn't require any baking at all. If you're concerned about 'over-sugaring' the kids, the portions are only 1”x1”. They won't mind, because there's a lot of flavor packed into that tiny little piece! Since we're talking about school or daycare parties, you probably aren't going to be the one chasing the kids around anyway. :)
Little Bits of Heaven-yields 60 pieces
4 cups Rice Crispies
4 cups powdered sugar
2 ¾ cups peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
¾ cup chocolate chips
½ cup melted butter
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
8 tbsp. milk

In a saucepan, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar and 2 cups peanut butter over low heat. Stir until well-mixed, remove from heat and add ¼ cup of the pudding mix. In a large bowl, add Rice Crispies and stir. Then, spread this mix into a 15”x10” baking sheet. In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk, butter and the rest of the pudding mix. Stir until smooth and pour over the Rice Crispie mixture. 
 
Now, melt the chips and the rest of the peanut butter in the microwave, stir until smooth, and spread over the mixture in the pan. When it is well chilled, cut into 1”x1” squares.

There, now you have a few recipes you can make for your child's school or daycare party the next day. These are great for bake sales, holiday gifts or just to bond with your kids. However you serve them, they'll be a huge hit!

Should One Parent Stay Home With The Kids?

When you decide to become a parent, you and your spouse generally have a game plan as to how you will be raising your children. In today's economy it is no surprise that many families have both parents working outside the home. This can be a tough call for parents and some may still be on the fence about it.

Making the decision for most people comes down to one thing...money. If you didn't need to work financially, odds are you would be at home tending to your own kids daily right? For some it isn't that simple. They may have the dream career they always wanted and to give it up to stay home with the kids for a few years before they head off to school full time is not something they have in mind. This is a conversation you need to openly have with your spouse and have with yourself as well. Ensure that everyone in the home will benefit from what plan you opt for.

If you know you have to go to work, and so does your spouse then find a great nanny or family member to help out. Once you have selected someone trustworthy and dependable this is not a very complicated task. The kids become accustomed to their new schedules and they also enjoy having some free time without mom or dad.

If you can possibly afford to stay home with the kids, then well done for you. Be certain it is something you can handle emotionally and mentally as many do not realize the amount of care even one child requires daily. If you are used to going to work daily and quit to tend to your kids, then you may want to experiment by taking a vacation day off and going through the motions of being a full time parent first before making your decision. For some couples, staying at home is more effort than they wish to exert and they feel they may be better contributing to the family budget by working instead.

Go through the pros and cons of each option. Having a parent at home ensures your kids are safe and with someone they love and care for. It also means they will be disciplined and get the luxury of staying at home during the summers and evenings versus being in a daycare or after school program. Having the kids use a daycare or a nanny can give many other benefits. The children can develop new relationships with someone other than their parents. It decreases the codependency many little ones have with their parents, and also encourages more independence. If the children will be attending a daycare, nursery program or youth facility they can often have great friendships gained from these organizations as well.

Good 'Teacher' Gifts

You've got to hand it to teachers-they certainly have their work cut out for them.  Even with well-behaved kids, I don't think I'd be able to do their jobs. I love kids, but I don't always have the patience to deal with groups. I don't really know how to talk to little kids, which would make daycare or preschool a particular challenge. What can you get your child's teacher to show your appreciation for a job well done? Here are a few ideas. Some you can do by yourself while others work best if you get a group to go in on it. Either way, the teacher will know they're appreciated.

• For a female teacher, a basket of relaxing bath salts and lotions. Even the best teachers need a break once in a while. Let your kids decorate the basket.
• On the same tip as above, go in on a gift certificate to a spa with some other parents.
• A funny desk calendar, especially if you know what kind the teacher likes. Your kids should be able to tell you if you don't already know.
• If you know that the teacher likes a particular type of food, have your kids make a gift basket with that theme. For instance, a coffee lover might enjoy one of those single-pot coffee bags and biscotti. A chocolate lover might like a bag of Ghirardelli chocolates and some chocolate-covered pretzels. This might take a bit of 'snooping' if you don't know the teacher well, but they'll appreciate the personal touch.
• If there is a particular kind of school supply needed, get that. A lot of teachers use their own limited funds to pay for supplies that their schools can't or don't provide. If you don't know what kind of supplies are needed, a gift card to Staples or Office Max may help.
• Have your kids make a huge thank-you card. Better yet, make an edible one by using a sugar cookie mix and spelling it out in M&Ms or chocolate chips. That is, if s/he likes such things.
• Gift cards are always appreciated, especially if they are from a store or website you know the teacher likes. Put it in the aforementioned thank-you card.
• Get an inexpensive picture frame and have your kids decorate it with a picture of the class.

I'm sure you see a pattern here-the kids. If the kids are involved in making the teacher's gift, it makes it that much more special. Also, it's a good way to guarantee that s/he doesn't 'already have one'!

And finally, a half-joking teacher gift idea-

• If all the other parents have given the teacher an apple like in the cartoons, get her a small carton of mulling spices. She'll appreciate being able to make herself a cup of hot apple cider, brandy optional. :) Let the kids pick out the spices; the teacher will pick out her own brandy. :)

Happy holidays!

Why You Should Read To Your Children

One common thing I hear from parents today is that they wish their children would read more. If you consider that quite a few kids spend more time holding a video game controller in their hands than a book or a ball, it's no wonder. There are so many things that we used to do as children that our kids don't seem to be interested in. Well, it doesn't have to be that way. There are things we can do when our children are young that can instill in them the love of reading that we had growing up. Well, that I had, anyway. One of the best ways to get kids to love reading is to read to them. Here are but a few of the many benefits reading to your children can have!

For one thing, it can help your children learn to read faster. If they can see the words you are reading to them at the same time they are hearing them, they begin to learn the connection between the written and the spoken parts of language. As time goes on, they can see what letters correspond to what sounds they hear from you, how words are arranged into a sentence and how they can better express what they mean. Children who are read to tend to have larger vocabularies and better comprehension skills than their peers who aren't. This can give them a big advantage in school, because they will be that much faster in grasping what the teacher is saying to them.

Another good thing about reading to your children is that it can expose them to various genres of literature. Most of us don't go around speaking in poetry or song, but these writing styles are very useful in learning how to read different kinds of stories. They can introduce your children to the different nuances that are present in the written language, but not always in the spoken language-words that sound the same but mean different things, learning the meaning of a word based on its context, etc. They can also see how sentence structure differs between written and spoken language, which will help them read and understand things better in school. They will become better spoken, as well as better read.

It can show them that reading can be fun. Remember those bedtime stories your grandma would read to you at bedtime? As time went on, you began to associate the book with the story and would try to read it on your own because you liked the story so much. That's what I did, anyway. This still holds true today. By reading to your children, you show them that TV and movies aren't the only way to have fun or hear interesting stories. Reading to children also tends to enhance their attention span and give them more reason to focus on one thing rather than letting their minds wander. If they don't pay attention, they'll miss the funny parts of the story, and they would hate that! Reading can also help expand their imaginations because the written words inspire them to create mental pictures rather than just seeing the ones on TV. I remember how much fun it was to imagine what the fairy-tale princesses looked like and how the villains' voices sounded.

Finally, reading to your children is a good way to reinforce the bond between the two of you. When I would read to my nephew, I would put a lot of inflection into the stories to keep his attention and make him laugh. Doing funny voices and listening to him try to imitate the voices was a lot of fun, and it made him want to go see me because he had fun with me. He's an adult now and lives far away, but I still remember how much he and I both enjoyed reading The Monster At The End Of This Book!

As you can see, there are a lot of advantages to reading to your children. You can instill in them the love of reading and give them stronger language skills, a longer attention span and a stronger imagination. The fact that it can be a lot of fun is just a side bonus! It's great to open a children's book we used to love and get a chance to be a kid again!

Should You Vaccinate Your Child?

My thoughts exactly!

Having a baby means making major decisions right from the gate. From the minute your baby is born, you will have to decide whether or not to vaccinate your child. They can get shots as early as their very first days in the hospital and making that crucial decision should truly be made prior to giving birth to plan accordingly.

The main issue with vaccinations is that many new parents feel they are pushed into getting them for their children by medical professionals and peers alike. It is just something society does without every really questioning it. Children will be required to have certain vaccinations prior to entering their academic career. Before they can even be registered for kindergarten they will need a series of shots on file. Some decide to home school their kids just to avoid the shots, which may sound extreme to some people but to those that are set against having their child vaccinated, it is a small price to pay.

Many moms and dads feel as if there are too many metal ailments inside of the vaccinations and this is why they do not agree with their children having them. Others are still debating the ever popular measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and the possibility of it giving the child Autism. This is ultimately a decision that will effect the rest of their lives, so do make it wisely with your spouse before jumping into it.

Most of the parents that live the vaccinated free lifestyle with their children, are those that also live a very organic life. This is the practice of eating a more balanced diet plan, one with natural foods and fats and zero to little preservatives. They encourage their kids to take on a different lifestyle, one that does not permit many sugars or packed foods that are not raw. They generally do not utilize modern medicines either, many families that opt to steer clear of the vaccinations do try their best to cure any health problems through other methods that are more holistic. Breastfeeding, drinking plenty of water, and ensuring their kids are also limited to very specific dairy products as well are all key components to this way of life.

You will need to be very aware and educated on the various illnesses that your children can get when you opt not to have the shots. Keep them away from any environments where they may be prone to getting the illnesses. Hand washing will be imperative, as will be a higher standard of bathroom care for kids without immunizations. Read all of the information online and speak with your doctor prior to making such an important life decision.

5 Benefits To Sending Your Child To Preschool

You have made it to the preschooler age with your little one! Congratulations! It is a very important age, one that will make or break their social abilities and tell you exactly what type of person they will soon grow up to be. There are endless benefits to sending your children to preschool, and some parents just are not aware of them.

1- Social Skills: This is such a huge one, when you have a little one and they spend all day long with Mom or Dad and do not have any interaction with other kids their age, they can suffer from social problems. When it becomes time to actually attend school for first grade these kids tend to have the hardest time adjusting to the new schedule, teachers, and the orders they will have to follow. By placing them in a preschool program they can adapt to their surroundings, learn how to share and how an organized day filled with play and learning is completed.

2- Potty Training: While most kids are already trained in this arena and some preschools will require them to be, this can still help them. Kids do not want the embarrassment of having accidents on a daily basis in front of their classmates and in doing so, they self motivate to continue their potty training practices.

3- Instruction: Kids that attend preschool are more likely to have less disciplinary actions when they are in first through third grades. This is generally a result of having to learn to follow rules and a daily plan from the age of three or four.

4- Respect: Children that attend preschool learn respect. They have to respect the teacher's rules and they have to respect the other children as well. They are not allowed to hurt other kids or be disrespectful at all during classes and this will help you parenting at home as well.

5- Making new relationships: It is so important for kids to feel as if they have their own personal lives, even at the age of three. They can make new friends, have relationships and bonds with their teachers also. This can be the beginning of friendships that they have for many years to come.

Preschool is something that you have to want your child to accomplish. It may be a huge step for the parents involved and can even spark some tears from Mom or Dad on the first week, but overall it will turn into a rewarding experience that will frame who they are as young children. If they have older siblings it may be a good idea to have those bigger kids in the family talk to the little ones and get them excited about going to preschool!

Info On Health Insurance For Nannies

The job requirements for nanny work are plenty and take a great amount of effort and patience to work closely alongside children all day long. They contribute to the well being of your child or children and aide in forming them to become well rounded adults in the future. To trust anyone with your children is a large responsibility and if you have the luck of finding that perfect nanny then paying them what they are worth is crucial to ensure they will be around for years. While pay rates can be negotiated, health insurance for nannies should equally be discussed.

Health insurance for nannies can be the determining factor for landing a great nanny and it can also be the reason many nannies leave their childcare jobs to specifically seek a position that provides them with such benefits. For the average nanny to provide their own health insurance, they would need to spend nearly if not over half of their monthly salaries on benefits just for themselves not including any family they may have of their own. Health insurance for nannies unfortunately is very expensive to buy privately and cost several hundred of dollars per month for one person. Considering some full time nannies make around three hundred dollars per week, to pay for an insurance policy on that income amount just is not always feasible.

When you offer health insurance for nannies you can better rates on the policies as an employer seeking the package rather than an independent person trying to gain them. You can select from a basic health insurance policy or one that includes dental and vision insurance as well in which both are available for price quoting on many websites. Some families opt to pay a higher a wage to their nannies to balance the cost of buying their own insurance policies. The main reason health insurance for nannies is so vital is not just to ensure they have coverage and will be less likely to leave for other employment as it is to aide them in staying healthy to take care of your children. If a nanny becomes ill and cannot afford their own insurance, chances are they will be sick for longer time frames simply because they cannot afford certain treatments or medications to cure their illnesses. The longer the nanny is off work due to such illnesses, the longer the parents may have to be off work as well due to the lack of childcare they then have.

Some alternatives for health insurance for nannies can be if the family opts to pay for half of the policy for their nanny in the beginning such as the first year of childcare they provide and increase that amount of benefit contributions as the years continue as part of a bonus package for every year they are employed with them. Talk the issue over with your nanny or any potential ones you may be hiring and they may find it acceptable to not inquire about benefits or be on their spouse’s plan already. For any nannies seeking new employment and in need of benefits, make that clear with your potential employer and attempt to negotiate an agreement that works best for both you and the family.

Choosing The Ideal Babysitter

If you need to go to work everyday and so does your spouse, you may need to make the best arrangements for caring for your kids. Who will it be? If you are fortunate enough to have family around, then you win! For the rest of the world, you will need to have a nanny or babysitter around to keep things running smoothly.

So how does one choose the ideal babysitter? This is a complex process that should never be taken lightly. Think about the person are searching for and what they will be responsible for...your children! There is nothing more important to you than your kids and picking the best person is going to be imperative in these cases.

Tips To Choosing an Ideal Babysitter:

1~ Always interview your candidates. Have them come to your home and interact with not only you and your spouse, but your children also. If you have pets you will need them to meet those animals to ensure they will comfortable with caring for them while you are not home as well. Children can sense things sometimes better than adults can. If you notice your child is simply not impressed with this potential nanny, then you may have to keep looking until you find a great person to have in their lives.

2~Check your babysitter out. Do yourself a favor and put some of that maternal worrying aside to really dig deep into the person's life that will be in your home taking your place when you are not there. Anyone can run a background check on someone thanks to the internet and you may find the smallest of details on them that makes you want to choose another candidate. You can also check certain websites to ensure you are not going to have someone with a record of harming children in your home also by searching under your local county.

3~ Pay rates and extras. While you may have come up with a set price that you can afford each week for a nanny, be clear on what it is you will be requiring them to do. If they need to prepare meals, care for kids and pets, and even do some driving around with your little ones be sure to give them what they deserve. Paying a bit extra for care in the home can provide you with a great caregiver versus a high school kid from the neighborhood.

4~Make a play date. This is a great way to see if you have found an ideal match or not. Have an afternoon off that you can run around with some errands and leave the babysitter candidate with your kids for maybe two hours. Check back with them and see how their time spent went, you will know instantly if your children enjoy this person and they will know if they can handle your kids to go any further.