The Working Mother S Guide To Free Child Care In Your Home

"This book is the most comprehensive guide I've found concerning home-based educational programs. It's clear, pragmatic approach makes it perfect for parents who are searching for a structured, enriched learning program on an average income. I would highly recommend this book to any parent looking for affordable, quality and personalized early education for their child." -- Jessica Bettancourt, Sales Executive "As a technology consultant in the healthcare field, my work schedule is unpredictable. As a mother, I found it impossible to find child care that was both flexible and engaging enough to accommodate my family's needs - until I discovered Tatsui-D'Arcy's book. It provided me with an easy, step-by-step method for making my children's lives less stressful and more stimulating by providing reliable, high quality, affordable child care. And I love the checklists!" - Cheryl Witteman, Technology Consultant "Before reading this book, my wife and I were discouraged and frustrated with the child care options available in our area and within our budget. The Working Mother's Guide to Free Child Care in Your Home! has shed light on the alternatives to traditional pre-school programs. This book provides a detailed outline that has helped us design an age-appropriate curriculum for our daughter that integrates learning directly into her life." -- Damon Adlao, Landscape Architect

After you’ve made the decision to return to work following the birth of a child, you may still wonder, “Am I doing the right thing for my family?” and “How on earth do I make this work?” Now, The Working Mother’s Guide to Life sets out to offer you hundreds of answers to these types of questions, from nuts-and-bolts advice, such as finding top-notch child care and stress-free ways to manage your household, to more complex issues like separating from your child without feeling guilty and creating a rich, strong family culture that will thrive regardless of whether or not you are working. Author Linda Mason—herself a working mom and founder of an award-winning company that cares for the children of working parents across the country—provides a reassuring, practical, and comprehensive guide based on interviews with more than 100 successful working mothers from diverse backgrounds. Here are countless strategies and tips from these experts on everything from household chores and returning to work with a newborn to finding communities of support. • Building the Three Pillars of Success: A supportive workplace, a “partner-in-parenting,” and excellent child care • Running a household, holding down a job, and thriving while keeping it all together—from getting food on the table to getting out the door in the morning • Setting your priorities, including nurturing your family, satisfying your employer, and taking care of your own needs • Tips from caregivers on how to help your children blossom and grow in a variety of child care settings

The demand for child-care spaces is huge. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 13 million children under the age of six spend some or all of their day being cared for by someone other than their parents. The child-care shortage is everyone's problem – for parents (whether you work outside the home or not), employers, and the children. The prospect of choosing the right childcare can be overwhelming. Put your mind at ease with Choosing Childcare For Dummies. This reference guide is brimming with practical advice to help you find high-quality childcare for the child in your life – whether he or she is a biological child, stepchild, grandchild, foster child, or the child of your significant other. From figuring out affordability to knowing what to do if you suspect neglect or abuse, Choosing Childcare For Dummies covers it all. Inside the book you'll find out how to Weigh the pros and cons of your various child-care options Determine high quality childcare Evaluate out-of-home childcare Hire a nanny or a relative for in-home care Get guidance on the legal issues of being an employer Conduct a reference check Determine if you need a "nanny cam" Recognize the ten signs that your child-care arrangement is in trouble Ease your child into a new child-care arrangement Find back-up childcare Because the United States has no countrywide child-care “system” in place, we’ve ended up with a patchwork quilt of regulations that don’t quite mesh the way they should. This is why so many child-care programs are exempt from the child-care legislation that’s intended to protect children. The bottom line? You can’t count on anyone else to guarantee your child’s health, safety, and well-being in a particular child-care setting. Like it or not, the buck stops with you. That’s why you owe it to yourself and your child to read books like this one that show you how to be a savvy day-care consumer.

Modern families face challenges unprecedented in human history. The time, attention and vigilance required of parents is exhausting and consuming family life. Parents are required to balance complex schedules, be technology aware, social media informed, constantly monitor children’s screen time and media communication, cope with academic problems, shield them from the dangers of immorality, find inventive ways to overcome their boredom, organize extracurricular activities, and handle everything within financially constrained circumstances that increasingly require both to be working. Little wonder that anxiety is on the rise and parents are increasingly fearing for their children’s future. The authors in this book attempt to address parents’ concerns and equip them with the confidence and tools necessary to work towards understanding and addressing the real needs of both themselves and their children, to nurture the child’s character, self-confidence, life skills, moral boundaries, spiritual development and much more. There is no quick-fix. Myths are debunked, and practical tips offered throughout which can be implemented immediately, with fun activities outlined at the end of each chapter with the aim of improving parent-child relationships through bonding, love, patience, openness, respect and communication.