The laundry is piling up, the dust bunnies are accumulating around the house, you have 2 soccer games to be at this weekend with your kids, and all you can think about is the mound of dishes in the sink that needs to be tackled. Life gets busy and sometimes it is so busy that we just don’t have the time to do what we need to do to keep on top of housecleaning. So you might be asking yourself, "Should I get a housekeeper?"

More and more we’re seeing employers asking about how to help employees with health insurance. That’s great! Just how to go about doing it is where things get confusing. In this post we’ll lay out the landscape as we see it and how we go about consulting clients on healthcare for their employee(s).

Life is busy and adding children into the mix just makes things even more busy. Parents are working, running kids to soccer practice or music lessons, and finding a way to “do it all” its sometimes easier said than done. If you’ve found yourself feeling overwhelmed with the day-to-day activities of running kids to daycare before work, then rushing back to get them before going to the next to-do, it may be time to find a better plan. A nanny very well could be the answer. And once you’ve found the balance, your whole family will feel stronger. Here’s how.

Having relatives come to visit can be an exciting thing that your children look forward to. But as the adult, it could mean that you need to do some extensive preparation ahead of time. Cleaning house and getting ahead at work so you can take some time off to spend with your family members are just some of the many details that need to come together before the arrivals happen. Preparing details for your nanny is also an important thing to remember to do. Here are some tips on how to plan for an upcoming relative’s visit with success.

Nanny wages have been on the steady increase for the last decade and from 2003 to 2017, the average nanny wage has increased 20%. Paying your nanny a fair wage is part of what keeps her happy and loyal to your family in her role. After all, she works hard for your family all year long and it is important to recognize her for a job well done. One way to acknowledge her efforts, above and beyond her wage, is through a end of year bonus. A typical end of year bonus is one or two weeks pay. For many families, paying a nanny additional cash for a bonus could be outside of the budget, particularly if the nanny is well compensated already. If that’s the case, there are several other nanny gift ideas that can work as great alternatives to help recognize your nanny’s work for the year.

Divorce can be difficult for everyone involved, but it can be especially hard for children to understand. Even after divorce papers are signed and everything is completed legally, you will still need to figure out how to co-parent and establish a relationship that supports your children through this new life transition. When the holidays come, it can be an especially emotional time for children because the traditions that they once had will likely change. Here is some helpful advice for divorced parents during the holidays.

Classifying a worker as an independent contractor frees a business or family from payroll tax liability and allows it to forgo providing overtime pay, unemployment compensation and other employee benefits. It also frees the business from responsibility for withholding income taxes and the worker’s share of payroll taxes – household employers can legally omit withholding even for an employee.

This post is authored by our special guest, Karen Holland.  Karen is a Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doula, and New Parent Educator, a Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Instructor, and holds her SNNEB from Scotland, where she was born and raised. With more than 30 years experience working with families and newborns, Karen provides exceptional, non-judgmental Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care Specialist, and New Parent Educator services to the Greater Washington, D.C., area through her firm, All Baby Concierge. You are invited to follow Karen on Facebook. 

Background screenings and reference checks are important parts of the hiring process. Which one do you need? As experts in the nanny field, we recommend that you do both. Here are the differences between the two and why it’s critical to get both done before you hire anyone to work inside your home.

Nannies spend a lot of time with the kids each day. That often means there is a lot of dialogue and sometimes many hours of answering questions or explaining things. When it comes to major life changes or happenings around the world, kids are usually observing more, even though we may not think they’re paying that much attention. Things going around them can affect them, so it’s important to promote positive communication.