Putting my life in someone else's hands!

Sounds a little daunting doesn't it?  Like I am getting a serious operation or going on a dangerous expedition.  But no...I'm looking for childcare.

Is it normal to have this kind of anxiety?  I'm not afraid of leaving my little person with someone, someone I know!  This whole process of regular childcare is fraught with tension.  And not only is it about finding the right person but also the right type of childcare.

After my research I have discovered this...there are childcare centers, licensed daycares, unlicensed daycares, nannies and casual babysitters. And they all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Childcare centers-these are what we think of as traditional day cares.  Held in public buildings, with many caregivers, and many more children (max 12 kids for infant/toddlers).  Really, to me,  it's like school for the little ones. Advantages are that they are more flexible for when you need part-time and everyone is fully certified, and the disadvantages are (and I'm just guessing) that the relationships built with the caregiver and child are more like teacher/student relationships.

License Not Required Caregiver (unlicensed daycare): they are allowed to care for two children or less that are not related,  not including their own children.  The advantages are that there are less children, disadvantages are that there is no licensing requirements needed.  They can be registered as not licensed and that requires them to have first aid, criminal check, home inspection, and references.

Licensed Caregivers: they are allowed up to 7 children including their own.  And there is a range of regulations regarding the ages of the children.  Advantages, fully regulated and full certifications like, Childsafe First Aid Certificate, Criminal Record Check, References, must comply with the Child Care Licensing, & Facility Act and Regulations. Disadvantages many more children to caregiver ratio.  

Nannies: this is where a caregiver comes to your home to care for your child.  Advantages are personalized care, no need to transport child, ability for child to bond. Disadvantages are no social interaction with other kids, no supervision or other children around, and much more expensive.

Luckily there are a few organizations in Kelowna to help the child caring process.  Nannysitters they will arrange all types of child care for a fee, although the fee can be a little expensive, it does help in a bind. We are actuallly using one of their babysitters next week while going to a wedding.  There is also the Kelowna Child Care Society which is a government funded society with resources and a referral service.  I was able to find a bit of information regarding rates & regulations on their site. 

So there are many things you need to look at when deciding on the type of childcare that you require. Other than the details like, when are they open, what happens on holidays or when the child is sick, or what they charge, it really comes down to the particular person or place. And the most consistent advice that I have received,  is to find someone or somewhere where you feel comfortable.  Go with your gut instinct, it's mother's instinct. 

And if you have any other advice...please let me know! Maybe I should just lock him up in a cage?!

This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids. Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at www.themellowmama.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

The Bloggess...a shout out!



http://www.bloggess.com/


Gotta send out a shout out to a qwirky blogger. Just read this blog and love her sense of humor! If only I had the guts to buy myself a 5 foot chicken.

But I guess the mini lesson to be learned from this blog post is "learning to pick your battles".  Picking your battles...not something I'm good at (ask my poor husband).  I guess that I feel that we are always going a hundred miles an hour, and if I don't address something now, it will get missed.  But my husband (a man) needs to be able to process information, not vent it. 

I always found it a challenge to wait for the right time, but as a new mom "right times" come so infrequently now.  So how do we come to happy medium?  Why do I always feel like I am the one who has to bite her tongue?  Or does it just feel that way. :(

Maybe the trick is to treat it with a sense of humor.  Hmmmm....where can I get a 5 foot chicken?!

When one door closes...another always opens.

I have come to the end of my maternity leave, now what to do?  I unfortunately was downsized a few months prior to having my baby.  While it was wondeful to have the luxury of just worrying about being pregnant, the return to work issue takes on a whole new challenge.  It's one thing to try and juggle a new addition to the family while returning to a job that you know well, it's another to try and find & start a new job. 

When starting a new job, you don't have the flexibility of being able to negotiate different working conditions (ie.  part-time, flex hours, or working from home).  You also tend to have to put more time in to learn your new job...and time is precious when you have a new family.  BUT...I do now have the opportunity of doing something I love, taking on new challenges, and totally recreating my work conditions.  However, when the world is your oyster...which pearl should I take?

About 10 years ago, I had returned to University to complete my degree.  And being an "older" or more "mellow" student, I had the luxury of being a little wiser than my original trip through post-secondary education.  I do remember saying to my fellow (and younger) classmates to "do what you love, because you will be good at it, and the money will follow".  So now it is the occasion to follow my own advice...let's see if I can make a go of it!


This blog post can be seen on Okanagan4Kids.  Follow The Mellow Mama as she shares her journey and passions through life. You can see her complete blog at www.themellowmama.com or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Domesticity at it's finest!

Is domesticity a word?  It is, it is...and I'm gonna use it!!

Well, domesticity was never my strong suit.  I was a career minded woman, who was much too busy to be domestic.  But having a baby has "slowed" things down.  And yes "slowed" is said with tongue in cheek.  Maybe I should say that having a baby has made me "live in the moment" more.  All those things I was too busy for in the past, seem so much more important now and appreciated. 

I was always a little intimidated by the domestic things in life, thanks to a few friends to help me along the way...and I have become a machine! A canning machine! When I was expecting, this was my version of nesting.  We moved into a house with lots of fruit trees and they bore way more fruit than what we could eat, so canning made so much sense. 

Then I decided to take a cake decorating class.  I had started baking a couple of years before, but now I had to make the baking look pretty for many of the upcoming birthdays I have to look forward too.  I'm no pro...but practice makes perfect (I hope!).  And as you can see by the picture...I need a lot of practice! 

And my latest foray has been into sewing.  Believe it or not, but I have never sewn a stitch on a sewing machine.  And now with the help of a friend...I made a sleep sack!!  Yay!!! The world is my oyster now! I can finally fix those leggings that I had to wear with boots because they lost their hem. 

Thanks PM, CE, and SD for helping me travel down this road of domesticity. (There! I used the word one more time!)

This blog can also be seen on Okanagan4Kids.

Tablets...the modern high tech kind

I'm thinking I need to get myself a tablet PC...but there are so many kinds! It was great when the only choice was the Ipad. But now we have the Blackberry Playbook, the Motorola, Samsung, and even Viewsonic has an android powered version. I work with a Blackberry phone currently...so a part of me would love to take advantage of the apps that the ipad/iphones have. I also use Windows based programs...so to delve into a different operating system would be awesome!! A tablet PC would  be great for social networking and to be used in place of an Ereader.  Is the backlight of the ipad really that bad? 

Is there a real difference between tablets? And will I lose out by not getting the Ipad?