Real Advice for Real Life

Babies don't come with instructions. And since today's parents are so overwhelmed with schedules and demands, they have little time to bone up on their parenting skills. Often removed from grandparents and relatives who in times past lived next door or just down the street, they have no one to guide them through the disorienting world of raising children. Enter Nanny to the Rescue!

Nanny To the Rescue Again

Faced with multiple choices regarding school, friends, and activities coupled with the ever-widening influence of the outside world, parents of 6-12 year olds need help. America's nanny is back to offer a large dose of healthy parenting advice with secrets for raising happy, secure, and well-balanced children.

Helping Children Learn the Value of Money and Money Management

Helping children learn the value of money and money management is a priceless lesson. Even your toddler observes how to handle money - and you are their first financial advisor. I recall a time when I was with Ryan at the store and he asked for a toy. I told him I didn't have any cash on me and to my surprise he asked me to "Use my card." From this simple exchange and the conversation that followed, I realized that he had no concept of how this magic card worked. He didn't put it together that I worked, earned money, put the money in the bank and then used the handy piece of plastic to which he was referring to access the funds.

Having a chores or allowance system provides a practical way for children to earn money. After the daily routine tasks that we all must to maintain our day to day life – making the bed or putting our clothes in the hamper for example, providing age appropriate additional tasks for children to do for money will provide an opportunity to introduce your children to the world of personal finances.

Once you establish a method of earning, you can teach your kids financial responsibility. The 4S system is a great way to teach young kids how to budget. To use this system, you divide their earnings into 4 categories: Spend now, Spend later, Save and Send. The "spend now" money is for things that they need to have – lunch money, snacks and other daily needs. The "spend later" money is for something she wants, the "save" money is to be set aside for emergencies, college or other later in life events and the "send" money is to be given to church tithes or charity.

Some parents want to teach their children the importance of money management and budgeting, but don't want to be bogged down by a chores system. These parents often choose an allowance method, where they give each child a set dollar amount each week that is or is not tied to the completion of tasks.

Michelle LaRowe is the 2004 International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year. A career nanny specializing in caring for twins, Michelle has over a decade of nanny experience. Although she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, she has found her true calling, working as a professional nanny.

Michelle is an active member of the nanny community. She is the founder and president of Boston Area Nannies, Inc., a local non profit educational organization and has served on the International Nanny Association Board of Directors for the past five years. During that time she has also served as the associations 1st Vice President. Michelle is also a proud member of Christian Nannies.

She is called on by the media as a nanny and parenting expert, and has been affectionately dubbed America's Nanny. Michelle has appeared on television and has been featured in print. She is the author of the new parenting series, Nanny to the Rescue!, a contributing writer in the Experts' Guide to the Baby Years and a regular columnist in several parenting publications, including Twins Magazine.

To learn more about Michelle and to get your parenting tip of the day, please visit www.michellelarowe.com.

More Parenting Advice Resources:

Learn about the nanny industry visit the websites of the International Nanny Association, www.nanny.org or Boston Area Nannies, www.bostonareanannies.com

For your parenting tip of the day, be sure to visit www.michellelarowe.com

Contact America's Nanny:

Michelle LaRowe
c/o Boston Area Nannies
PO BOX 600697
Newtonville, MA 02460
Email