Child care is a huge issue for parents. From the occasional babysitter to a full time Nanny, parents can’t always be with their children and must defer child rearing to another. It is a big topic, therefore we will break it down and focus today’s show on the more permanent type of non-institutional arrangements. We also have a guest with us, Katie Herrick Bugbee, the Managing Editor at Care.com, an online resource connecting families with babysitters, nannies, senior aides, pet care and housekeepers, who will provide valuable insights into the selection and relationships between parents and nannies.

We discuss the fact that although non-parental child care has always been an issue for families parents are telling us the decisions parents must make today are more complex and costly. One factor is the increase in two working parents and single parents has increased. When the adults are at work, somebody has to take care of the kids – especially before they are of school age and for school age children after school care. In addition, today’s parents are more cautious and probably have fewer options because they are less likely to have extended family locally, there are fewer teenagers available for babysitting, their increased concerns about child safety and more regulations of independent childcare providers.

Our guest helps us understand the complexities of the relationships between the more permanent in home childcare provider, the nanny and the parents. Katie will give valuable tips for families on how to find a nanny and most importantly how to create the working relationship that brings a level of comfort to the parents and at the same time allows the nanny to form strong bonds with the children and parents.

We conclude with a discussion of the importance of using Family Centered Parenting family meetings as the logical format for bringing the nanny into the life of the family and to be proactive in establishing family rules and resolving conflicts over discipline and household rules.