Hot summer days are a perfect opportunity to get crafty in the great outdoors.

Lately, I have been posting blogs on serious topics. Since it’s Friday, let’s do a fun one!

"We have just hired a babysitter for the summer. She is great with the kids, but not catching on when I leave her hints to provide a little extra help around the house, like folding laundry and putting dishes away. What is the best way to communicate this to our babysitter?"

Families in Canada will choose to hire either a live-in or live-out nanny. If you have decided to hire a live-in nanny, there are a few things you should consider to ensure that the relationship is smooth and the nanny is conformable in her new position.

When kids are home for the summer, they need different actives to break up their time at home. Why not get them in the kitchen to help make their own meals. Keep the recipes fun and simple, and you get a head start on the learning curve of ingredients, measurements, and processes of cooking.

Once upon a time, I loved road trips... Windows down with music blasting, getting there was truly half the fun! After the birth of my daughter, open windows might mean a draft, and instead of Motley Crue blasting, it was yells of displeasure from a very cute but car-seat-hating baby girl. Eventually she’d succumb to her fate of remaining buckled, but we have several hundred photos of her “stink eye” - the name we lovingly gave the permanent expression on her face while strapped in.

So, summer is here and the kids are out of school. Are you worried that the kids will start the “I’m BOOOORED” anthem? What about rainy days? How do you occupy the kids when it’s raining cats and dogs out, and the kids are cooped up inside?

Just last week, I got an email from parent in Toronto. This question actually comes up more than you might think: "I just learned that a neighbor friend has starting using my babysitter. She did not ask me if I was OK with this… should I be worried?"