Summertime Child Care Equals Work Distraction?

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | June 30 2010 | Kids & family | 376 Views | 1 Comment | 0

Last year, we ran an informal survey of parents on  Care.com . We found that one-third of them spent 20 or more hours finding child care for the summer. That means one of every three parents used up nearly an entire day...

Breaking Up with Your Nanny

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | April 14 2010 | Kids & family | 694 Views | 1 Comment | 0

“Breaking up is hard to do!” Neil Sedaka had it right in his classic oldie. Cutting ties with a care provider is never an easy task for parents. After months or years of working for you, they become like family members....

Helping Kids Learn a Second Language

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | January 27 2010 | Kids & family | 796 Views | 2 Comments | 0

Question: What’s the best time to learn a second language?  Answer:  Before age 7 . Every language has its own set of sounds (for example, Japanese doesn’t distinguish between the “L” and “R” sounds...

Helping Seniors Prepare for Winter

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | January 13 2010 | Kids & family, Retirement, Retirement, Retirement, Retirement | 1265 Views | 2 Comments | 2

A While back, I sat down to talk with Andrea Cohen from  HouseWorks , a Boston-based company connecting seniors with resources they need to live independently. She offered a series of tips on how to help your elderly...

Cost of Child Care - $12,445 annually

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | September 16 2009 | Kids & family | 719 Views | 3 Comments | 0

Donna, one of my colleagues at Care.com, just had a new baby, and it got us talking about the high cost of child care. Did you know that the average family spends $12,445 a year for child care ? And depending on...

Getting a Pet (and making the transition!)

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | August 05 2009 | Kids & family | 556 Views | 1 Comment | 0

Good friends of ours in California just had a baby, and they're worried about the transition for their dog, Button, who's gotten used to being the "only child." It really got me thinking about this trend, where couples are...

Firing Your Caregiver

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | July 30 2009 | Kids & family | 587 Views | 2 Comments | 0

Firing a Babysitter or a Nanny Research shows that children can  suffer long-term health effects  when their caregiver relationships are stressful. If a babysitter or a nanny isn't working out, don't hesitate to...

Keeping Education Going During the Summer

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | July 06 2009 | Kids & family | 609 Views | 2 Comments | 0

Now that summer’s here, school’s out, and grades are last semester’s news, does that mean we should stop thinking about learning? No! As a mom, I’d like to encourage parents to keep supporting their children’s...

Finding a Babysitter

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | May 27 2009 | Kids & family | 643 Views | 2 Comments | 0

Before you become a mom, you never even think about finding a babysitter. Why would you? Sure, you may remember all the babysitters you had when you were growing up and how they were always just there when you parents...

Finding Summer Care

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | May 20 2009 | Kids & family | 515 Views | 1 Comment | 0

Summer will be here before you know it. Our little ones are counting down the days until school lets out (less than six weeks in many school districts!). When that happens, families will have to fill anywhere from eight to...

Planning the Perfect Stay-cation

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | June 09 2010 | Kids & family | 365 Views | 0 Comments | 0

We're just days away from the start of summer vacation. If you're like us, your family is looking forward to spending more time together and even taking a trip or two. We're especially excited because this is the last summer...

Money Savers: Summer Care Co-ops

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | May 12 2010 | Kids & family | 386 Views | 0 Comments | 0

Did you know many families can spend half of their yearly child care budget during the summer when the kids are out of school?  If you're in this situation, you can cuts costs by 20% just by exchanging care once a...

Child Care Checkup

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | April 14 2010 | Kids & family, Smart spending | 353 Views | 0 Comments | 0

Is it time to "break up" with your nanny? Take this simple 10-question quiz we developed at Care.com and find out! Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Talking to Kids About Haiti

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | February 10 2010 | Kids & family, Giving back | 352 Views | 0 Comments | 0

If you're a parent like me, you may be wondering  how to talk to you children about Haiti . Dr. Robi Ludwig, a nationally known psychotherapist has written a helpful article with advice we can all use in these difficult...

How to Interview a Babysitter

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | January 07 2010 | Kids & family | 292 Views | 0 Comments | 0

Child Care for Parents of Children with Special Needs

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | December 21 2009 | Kids & family, Career | 405 Views | 0 Comments | 1

This recent study ( The State of Care Index ) surveyed over 1,800 families nationwide to measure the challenges parents face when providing child care. In particular, the study focused on families with children with special...

Legal Docs Every Family Should Have

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | October 16 2009 | Kids & family | 526 Views | 0 Comments | 0

As a general rule, we don’t like to think about some of life’s “what ifs.” But as parents and caregivers, we have the responsibility to our children and loved ones to make sure they will always be cared for....

Tips on Tipping

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | September 18 2009 | Kids & family | 372 Views | 0 Comments | 0

Child Care Safety Checklist

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | July 23 2009 | Kids & family | 528 Views | 0 Comments | 0

Before leaving your loved ones or pets in the care of others, they should have basic safety and contact information in case of emergency. We’ve created some easy-to-use checklists for families (and care providers) to...

The State of Care Index

By Sheila Lirio Marcelo | July 17 2009 | Kids & family | 349 Views | 0 Comments | 0

In this inaugural survey, Care.com examines the states of child care—in cooperation with the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)—and senior care. The State of Care Index outlines...