I have been asked to watch the child of an an aquaintance. I was looking for some information:
What do they charge you? and for how long?
What are the parents in charge of providing? Diapers, snacks etc..
What if the child has special dietary needs such as vegetarian? Do I charge more for special meals?
What is the typical drop off/pick up time? How about time overages? Do I charge?
Please feel free to add anything that I might have forgotten. I am in Maine if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!!

At what age did your child realize what a toilet is used for besides that Mommy sits on it and she pulls down on a metal handle water comes out? Also, how long did it take for your child to be fully diaper free? And, what are some good techniques to get your child to want to use the toilet?

I start housetraining my pups as soon as they are relatively mobile and have their eyes open (about 3 weeks). For years I used a litterbox, now I use puppy pads (the litter used to get stuck to the puppy blankets and strewn through the house). I’ve had great success. A lot of the training seems to be in noticing when the pups “look” like they have to go… which of course means I have to be actually spending time watching pups….
Today I stumbled across this http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/ap_o… and it talks about potty training very young infants. The concept seems very similar to my puppy training.
Do you think more people would be successful housetraining their dogs if they used the same principles as potty training kids?

They are 3 girls- 10,10 and 9 months and 1- 9 year old boy…The baby is easy to entertain and my biological 10 year old will keep herself busy by reading or whatever. The other kids are my full time step kids… the girl “is bored” and will just sit there and stare at me while I am doing housework or making dinner. The boy is content with just sitting there and playing the gameboy or computer. We are VERY short on money this summer since it was unexpected that I would be quitting work to stay home let alone that they would come to live with us full time.
Any ideas would be great. We have done the museums on free day, the zoo on cheap day, the library, the free water sprinkler park…
I don’t mean to gripe, but…
Should I have to “find” things for the 10 and 9 year old to do while I am making dinner and such? Shouldn’t they at least be able to entertain themselves with all the stuff they have?

Kizoodle is a new (and totally free!) community website developed specifically for parents and parent groups. Kizoodle provides many features and functions to help parents:
Swap children’s and Mom stuff
Socialize and share ideas, photos, and (soon!) video,
Start or join groups and associations.
It’s very easy to join, just go to their website (http://www.kizoodle.com/default.aspx) and sign up! You will get 5 credits just for signing up and if you use this referral code TSVCHL at the time you sign up you get 2 additional credits! The credits are the “money with which you can buy things” And you get credits for “selling” your own stuff.
It’s a great place! Try it!

This is not spam
WWW.KIZOODLE.COM
You ‘sell’ your stuff for kizoodle credits, You then use your kiz credits to ‘buy’ stuff from other parents. No money is ever exchanged.
This is a wonderful way to save money and help you get clothes/toys for your children. This is NOT just for your children, They have a Moms section as well. You can trade your clothing/books/household items, etc with other moms.
They give you 5 kizoodle credits when you join and if use this
new member code – DXFR8R
they will give you 2 extra kiz credits, This is their way of helping you to start trading your unwanted items!
They also have a wonderful parents group section. You can join local support groups in your area. You can meet other parents and also set up play groups for your children!
You have nothing to lose by signing up,as this is completly FREE! No money is ever exchanged!

I’m tired of advertising my stuff what is still in good shape locally and simply give it away for free. Does anyone know where I can advertise this (for free) and have a specialized environment for baby and kid’s stuff? I have stroller, car seat, toys and more since my kids moved out with their mother to Europe .

My neice and nephew are staying with me and I’m lacking in the gaming department. Are there any online sites with games we could play together.
They’re 9 + 12 so won’t go for baby stuff.