Building our Emergency Kits

We had three earthquakes in one week here! Yikes!  They were all small, but they got a friend of ours thinking about emergency kits.  And that friend got us thinking it was time to do some emergency preparation.

We looked online, and thought that this website had the best ideas.  We agreed that we needed about 3 days worth of food and water, plus some general gear and first aid supplies.  We ended up making seven, yes SEVEN kits.  We made one for each car, one for home, and one for each person as a "go kit."  

This is half of the home kit.  It is stored in a waterproof file box.  This half contains food (bars, fruit leathers, canned food, and a can opener), plates and utensils, an emergency radio, batteries, flashlight, lantern, water purification tablets, a lighter, a Sharpie, neosporin, and baby wipes.  Three 5 gallon jugs of water are in the garage, as well as a flat of water in plastic bottles.  The emergency radio is also a cell phone charger and flashlight.

This is the other half of the home kit.  It is more for the house itself.  It contains two pairs of work gloves, four dust masks, two sets of eye protectors, a hammer, a crowbar, duct tape, plastic sheeting, heavy duty garbage bags, a staple gun and staples, and a utility knife.


We put both boxes in the front hall closet.  The logic for this is that our garage contains many of the same items, and if access to the garage (or front closet) were blocked, it would be nice to have the supplies in another location.

We also put our four "go kit" backpacks in the front hall closet.  We put them up high so that the kids wouldn't get into them.  We made two adult packs and two kid packs.  The mom pack and dad pack differ only in that the mom pack has hair ties and feminine products, and each has our own spare eyeglasses/ prescription medications in them (a week's supply).

All packs have a whistle, glow stick/ LED flashlight, baby wipes, soap, toilet paper, a warm hat, Swiss Army Knife (the adult ones are larger), one water bottle, bags of extra water, bars, fruit leathers, a Sharpie, tape, a disposable camera, toothbrush, toothpaste, ponchos, hand warmers, emergency blankets, waterproof matches, a bandanna, and water purification tablets.  Each also contains a baggie with family photos and a piece of paper with our address, health insurance info, and emergency and family phone numbers. The adult kits also have a first aid kit, and one has sunscreen. One of the kid packs is for a baby, so he has all the other items plus a half dozen disposable diapers and some tubes of formula and a bottle.

The cars are now stocked with water, a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, an emergency radio, prescription medications, some bars, and toilet paper.

We are going to need to remember to change out the water and food in 3 to 5 years.

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Long Sleeved Sleep Sack Tutorial

We keep the house pretty cool during the day, and sometimes it is around 64 degrees.  So we need sleeves for naptime, or I guess I could nap the littlest one in more clothing under a regular sleep sack.

To make a new sleep sack pattern, I took an existing sleep sack and a long-sleeved t-shirt and set them on top of some construction paper.  I put the construction paper (blue here) on the halfway line of the sleep sack, and cut around it, adding a bit for a seam allowance on the edges.

For the sleeves, I cut a full sleeve around the shirt that fits.

If I didn't have a sleep sack that fit, I could have just used the t-shirt as a size model and added length and width by either measuring my baby and adding 6", or by putting pants on the bottom to estimate the right length, then adding 6" for growing room.
 

After making the pattern, I cut my pieces.

I cut the back using the big piece.  I meant to cut the front the same, but as you can see, my fabric wasn't big enough.  So I took as much as I had and cut it.  Then I took scraps of the other color and cut them to fit the top part, adding for a seam allowance.

I cut the sleeves next.

Then I went back and laid the sleeves on top of the bodice.  I cut the bodice inwards to estimate where the sleeves would need to be sewn and so that the sleeve top was the same shape as the bodice attachment area.

Then I started sewing.  First, I attached my front pieces to make one front piece.

Then I added the zipper (a separating zipper sewn in upside down for easy diaper changes).  One one interior side, I made a zipper protector, or flap.  This is to keep the zipper from touching baby's skin and irritating him.  I did this by cutting a piece as wide and long as the zipper from the inside.  Then I stitched it on, making my stitching line hit where topstitching would.  Then I topstitched around the other side of the zipper.

Next I attached the front and back bodice pieces at the shoulders.

Then I pinned and attached the sleeves around the bodice.  Next I turned it inside out and closed the sleeves and then sewed around the whole body.

Then I turned it right side out and made sure my stitching was secure.  You could finish the sleeves and the neck, but I didn't because fleece doesn't fray.

I love it!  Works great!

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Recipe: Leftover Turkey Thai Curry

2 T rendered fat or butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 leek, chopped, white part only
4 carrots, chopped
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 bunch kale or spinach
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 qt. homemade beef or chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
2 T Thai curry paste
2 cups chopped leftover turkey

Saute onions in fat.  Add garlic and leek.  Add carrots, green beans, and broccoli.  Add greens and stock and simmer until greens go soft.  Add peas.

Whisk curry paste in a bowl with coconut milk until smooth.  Add to saute.  Add turkey.  Turn pan to simmer and let simmer until liquid cooks off~ about 10 minutes.

Can eat alone or on rice.




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Best Toy Ever: Ikea Nesting + Stacking Cups

This set of nesting and stacking cups was a gift for our 3 year old's first birthday.

It is great because he can stack them and organize them.  And then unstack them and sort out the order yet again.  Then he can put things in them and, well, you get the point.

Plus it fits in a small purse, and has worked great everywhere from at home to the doctor's office to the airport.

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Making Bone Broths aka Stocks ~ Beef and Chicken

Bone broths are so so so so good for you.  Homemade stock, especially, can be nourishing.  This is because you can let is keep going.  The longer it simmers, the more goodness can leach out from the bones into the water.  

This goodness is why your mother said to eat chicken soup when you are sick!  All of the minerals and electrolytes that are stored in the bones become part of the liquid.  And in this form, it is highly bioavailable (i.e. you can metabolize, or use, most of it-- it is presented to your body in an easily recognizable and usable form).  If you use bones with connective tissue, you also end up with minerals that will heal your connective tissues.  It has been said that like heals like.  Therefore, if you have joint pain, making stock with animal joints can help heal yours (glucosamine, anyone?).  If you have eyesight that could us improving, make stock with fish or chicken eyes/ heads.  You get the point.  

You should always make stock with bones from the healthiest animals around.  They should be grass-fed and as high of a quality as you can source.  As with all meats, smaller animals with shorter lives have less of a chance to accumulate toxins, so if you aren't sure of your bone source for beef, you can always make chicken or fish stock.  If you have high enough quality of meat, and use enough connective tissues and let it boil long enough, your stock may even become gelled in the refrigerator.  This gelatin really helps heal the insides.

In chef speak, any dish is made tastier when started with a good stock.  This is the base for all the flavor of the dish.

Beef Broth

Using a recipe from the internet is a good place to start for beef broth.  I just used this recipe and got it to gel.  Another recipe uses a few peppercorns.  I got the bones from our local meat club CSA Marin Sun Farms. I used the gelatinous beef bones. I am making another batch right now with the meaty bones, and also bought marrow bones to try.  

1. Fill a stock pot with filtered water and the frozen bones, and bring it to a boil.
2. Skim off any foam.
3. Lower to a low simmer, and leave uncovered for 3 days.
4. Add water as needed.
5. Strain and store.  We like to use canning jars and put the lids on while hot so they sort of "can" themselves.  Many recommend to use stock within a week, but we feel like this gives us a bit more time with it.  We store it refrigerated and use it as often as possible-- often in place of water in cooking or just to drink as a beverage with meals.

Chicken Stock

Using heads and feet make a thicker stock.  We usually use a carcass from a roasted chicken, and add a third of a pound of chicken heads, a third of a pound of chicken feet, and a few chicken necks.  We get all of our meat from our local meat club CSA Marin Sun Farms.  Their chickens are pastured on the heels of the cows, which is as good as it gets for chickens.

1. Fill a stock pot with filtered water, the bones, a quartered onion with its peel, 3 roughly chopped carrots, the greens and middles of a head of celery, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
2. Bring it to a boil.
3. Skim off any foam.
4. Lower to a low simmer, and simmer, covered, for 12 to 24 hours.
5. Strain and store.  We like to use canning jars and put the lids on while hot so they sort of "can" themselves.  Many recommend to use stock within a week, but we feel like this gives us a bit more time with it.  We store it refrigerated and use it as often as possible-- often in place of water in cooking or just to drink as a beverage with meals.

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Making Baby Pants into Kid Pants

BEFORE: These are the baby pants on my 3-year old.  He discovered them when I was sorting clothes for his little brother, and had to hold them and touch them and feel them.  He even had to wear them.  You see, the fabric they are made of is the other half of what has become his security blanket.  The idea that he could just wear "Blue" was so appealing that he squished himself into these pants.

MIDPOINT: After he admitted they weren't all that comfortable, we squished him out of them and added some more fabric.  The original fabric was long gone, so we took some yellow fleece and added it mid-way down the legs.  I did this by cutting the pant legs, then eyeballing how long to add, and cutting fabric to that length and sewing it to the cut pant legs.

The color block reminded him of other pants I have made with front patch pockets, so he asked for pockets.  I opted to put them on the sides so I wouldn't block the striped fabric.  To make them, I cut fleece squares, folded them in half, and sewed around three sides.  Then I sewed them into the side seams.  I also sewed a length of fabric into the side seams to make them wider.  Shockingly, the waist was fine, as was the rise.  I did a bit of squishing to get the green fabric to sit nicely against the waist, which I left intact.

As you can see, I eyeballed the length a bit too long.  I didn't want to hem them because I wanted as much of the striped fabric as possible to show.  So I folded the fabric in the yellow section.

Instead of hemming the yellow, or cutting it again, I did some tacking of the material in place to make some pockets.  We decided rocks and other treasures could go in these lower pockets.

AFTER: He is quite happy with them.  I think they ended up a bit bulky in the pockets (both the upper and leg pockets).  If I would do it again, I would use a thinner fabric for the pockets.  I may fix them by tacking them in place; after a few hours, the fabric of the pocket seemed to come out a bit.  But all this extra fabric may be good on cold days.  Plus, who wouldn't love wearing their security blanket around?

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Snack/ Meal Ideas for 3-Year Old

1.      Water

2.       Rice cake or apple with almond butter

3.       Yogurt in a cup with straw or in cup with green powder, flaxseed meal, and Ezekiel cereal

4.       Cut up fruit 

5.       Almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.

6.       Avocado on rice bread (or other bread)

7.       Frozen corn or peas with a spoon

8.       Frozen tamales (2 of them for 3 min in microwave)

9.       Steamed veggies cooked on top of rice in rice cooker (cauliflower, green beans, etc.)

10.   Carrots or Celery, sugar snap peas

11.   Rice pasta/ soba noodles/ triangle pasta (fresh in refrigerator) with raw butter

12.   Refried beans (from can)

13.   Seaweed snack (in pantry)

14.   Miso soup or regular broth (chicken stock with a pinch of salt)

15.   Leftover chicken

16.   Fried eggs or birds in a nest (egg fried in hole of bread- hole made by cup)- use butter to fry in cast iron skillet

17.   “Tea milk” (Eden bland rice and soy) or Raw milk

18.   Rice bread (in freezer) with raw butter

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Technology Review: Kindle Fire

I love my new Kindle Fire!  I bought a Kindle a few years ago (similar to this one), when they first came out, and didn't like it.  I thought it was too wide for my hands, and I didn't like the buttons for clicking to the next page.  It also used so much of the device's space for a keyboard that didn't really seem necessary to me.  I also didn't like that you couldn't use it at night without an additional light. I gave it to my husband, who quickly became a convert to eBooks.  He has gotten a lot of use out of it.  Meanwhile, my husband keeps a sharp eye on technology in general, and decided it was time for me to try the Kindle again.  He even pre-ordered one for me.

It showed up and we took it out of its sleek box and it looks like, well, my android phone.  But bigger.  And heavier.  The heft is actually nice.  Everything about it is nice.  It is a touch screen, which opens up a world of options.  There are two ways to turn pages when reading~ you can slide the page over, or touch the bottom corner.  It is a full-color screen, too, which means you can choose if you want to read your book on a white background, or if you prefer cream or black.  When you highlight a section of what you are reading, it turns yellow.  You can add notes, too.  Highlighting helps negate the oddness of reading an electronic version of a book.  It is helpful to mark passages you may want to read again, since you can't flip back through.  

One super cool thing about the Kindle Fire is that there are Kindle apps for all of your devices.  I uploaded the one onto my android phone.  The process took a few minutes, but it was well worth it.  I had a few minutes free with my phone next to me and my kindle wasn't, so I easily opened the Kindle app on my phone and read a few pages of my book.  It automatically sync'ed where I was in the book to my phone and then back again. Awesome.  You could also do this with your PC.

In addition to being a good book reader, the Kindle Fire also has a full web browser.  The full color touch screen is nice for this, since it mimics a tablet computer quite nicely.  It is quick enough (not lightning-fast, but you don't wait that long), and responsive.  It is arranged intuitively, so the learning curve is steep.  I also liked reading a book that referred to websites and having them be actual links and being able to look at them right then and there.

It also has music and streaming video.  Unfortunately, if you want to upload your music, you need to spend $20/ year for the storage.  Too steep for me!  I just started using Google Music for this, and I can access my Google Music from the device, so no problem.  The streaming video is a cool feature you can use with Amazon Prime (an annual fee).  There are a lot of videos, movies, and TV shows available to watch from the device for free, or you can buy them to watch.  I haven't used this feature yet.

There is always the problem of content, though.  Amazon has found a way around this by pre-loading the device with books from Project Gutenberg.  They also offer, with Amazon Prime (an annual fee), one free book rental per month.  In addition to books, magazine and newspaper subscriptions are available.  Full-color magazines would be nice on here-- perhaps I should try one.  Then maybe I wouldn't feel guilty reading them and throwing them away...

It is a bummer to not be able to use library books or loan books back and forth with friends, though.  Although I just went on our local library website and they have Kindle books to loan.  I signed up for one that looks interesting; I am hoping the downloading and borrowing process is easy, because $4 to $10 per book could make reading an expensive hobby.  And Amazon, of course, makes buying content easy, either from the device or web browser, and they deliver samples to your device so you can read a few pages.

This device is really useful and cool in a way I wasn't expecting.  I have spent my life carrying around books and it is weird to me to enjoy reading without the feel of the pages turning.  But I like reading in the dark without waking anyone up, and I like being able to flip from a book to a web browser and back again.  I will need to get used to not knowing how far along I am in the book without feeling my progress along the pages (there is a percentage on the bottom that is available when you touch there).  I am also looking forward to lessening the clutter around the house.  

I love all of this, but I am going to keep reading to the kids from "real" books, at least for now.  

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Weekly Menu Planning

Sometimes it is a struggle to get any food on the table, let alone a "real meal."  Like many things in life, this is made easier by prior planning.  There are a few ways to go about menu planning. 

My mom used to keep a yellow tablet in the kitchen and, every week, she would write what she wanted to cook for dinner.  We knew Mondays were Tuna Night and we could watch TV during dinner, since she loved watching Monday Night Football and tuna was easy.  She would make a grocery list from the menu list, and shop weekly.  She had a rotating repertoire, and would add to this from new cookbooks or friends' recipes, or from articles in the newspaper or magazines.  There are plenty of forms online if you don't want to make your own.  This routine helps eliminate wasted food and unwanted purchases at the store, and helps streamline to keep last- minute shopping trips to a minimum.  You could make 4 or 6 or 8 menus and just rotate them so that your family has variety but you aren't constantly menu planning.

There are websites and apps to help you with this, of course.  We use an app called Our Groceries.  It puts your lists on everyone's smart phones, as well as on the computer, and syncs them.  You can put groceries directly on here, or input your recipes and the ingredients will automatically go onto your grocery list. Oprah recommends The Six O'Clock Scramble, a website and app which does the same thing-- except that weekly menus are planned for you.  You could also purchase a menu planned for you from websites like Nourished Kitchen, which will send you seasonal recipes and grocery lists weekly.

Another way of menu planning is to go the opposite way: to go to the store and see what looks good/ what is in season, and buy it then make menus.  When I do this, we get a few nice meals, but it never seems to be enough for the week.  Or I end up buying too much and Friday ends up Meatloaf night and everything that is left from the week goes into the bowl with some ground beef and spices and gets cooked up.

A variant of these is to do theme nights: call each day a name and do a variant of that topic weekly.  For example, Tuna Monday, Taco Tuesday, Pasta Wednesday, Slow Cooker Thursday, Pizza Friday, Mexican Saturday, and Leftover Sunday.  Other nights could be restaurant night, meatloaf night, soup night, salad night, Fish Friday, or Tapas night.  I like menu planning this way, because it adds a bit of routine into the routine and the family starts to look forward to certain nights. 

You could also do the weekly cooking spree method: spend a day per week cooking, and eat those two or three dishes all week long.  When we do this, we get pretty sick of roasted chicken or lasagna by the middle of the week, and end up going out.  I have recently thought it would be a good idea to do this, then store the food in the freezer in one meal portion sizes.  Then, as the weeks go on, we would have a larger and larger selection in the freezer.  But we would have to first empty the freezer and second, not eat it all as it is new.

Whatever way you decide to do, advance menu planning helps reduce stress.  Knowing what will be cooked in advance will reduce wasted food/ time/ energy.  Plus, it helps you feel like Super Mom!

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I love my new Boba 3G

My new Boba 3G Carrier is so fabulously awesome.  I have tried and returned the Boba before, but that was their 2G. Sadly, I am not sure if I am going to be able to keep this carrier.  My baby hates looking inwards!  My toddler loved it when he was a baby, and will sit in a carrier on me whenever I allow it.  Personality really is an amazing thing. I am hoping the baby will like sitting on my back at some point (he doesn't like it now).

But anyway- the carrier is amazing.  It is sturdy and attractive.  It is adjustable in many places and the strap ends tuck away.  It adjusts to carry an infant and can be used through to 45 pounds.  My toddler actually felt light in it-- the foot stirrups really help lighten the load just by getting his feet out of the way.  He liked them, too, and said they made it more comfortable.  The clips and snaps and buckles are all tight and solid.  The chest strap and feet straps adjust on plastic rails, which is actually different than the other carriers on the market.  The shoulder straps have an extra piece of fabric to hold a diaper bag in place, which is quite innovative (it snaps closed).  It also has pockets- one to hold the removable sleeping hood, and two on the waist belt.  The waist pockets are small; one is zippered and just large enough for money and a phone and the other could hold one small diaper -- although it bulges a bit awkwardly when full.  So my only complaint is that these could be a bit larger.

My 3-year old weighs around 36 pounds.

My 5-month old weighs around 15 pounds.

More on the Ergo Vs. Boba (after a friend asked me to expand on this): The Boba straps are thinner (denser padding)... the Ergo pocket is bigger. Boba material is sturdier and Ergo material is softer. Boba has foot straps for bigger babies. Boba has infant adjustment included; Ergo you need to buy an insert.

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Hiring a Nanny/ Babysitter and Sitter Application

There comes a time in (some) parent's lives when you need a little help.  It takes a village, and sometimes you need to pay the help.  We came to that point, and learned a few things. 

Where to find potential help? 

Our best responses from potential people came from responding to ads on craigslist with a form response that said which hours I wanted help and describing my situation. I posted a similar ad (with the hours and my situation) on craigslist and on a local university job board.  I got a few responses from the university students, but was hesitant because all those kids will leave in 2-3 years and take vacations for summer etc. but found them to be much cheaper (in the $10-$12 range). Better yet, ask around and see who your friends recommend.  I got a lead from someone's synagogue group and someone else's mom's group (neither panned out - maybe because they weren't actively looking for work).  There is a group here called Lamorinda Moms (similar to Berkeley parents Network) and these groups often pass around referrals or names of people they have used that are looking for work.

How much will it cost?

Prices seemed to be $10-$14 for people who did childcare between jobs, $15-$18 for a professional nanny (+$2/hr per additional child), and $20-$22 for a preschool teacher.  But remember, we live in the SF Bay Area.

Make sure you know about the nanny tax rules when calculating their rate.  They will be an independent contractor if they earn below a certain threshold monthly. Make sure you are both on the same page as far as payment schedule and who pays the social security and medicare portion to the government.

How do I do an interview?

I found the job application at the bottom of this post online and revised it a tiny bit and had everyone fill it out then I talked to them.  Make sure the kid is at the interview, and watch how they react to him (i.e. that is the real interview).  I did a lot of describing our day during the interview and asking if they had done those specific things before. Most answered "yes" or "good idea" or something else affirmative and some I think were lying.  I showed them around and offered them water or something to help them relax.  I made sure to ask for examples about how they discipline a toddler and what to do when a baby is crying so so so hard. I also wanted to make sure they were willing to do other things besides childcare like dishes and laundry.

I always interviewed on days when my husband was working from home (just because I didn't want any creeps around when I was alone); you could do weekends if you don't have that luxury.

What if I like someone?

Call references!  Tell the person you want to hire them and will be calling their references.  Ask them to describe the people you will be calling. Then go make those calls.

Example Qs:

1. Tell me about XXX
2. Was s/he on time?
3. Did s/he follow your family rules?
4. What about XXX (odd thing about them you noticed during interview)?
5. How about xxx (what you liked about them during interview)?
6. Confirm pay rate, ages of children, amount of time s/he worked there, why s/he left
7. What else should I know?

How long will this take?

It took us 4- 6 weeks and I interviewed 8 people. It is a lot of work, and these are your kids. Imagine you are your child. What would it feel like to be with this person for the allotted time period?  Take your time and make sure you are comfortable in your decision.

What do I do the first day?

Make sure you check their legality to work in the US and get a copy of this and their CPR certification (if you are requiring CPR certification).  Have them fill out whatever necessary paperwork for taxes you need, like a W9 for a contractor and a W4 and I9 for a nanny. You also need to comply with laws for employees regarding new hire reporting for nannies.

We also gave our gal an info sheet that included FAQs and a guide to the house.  On it, we included our House Phone #, Emergency Contact Info, Health Insurance Info, Snack/ Meal Ideas, Activity Ideas, How to Potty the Children, Basic Daily Schedule, Extra Notes (specific to each child), and Tips (like wash hands, and some basic parenting ideals [i.e. Describe what they did instead of “good job” (ex: “you drew a red circle”)].  It also included Household No’s (including  Do not come to work sick, or if there is a chance you may be sick and no photos or names of our kids on the internet (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and a list of Standing Chores.  We put this in a laminated sheet into a binder with paper in the back.  Every time she comes, we leave her notes in the binder and she leaves us notes in the binder.  We find this works for us in case the transition in or out is too hectic ~ we don't want to forget anything.

How do I know Everything is ok?

Ask the sitter.  Ask your kid/s.  See how your kids are acting afterwards. Does the sitter and/ or children seem frazzled?  Happy?  Relaxed?

++++++++++++++++++++++

Here is the job application I used (feel free to modify and use it):

You must:

1. be at least 18 years of age [or have parental permission]
2. be able to provide your own transportation
3. have experience with children of various ages
4. be a non-smoker
5. be able to provide 3-4 references (no relatives)
6. be CPR certified
7. LOVE kids!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Personal Information

Current Drivers License #: 

Full Name [First, Middle, Last Name]:

Cell Phone Number [with area code]:

E-mail Address:

Current Mailing Address:

Past Mailing Address (these may be used for a background check):

Age:

Birthday [Month/Date/Year in number format please]:

Classification [freshman, sophomore, graduate, working professional, etc]: 

Field of Study [past and/or current]:

Current and/or Previous Job:

Hometown:

Rate/ Pay Schedule:

Short Questions

When are you available to begin babysitting?

What is your current availability?

Mon:

Tues:

Wed:

TH:

F:

Sat:

Sun:

How long will you be able to commit to babysitting for our family?

Tell me about your experience with children. [How long you have worked with children and/or babysat, types of jobs or volunteer opportunities you have had that involved children, ages of children you have worked with, etc]

What ages of children do you have experience with?  Do you have a favorite age group? If so, why?

Why do you enjoy babysitting?

Do you think children enjoy being around you?  Why or why not?

What are three words that your friends would use to describe you?

1.

2.

3.

In terms of babysitting….

1. What do the words “reliable/dependable” mean to you?

2. What does the word “responsible” mean to you?

3. What does the word “commitment” mean to you?

What would you do if a baby were crying uncontrollably?

What would you do if a child missed his/her parents?

What would you do if you got sick the day before a scheduled babysitting job?

What would you do if you got sick the day of  a scheduled babysitting job?

What would you do if a child felt as if he/she had a fever?

Have you been CPR certified within the past year? [Most certifications are only good for one year]

If so, when does your certification expire?

If not, how do you plan to be CPR certified?

*You must be CPR certified

Do you have First Aid certification/ experience?

Background Information

Please answer the following with "yes" or "no".

I will be conducting an all inclusive background check which will bring up anything that has ever been on your record, even if it has been dropped.  Will anything show up that you are aware of?  If yes, please explain.

[It is much better for you to be honest that for me to find out about it without you making me aware of it ahead of time]

Have you received any traffic violations? [DUI, speeding, expired registration tag, no license, etc]

Have you ever participated in, been accused or convicted of, or pleaded guilty to abuse or any sexual misconduct?

Have you ever been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any criminal offense of any kind?

Are you aware of any traits or tendencies that you possess that could pose any threat to children?

Are you using illegal drugs?

Have you ever gone through treatment for alcohol or drug abuse?

Is there anything in your life [past or present] that may affect your ability to provide a safe environment for children?

If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, please explain.

Additional Information you would like to share:

Please list four references of families that you either currently babysit for or have babysat for in the past, or references that have observed your interaction with children [nursery volunteer, principal, etc]. 

First/Last Name of Family	Relationship	Ages of Children	Phone Number	E-mail Address

Thank you for taking the time to complete the application. 

Signature:

Date:

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