Michelle LaRowe - Nanny to the Rescue!: Straight Talk and Super Tips for Parenting in the Early Years

Praise for Nanny to the Rescue!

Lots of good parenting ideas from someone who has been there. Easy to understand and user friendly

Thomas W. Phelan, PhD

Author of 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12

Nanny to the Rescue! is the most practical guide I have read on the topic of pre-school parenting. Michelle LaRowe covers all the major decisions and dilemmas parents will face while raising their preschoolers. As a parent and a family advocate, I appreciate her insight and realistic solutions to common every day occurrences. I encourage all caregivers to read this book.

Joseph A. Sapienza

Senior Pastor, Celebration International Church

Founder, Bread of Compassion

Michelle LaRowe has put the parent back in parenting with her no-nonsense approach to the worlds greatest profession. Our family loved her confident thats just the way we do it approach so much that now even our girls say it to one another.

Lynne Kenney Markan, PsyD

CEO, Real Time Moms

Michelle LaRowe knows her stuff! As a former nanny to the stars and now a parent myself, I can assure you her talk is straight and her tips are excellent. Her suggestions are so helpful and easy to put into action that even Mary Poppins would have carried this little treasure in her magic bag.

Suzanne Hansen

Author of Youll Never Nanny In This Town Again, The True Adventures of a Hollywood Nanny

NANNY TO THE RESCUE!
Copyright 2006 Michelle LaRowe
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214.

The author is represented by the literary agency of WordServe Literary Group, 10152 S. Knoll Circle, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

LaRowe, Michelle R.

Nanny to the rescue! : straight talk & super tips for parenting in the early years / Michelle R. LaRowe.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8499-1232-6

1. Child rearing. 2. Parenting. 3. Parent and child. 4. Toddlers. 5. Preschool children. 6. ParentingReligious aspectsChristianity.

I. Title.

HQ769.L2494 2005

649'.123dc22 2005024088

Printed in the United States of America

06 07 08 09 10 VG 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

To the Kuntz family,
whom I have served
for more than six years

W hew! If I didnt cry out and praise God for this one, the rocks certainly would. This project was a God thing from the get-go. Thank You, Lord. I give You all the glory.

I am also deeply grateful to the following people:

Karen and Rick Kuntz You gave me the privilege of loving your children unconditionally, and you allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. You welcomed me into your family, home, and hearts, and I treasure the bond that we have built. Its been amazing to see your family grow. Ive been blessed by you.

AustinYour spirit makes my heart smile. I love you more than the biggest ice-cream sundae. That day you stretched your arms out and told me, Shell, I love you this much, I knew I had done my job well and had conveyed to you the unconditional love that I have for youthe same love that God has for each one of us. Near or far, that love will remain strong and last forever.

FraserYoure right: we will be old friends. At the young age of four, when you first shared this with me, I bet you didnt know the depth of those words or what they would mean in times to come. Over the years, those words have brought me great comfort. I love you with as much love as I know how to give.

Boys, remember what I have taught you. I certainly remember all the things you have taught me. Love and respect your parents, always.

MomYou gave me two amazing gifts that helped me get where I am today. You taught me the meaning of unconditional love, and you assured me that I could achieve anything I put my mind to. You gave me a strong foundation in a Christian home. Youve been my best friend, my encourager, and my supporter, and you taught me more about parenting than we ever knew! I love you. Youve done your job well.

Greg JohnsonIll never forget answering my phone and hearing a voice on the other end ask, Are you a woman of faith? That was the question that got us where we are today. Thank you for taking a chance on me and bringing this project, and others to come, into being. Your love, guidance, patience, and commitment to me and to our projects have made the magic happen.

Becky JohnsonGo ahead and confess it: you are an angel. You literally taught me how to write and how to find my voice. Your loving, kind way of teaching and encouraging me made me press on and never give up. Thanks for investing in me.

Debbie Wickwire and the W Publishing Group teamAs you said, I think we broke some records! Overnight, we brought a dream into reality. You made the unlikely, likely. Thanks for your passion and dedication to our project.

Jeanie FlynnThe risk you took paid off! Thanks for putting the PR time in on this kid, long before we knew what was to come.

P. K. Walsh, Hair Solutions for WomenHere, hair!

Members of the International Nanny Association, Christian Nannies, NationalAssociation of Nannies, Boston Area Nannies, and all the local Boston agencies thathave unwaveringly supported me over the yearsThank you. I hope you are as proud of me as I am of you in the amazing strides we have made in the nanny industry.

Barbara Chandra, Sylvia Greenbaum, and the Boston Nanny Centre teamThe day you told my employers you found their perfect nanny, you were right!

Thank you.

Katherine Leary Robinson of Beacon Hill NanniesYou are a great mentor. Thanks for your guidance and support over the years.

The members of Celebration International ChurchYour prayers and encouragement have been felt. Im glad we are family.

Kim and all the young adults at CICI love you! Press on in unity.

My friends who support me always, through the good, the bad, and the uglyThank you, thank you, thank you.

E ver had a crying child who wouldnt eat her dinner? Or a screaming toddler who wouldnt give up until he got his way?