From Keiki Sitter to Mom, Valuable Experiences Benefit Both Roles

Being a Keiki Sitter has helped prepare Danielle Guthrie for motherhood, and now the experience she is gaining as a Mom is having a positive influence on her role as a sitter.

Danielle works for Keiki Sitters between three and seven times each week, and has done so since she became a Keiki Sitter just over 2 years ago. The experience she gained from Keiki Sitters has given her cultural insights and continuous improvement on childcare techniques as she meets people from all over the world.

“I learn new things all the time from the children and parents I interact with,” Danielle said.

Danielle and her son spending quality time together in a swimming pool.

As a Keiki Sitter, Danielle learned that every parent wants to be the best parent they can possibly be – a feeling she could certainly relate to as a new Mom. “Working as a Keiki Sitter creates a network of parenting information among parents and sitters. I have learned many soothing techniques for young babies, I’ve gained enhanced nutritional knowledge from other moms, and confidence in my ability to make sound decisions about the health, safety, well-being, and mental development of children,” she said.

Being a Mom has enhanced the way she cares for children – and not just because she’s more comfortable singing songs and acting silly in an effort to make them smile. “I feel like being a mother has opened up a part of my heart that naturally makes me feel like a warmer, more loving person, and I feel like children pick up on that,” she said.

How to handle an overactive child

Whether you’re a sitter or a Mom, you’ve probably been faced with an overactive child. There are safe and productive ways that you can help an overactive child to release their energy and remain in control.

Safety steps

It is important to childproof the home and to use products that will promote safety, both inside and outside. High-energy children tend to run or sprint, which can be dangerous, especially when turning corners or walking (or running!) close to the street. They may look a little funny, but children’s backpacks with a “leash” are an effective way to ensure a child is secure, walking within a safe distance from the parent or sitter. They’re available in fun designs, too!

Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy – Monkey, available at Target

Caring communication

It may sound simple, but using kind words is important to do when communicating with all children, and overactive children are no different. Typically overactive children get into more trouble than others, and it is very important for the child to still feel loved and cared about while being guided and mentored.

Bounce it out!

You have an overactive keiki – don’t let him or her bottle all that energy up – let your keiki bounce it out! 808 Bounce has an Indoor Fun Center at the Windward Mall and Pearlridge Center that lets keiki run wild and bounce out their energy for less than $10 all day long. Keiki will have a blast while you get a little time to relax!

What are some of your ideas for how to deal with overactive keiki? Please share them with us!

Kathy Custer named ‘Forty Under 40’ finalist

Kathy Custer, owner of Keiki Sitters & Ohana Helpers, has been named a Pacific Business News Forty Under 40 finalist.  

“Few things make parents prouder than watching their kids grow to adulthood and amount to something,” wrote Pacific Business News Managing Editor Jim George in his column “Forty Under 40 class is truly best of the best.” It’s a statement Kathy and her clients can certainly relate to, always putting keiki and their ‘ohana first. 

In his column, Jim wrote, “At PBN, we like to think of the members of our annual Forty Under 40 class as our kids. No, we didn’t raise them, or even select them for the class. But we’re proud of them, and we take great honor in recognizing them and their achievements.”

Kathy is one of 40 businesswomen and businessmen who will be recognized and honored at the Forty Under 40 event on June 21 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Of the finalists, one will be named the 2012 American Savings Bank Community Leader of the Year and one will be named the 2012 Pacific Business News Young Business Leader of the Year, and it could be Kathy!

More information about the event and ticket purchasing are available from Pacific Business News.

Please join us in congratulating Kathy on the Keiki Sitters Facebook page!

How to ease separation anxiety

When you’re ready for a day or night out of the house, the last thing you need is to feel guilty for leaving your little one home alone. When your Keiki Sitters childcare expert has arrived and you are heading out the door, don’t let your child’s separation anxiety hold you back. There are several techniques you can use to make saying goodbye to your keiki a smoother experience.

Have an adjustment period

Giving your keiki time to adjust to the sitter can be a wonderful transition from spending time with you to spending time with the sitter. Arrange for the sitter to arrive 1 hour early and play with your child while you are home. Your keiki will see that you are comfortable with and trusting of the sitter, so they will see the sitter as a fun playmate that can be trusted, rather than as a stranger.

Don’t say goodbye

Rather than saying goodbye and drawing your child’s attention to the fact that you’re leaving, slip out the door while the sitter distracts your child in another room. Your child will not noticed you left when he or she is happily busy with the fun activity the sitter has planned.

Sitter on stand-by

If you prefer to say goodbye, have the sitter be prepared with books, music, and something your child is easily entertained by ready for when your keiki begins to cry. This approach usually calms keiki in only 5 minutes.

What other ideas do you have to ease separation anxiety? Share them with us, and we’ll pass them along to our sitters!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Moms and Moms-to-be,

Keiki Sitters wishes all of you a very happy and loving Mother’s Day with your family!

What are you doing to celebrate? Whatever it may be, we hope you are having a lovely day. You deserve it!

The business side of Keiki Sitters

Have you ever wondered what it takes to run a business? Tune your radio to 760 AM this afternoon at 2 p.m. to hear Kathy Custer, founder of Keiki Sitters, discuss the business side of Keiki Sitters. It's more than fun, games, and caring for keiki – but Keiki Sitters includes plenty of that, too!

Be sure to give Keiki Sitters a call at 808-861-7294 the next time you need a sitter.

Win a Sephora gift card from Keiki Sitters!

Our sitters are awesome and we know it! We want the world to know it, too. Our reach is expanding on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, and we’re looking to grow it even further. To help spread the word about how awesome our sitters are, we’re raffling off a pretty little incentive.

All new Facebook likes and Twitter followers will be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Sephora gift card! Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter before the April 19 deadline. Oh, and we’ll follow you back, too!

There’s more to Keiki Sitters on Facebook and Twitter than winning a Sephora gift card (but that’s pretty nice, too!). We share photos and news about our current and upcoming events, expert childcare advice including tips for sitters and moms, activity ideas and events for keiki, and much, much more.

See you on Facebook and Twitter! Mahalo and good luck!