Boston Area Nanny Support Group

WELCOME to the BOSTON AREA NANNY SUPPORT GROUP (BANSG) (This site updated July 18, 2011

As of 2011, BANSG organizes the occasional nanny event but is now primarily a clearinghouse of information for MA nannies and a networking resource through the twice-monthly email newsletter.  Meet other nannies in your community for playdates or after-work get-togethers!  FInd out about other local nanny groups and their activities!  Find out about helpful online resources for nannies, many offered by career nannies!  To sign up for the newsletter, email janstclair at aol dot com, with “Nanny News” in the subject line.

Begun in 2000 with monthly social/educational events for nannies, after working together to create the Nannypalooza Boston 2010 conference, BANSG has passed the torch to MAPN (Mass. Alliance of Professional Nannies) for hosting regular nanny events in the Greater Boston area.   The BANSG email newsletter is a great way to keep updated on these and other nanny events in MA.

******CHECK OUT OUR NANNY CONFERENCE PAGE!   NANNYPALOOZA BOSTON was SEPT. 19, 2010!   What a great way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of BANSG!

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(Not Boston-based this year, but worth the travel:)

Announcing

NANNYPALOOZA 2011:

Time: November 5, 2011 to November 6, 2011

Location: Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City, MD

Organized By: Nannypalooza.com

$135 includes all workshops and Keynote, Sat. continental breakfast, lunch, and snack, Sunday hot breakfast, Goodie Bag,  and more!

Great Educational Workshops in 6 tracks:

Child Development

Working with Families

Health, Safety, and Nutrition

Professional Development

Guidance and DIscipline

General and Business Interests

In these tough times, what will set you apart from other nannies when searching for a job? What skills will you need to make you a necessity for a family and not a luxury?

Nannies with specific and extensive skill sets are more employable and have more choices. Families look for nannies that can offer more! Now, more than ever, continuing to stay up to date on the current trends and ideas will make a real difference for you.

Nannypalooza also has many great opportunities for networking. We have lunchtime discussion sessions, evening social events, and lots of opportunities to interact with nannies from all around the United States. Our atmosphere is warm, welcoming and fun. What a great way to recharge your batteries!!

Listen to what a previous attendee said about our conference:

“Reasonably priced, meals offered, great speakers, and proximity all make this an affordable and refreshing, and much needed weekend escape.”

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Most recent BANSG EVENT:  APRIL 30, 2011

Annual Nanny Volunteer Project:

VOLUNTEER WITH OTHER NANNIES! Visit the Volunteer Page (click on the tab above) for full information.

BANSG annual volunteer project, providing childcare in a 1-day well-organized “camp” for blind and visually-impaired children and their siblings at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, while their parents attend a conference nearby on campus.   It’s a lot of fun, you can choose your favorite age range, and whether to work with one impaired child or 1-2 typical kids.  There are craft and cooking supplies, toys, lovely playgrounds, gym time, music and other organized activities.

For some of the parents, it’s their first time being with other parents of handicapped children and having a break from childcare.   Our service and our experience with children is very much needed and appreciated!

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CELEBRATING US!

May 6th was National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day!

The Massachusetts Alliance of Professional Nannies spearheaded a local effort to highlight and openly appreciate the work nannies do.   MAPN organized a relaxed meet-and-greet celebration of National Child Care Provider Day on May 6th from 7:00-9:30pm in Jamaica Plain, MA, open to all nannies (this includes au pairs and babysitters as well); regardless of MAPN membership.  Pizza, drinks, and other lights foods were be served.  If interested in upcoming events, visit: mapn@mapnannies.com.

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OTHER LOCAL NANNY GROUPS:

Join MAPN Free!

The Massachusetts Alliance of Professional Nannies (MAPN) is a non-profit organization that believes in strengthening the voice of the nanny in the workplace and within the childcare field as a whole.  MAPN sponsors workshops, informational sessions, social connections, and activities with the express intent of fostering leadership among nannies and breaking the isolation imbedded within the nanny industry.

Information at http://www.mapnannies.com

MAPN is just starting a book discussion group.   For more information, join MAPN and inquire about the group.

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Greater Boston Nanny Dinners: now officially a function of MAPN!

Join MAPN for free, and sign up for weekly announcements of when and where that week you can meet up with other nannies at a restaurant.   Locations rotate all around the greater Boston area and suburbs, so a location will be convenient to everyone sometime.  Information at http://www.mapnannies.com

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***NEW NANNY GROUP***:

Nanny and Friends of Rhode Island & So. Massachusetts

This group is to help connect local Nannys, parents and other providers for play dates, clothing swaps, field trips, information-sharing and general support.

JOIN ON FACEBOOK  AT http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111570888875212

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Nanny group for Western MA!   Contact Judy at original nanny dot com.

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*****And the group for the area north of Boston:

NORTH OF BOSTON NANNY SUPPORT GROUP

We are an independent social and educational group for local nannies, by local nannies, since 2000. We are also a loose association of nannies connected via an email list (used only to send the twice-monthly newsletter).

All nannies and au pairs are welcome anytime:  experienced, new to nannying,  full-time, part-time, live-in, live-out, young and ‘vintage’ and all ages in between, currently working or seeking work, etc.   Nannies don’t have a water cooler we can gather around to discuss the job.  Come to nanny events, and brainstorm and chat with the only people who understand what we do for a living:  other nannies!

No dues or fees!    We keep our costs down to almost nothing (free meeting space, free speakers, pot luck, etc.) so I can pay them out of pocket, and no one has to stay away from not being able to afford to come.  And other nanny groups’ events that are posted in the Nanny News are also either free, or low-cost.

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WHAT WE DO:

****Click on the tab at the top of the page FOR NEWS OF A MINI-NANNYPALOOZA CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER 2010, RIGHT HERE IN THE BOSTON AREA!

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*Free twice-monthly local “NANNY NEWS” email newsletter, to sign up email janstclair@aol.com with “Nanny News” in the subject line.   Your email address will not be spammed or sold, and all BANSG group emails are “blind copied” so your address stays private.

*IN-PERSON GET-TOGETHERS  (Click on the “EVENTS” page, at the top right side of this page.) **IMPORTANT UPDATE!**

*IN-PERSON GET-TOGETHERS- Sign up for the Nanny News emails for notice of get-togethers in coffee shops, restaurants, playspaces, and other meeting sites!

*NANNY NETWORKING- Find nanny friends in your neighborhood for playdates and after-work get-togethers.  Click on Nanny Networking at the top of this welcome page for details.

*RESOURCES -We will be adding pages and files to this site over time.  Currently there are hardcopy resources brought to in-person events, such as sample work agreements, nanny newsletters, etc.

* WEEKLY NANNY DINNERS- A group of MAPN nannies host a get-together at a different restaurant every week,  all around the various communities in and around Boston so that distance will not be a barrier to any nanny attending at least some dinners.  (See “EVENTS” for more information.)

* WEEKLY PLAYDATES AT A CAMBRIDGE PLAYGROUND-  A group of MAPN nannies get together at a playground in Cambridge every Weds., and welcome other nannies to join them!  Join MAPN or the BANSG newsletter for details.