FEBRUARY 2015 FEBRUARY magazine I ♥ Caregivers Kinder Klub Enjoy the company of other parents and toddlers while your little one plays in a safe and Table of Contents stimulating environment. GGMG members receive three passes to any JCCSF Kinder Fun Klub drop-in class – music, art, Spanish, dance or gym. 4 16 www.ggmg.org Letter from the Editor: Child Care and the City: Help Wanted Finding Your Sweet Spot Caregivers aren’t just for your child Finding the right type of care BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kirsten Pfleger Jessica Bernstein-Wax Chair Vice Chair Sarah Soto Ashley Koch Editorial PR/Marketing 5 18 Dallas Strömberg Dhyana Levey Letter from the Board: Professionalism at Home: Events for Kids Secretary Justine Simpson Sara Wilson Evolving in 2015 A Nanny’s Take Updates to membership requirements When your home is the workplace Membership Technology and more Laurel Kellam Jen Morrissey Stef Tousignant Sarah Soto Partnerships Treasurer Nisha Pillai Jessica Salcedo Redemption must be done in person. Bring the cover of the current GGMG newsletter or your GGMG 34 HOW TO REDEEM: membership card to the JCCSF Front Desk. Newsletter must bear the name and address of the GGMG member. COMMITTEE CHAIRS 6 From Womb to World Doulas: There When It Counts Community Support Operations Out and About [email protected] [email protected] Cabin Fever? Get Outside! Jennifer White Vicky Keston Caitlin Mullinix Suzanne Barnecut Changing Child Care Needs 3200 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94118 • jccsf.org/kinderfunklub Beth Jansson Carla Dunn Li’l Kid, Big City: Outer Richmond Shaheen Bilgrami Educational Series Partnerships Allison Zulawski GGMG members enjoy exclusive discounts at the JCCSF on programs and activities for families, including swim [email protected] [email protected] Rain, Rain…Turn It Into a Fun Snow Day lessons, Kinder Fun Klub, birthday parties, Fitness Center Membership and more. Learn more at jccsf.org/ggmg. Angela Cheung Nisha Pillai Katrina Dirksen 39 Playgroups Lynn Perkins ♥ Entrepreneurship [email protected] I Mom: A Mom is Always [email protected] Kristen McGuire a Mom Stacey Delo Celeste-Marie Splan 8 Reflections on a changing relationship Lauren Belden Kate Bartenwerfer Margaret Lilani Ask the Expert: Tara Hardesty Just for Moms Katie Gerber All About Nanny Taxes [email protected] Practical advice to cover your legal bases Flesche Hesch PR/Marketing [email protected] Amanda Hermann Tom Breedlove Addie Bjornsen GGMG at Work Kids Activities Abby Winship Hoyos [email protected] Recruiting 4 Laura Gibson 10 [email protected] Housekeeping Sanny Kataoka Laura Kim Dadlands: Trial by Fire... Magazine Social Events or Poop [email protected] 5 [email protected] A day in the life of a caregiver Kirsten Pfleger Volunteer of the Month Lani Schreibstein Sallie Hess Daniel Stokes Janet Lee Dickey Membership Web Team 9 [email protected] [email protected] Drives & Contest Cathy Tran 12 Ushma Upadhyay Kasey Balin Books for Kids: Love Heather Beckstead Snuggle up with your little Valentines 20 MAGAZINE Laure Latham GGMG Events Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Kirsten Pfleger Sallie Hess 14 30 Senior Editor Art Director Committee Updates Kate Kirschner JoJo Rhee Chevalier Caregiver Attachment: Writers Suzanne Barnecut, Jessica Bernstein-Wax, Shaheen Fostering Healthy 35 Bilgrami, Gail Cornwall, Kait Drace, Juli Fraga, Connections with Baby and New Arrivals Laure Latham, Stef Tousignant Child Care Providers Copy Editors Sonya Abrams, Auburn Daily, Helping your child get the most out of Emily deGrassi, Anna Gracia, Virginia Green, Sandy Woo this relationship Advertising Catherine Symon Juli Fraga Designers Jessica Franklin, Debby Oh, Molly Parnell, Lora Tomova Photographers Natasha Babaian, Allison Busch, Cover Photo by Allison Zulawski Photography; Ryan Lewis, Lindsay Lovier Cover models: Victoria Yankovskaya, Ignacy Zulawski, and Sebastian Zulawski (2) Letter from the Editor: Letter from the Board: Help Wanted Evolving in 2015 By Kirsten Pfleger By Sarah Soto hen Serenity was to hand her off so that I could take a much needed nap, go for a e are pleased to announce several exciting changes experimenting with the idea first born, I walk, or just sit uninterrupted. Of course, I had the benefit of happening within Golden Gate Mothers Group in of offering drop-in play dates strongly resisted already having a caregiver that I trusted, but equally important, I 2015. As of this month, our membership every other month and Wthe idea of hiring help. I had understood that spending a bit of time taking care of myself was Wrequirements have been extended to include mothers with rotating them around the many reasons—two adults worth it. children up to age 11 and to welcome members that have moved city. should be able to care for one Caregivers aren’t just for the child; they are for the parents as out of San Francisco to renew their membership. Members Toddler Playgroups has baby; I didn’t want to pay well, and whether you are looking for full-time care or a few hours meeting this new demographic will have access to the forums, exciting changes ahead as someone to watch her sleep here and there, you can find the right person for your family. receive this magazine, and be welcome at GGMG sponsored well. Some groups are and I never knew when she Jessica explores this concept and provides interviewing tips to events, however, we will not be planning targeted events until we welcoming moms with kids Teresa O’Brien Photography Teresa was going to sleep; and I felt help you narrow the field on page 16. Learn how to improve have heard what you are looking for. of all ages, having more like I had to do productive communication and maintain a professional relationship with We heard the message within the members survey about your themed play dates, and things while someone else was watching her, and I just didn’t caregivers who often become like family on page 18. Confused willingness to allow dads to join GGMG. Most of you encouraged planning mommy only events across neighborhoods. See page 22 have the energy. I didn’t fully understand the concept of a about taxes and paying “over” or “under” the table? On page 8, it, but half of those who did so requested a separate women’s for a sampling of Toddler Playgroup events this month. mother’s helper, and although I embraced having my house Tom Breedlove of myhomepay.com brings clarity. And on page 14, only forum. Unfortunately, our current forum provider does not The GGMG Board and volunteers spent the last 3 months of cleaned by professionals years ago, for some reason hiring Juli helps us work through the emotional side of turning our offer this option. For now, we have put the idea of extending 2014 planning for this year; all of us taking guidance from someone for other mundane, daily household tasks felt precious little ones over to another person. GGMG to dads on hold and will explore the option again within members’ responses in the survey. We have lots of positive uncomfortable to me. GGMG offers great resources in the search for child care—from the website redesign project. energy and are ready to make 2015 a memorable year! We finally hired a part-time nanny when my daughter was forum posts and member recommendations to discounts with Our playgroups committee has some exciting changes in store Happy New Year! about 11 months old. Looking back now, I can’t believe I resisted UrbanSitter and Wondersitter. I hope that each of you is receiving for 2015. First, is a dedicated playgroups subgroup for expectant Sarah Soto works full-time for Williams-Sonoma’s information technology for so long. When our second daughter was born, I didn’t hesitate the care that you need. and new mothers. This is where moms with babies ages 0 to 12 department. She has been a GGMG volunteer since 2009. Prior to her current months and expectant moms regularly meet whether on role as board chair, she served as vice chair of the board and as chair of the Kirsten Pfleger lives in the Castro with her husband, Karl, and their two maternity leave, returning to work, or staying home. The first of Web Team. She lives with her sons, Isaac (6) and Gabriel (4), in San Francisco’s daughters, Serenity and Sierra. She can often be found walking down 18th Excelsior District. Caregivers aren’t just for the child; they are for Street at the speed of a 3-year-old on a scooter. these groups, Infants and Prenatals Meetups led by GGMG volunteer Diana Smiljanic, meets weekly in the Marina. Recent the parents as well, and whether you are looking subgroup forum discussions hint that playgroups in the southern for full-time care or a few hours here and there, part of the city may be coming soon. Visit www.bigtent.com/ you can find the right person for your family. group/subgroup/ggmg_infants/join to join. In addition, this team Our membership requirements have been will continue to host playgroup formation events and is extended to include mothers with children up to age 11 and to welcome members that have moved out of San Francisco to renew their membership. Housekeeping Volunteer of the Month Opinions expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Acceptance COMING NEXT: March—Extracurricular; April—Civic Engagement Congratulations to Corinna Lu, our February volunteer of the month! Cori began volunteering of advertising does not constitute endorsement by GGMG of any products or with GGMG as a copyeditor for the GGMG Magazine in January 2013, and currently serves on services. The editors reserve the right to accept, edit, or reject any content CONTEST: Congratulations to Dena Mendelsohn, winner of the Skin submitted to the magazine.