Community Children's Parade for Pre-School Age and Younger

Saturday, June 29th ...

 ... is the annual community children's parade.  Miss Mary's Children's Parade was designed to provide a patriotic opportunity for pre-school and younger grade school children to participate in a holiday parade.  While Kernersville has an exceptional, historic July 4th parade, the length of the route is a little long for younger children.  Mary Mullinax developed a children's parade in the courtyard of town hall specifically for younger children.

As you can tell from the pictures below, children are encouraged to dress up and red, white and blue.  Patriotic music will be playing and the children can march, walk or ride around the town hall courtyard, following behind the 4th of July Parade Queen.

The children's parade is hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Kernersville.  It starts at 9 AM and is free to the public.

Parents are welcome to parade around with their children, or just get out their camera for some memorable pictures.

information provided by the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce

Happy Christmas Eve from Piedmont Triad Living

As you hurry around today finishing up your Christmas list, remember that the memories your children bring away from tomorrow will have nothing to do with the stuff they get or exactly how everything looked and tasted.

It will have everything to do with the way they feel.

Create memories that will last a lifetime 

and don't worry about the details.

Merry Christmas from Piedmont Triad Living!

Finding the Right Babysitter for Your Family

It's time to find a sitter!  You need to find one that meets your needs, your budget, and your family's personality.

What are your needs?  Do you need an afternoon sitter, to care for the children when they've gotten out of school until you're off of work?  A high school student may be the best option for your family.  Do you need a more experienced sitter?  Someone that can help your children with their homework?  Perhaps a college student will work best with your family.  Do you want a sitter that will act as a mother (or grandmother) figure for your children?  A older, mature sitter can fill that need.

Once you've determined the the type of sitter your looking for, how do you find her (or him)?  You can get referrals from family, friends, or neighbors.  You can talk to your child's school to see if they can recommend a sitter, or you can check with your local American Red Cross to see if they have a list of graduates from their Babysitter's Training classes. You can also find local sitters through care.com, which gives families everywhere solutions to their care needs.

You've found a sitter.  Now what?  Schedule an interview to determine if they will be a good fit with your family.  Ask basic questions, such as name, age, phone number, address, and citizen status.  What is their availability and what are their rates?  Use this tool to determine the average rate in your area.

Find babysitters in your area

Ask some conversational questions to determine their experience with children.  What age ranges do they have experience with, and are they most comfortable with?  What activities do they like to do with the children?  Do they enjoy short outings, such as going to the park?  How do they comfort and discipline?  Go here for a complete list of things you should ask a potential babysitter before deciding to hire them to watch your children.

You've found a great fit, and you've hired a sitter that you're comfortable with.  Be sure to continually evaluate this relationship, because your family's needs may change as your child grows older.  Communicate with your sitter and be sure that you're both on the same page.  Continued evaluation and open communication will benefit everyone.  

Piedmont Triad Living is an affilitate with care.com