The Summer Reading Program, sponsored by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS), is a cooperative effort among the public libraries in Rhode Island to promote reading during the summer school vacation. The program encourages reading for pleasure, the development of positive attitudes about the public library, and provides constructive activities during the long break from school. Eligible children include preschoolers whose parents read aloud to them to sixth graders.

The Summer Reading Program varies in specifics from library to library but in general incentives are provided to encourage children to read a book each week such as weekly raffles, free admission passes to 13 places like the Roger Williams Park Zoo and the Providence Children’s Museum for each book read, and prizes and a party at the end. There will be approximately 240 FREE performances this year by storytellers, entertainers and educators, along with crafts, activity sheets, and many special theme-related events to encourage continued participation throughout the summer.

Children are encouraged to sign up at their local library branches beginning the week of June 22. Sign up dates may vary between libraries.

Details:
• Rhode Island:
For the complete statewide summer reading program schedule, visit Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS).

• Providence:
Providence Public Library Summer Reading Program begins June 22 with sign-ups at individual branch libraries and a complete line-up of activities and events through mid-August. For complete program descriptions and schedule of activities and events, click here for 2009 Summer Reading updates.

• Summer Reading Program Performer Schedule
This years performers include: Julie Garnett, The Great Baldini, Katie Latimer-Palmer, Mad Science, Carolyn Martino, Ronald McDonald, Keith Munslow, Napua O’Polynesia
There will be approximately 240 performances. Events are free but some libraries require pre-registration to attend events or hold them at an alternative location. Please check with individual libraries for more complete information.

• Performance Schedule for all of Rhode Island
• Performance Schedule for Providence Branches

• Summer Reading Lists 2009
Providence School Department Lists, K-8 (Click here)

• Artwork for “Be Creative @ Your Library”
David Catrow created the artwork for “Be Creative @ Your Library” this year. “Quirky,” “offbeat,” “wonderfully weird,” “flamboyant caricatures,” “eccentric characters,”— these are just a few ways reviewers describe David Catrow’s picture book illustrations. Catrow, who is also an award-winning editorial cartoonist, has collaborated with a number of award-winning children’s authors, including Kathryn Lasky, Robert D. San Souci, and Karen Beaumont over the past two decades illustrating dozens of picture books that have delighted children and their parents. He lives in Springfield, Ohio.

A sampling of books illustrated by David Catrow: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont; She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head by Kathryn Lasky; I Wanna Iguana by Karen Orloff; Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz; Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolan; The Boy Who Wouldn’t Share by Mike Reiss; and Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci.

The current state of our economy has thrust many changes onto families in terms of work and finances. Families may need to reassess what type of childcare they need, finding something that fits their needs and budget. Nicole Joel Roswall, a local coordinator for Cultural Care in Rhode Island, shares why an au pair may be a good option for some families.

One consequence of the current economic crisis is that more mothers are working. More new moms are remaining in the workforce, and stay-at-home mothers who chose to put their careers on hold are now finding they need to return to work. With an increase in dual-income households comes an increase in the demand for quality childcare.

In some cases, this rising demand is driving up childcare costs. According to a recent report by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the average price of full-time center care increased an average of 6.5 percent, almost three times the rate of inflation. Escalating childcare costs are having the greatest effect on the nanny business, with nanny hiring down between 10 to 30 percent.

One childcare program, however, has been able to meet the growing demand for childcare with an affordable option for working parents. Cultural Care Au Pair is a childcare and cultural exchange program headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that places au pairs across the country, including all parts of Rhode Island.

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By Katy Killilea

Years of experience, sympathy for children, first-aid certification . . . what makes a great babysitter? For their first few years, our kids’ only babysitters were their grandparents. But grandparents have a habit of going off to Hawaii when they might be needed. So we have had to branch out, and we’ve had a handful of great babysitters, each with their own star qualities.

1.    THE NEIGHBORHOOD KID: A kid, too young to babysit, can be paid a bit of money to work as a “helper” while you are home. You can supervise in a vague way, and be on hand in case of an emergency. If the kid has natural babysitting talent, your kids won’t bug you and you’ll be able to get some stuff done. If the kid’s a dud, your children will pester you the whole time and you’ll know to move on. But if you’ve found a winner, after a year or so, you’ll have a fully trained babysitter who is loyal to you and is adored by your kids.
COST: $2/hour.
WHERE TO FIND THEM: playing on the sidewalk, preferably with a doll, chalk, or rubber ball. PSP addicts need not apply.

2.    THE WHOLESOME TEEN: Teens who are in orchestras and/or run cross country are ideal babysitters. They are disciplined and responsible, yet young enough to play like kids and really have fun with yours. We have a teenage babysitter who plays all of the board games the adults in our family have deemed too annoying (e.g., Cranium Hullaballoo, Chutes & Ladders, Trouble). Prominently place Edy’s Ice Cream Dibs in your freezer so they’ll want to come back.
COST: $8/hour if you drive them to & fro; $10/hour if they drive themselves.
WHERE TO FIND THEM: Houses of worship, or court a friend’s teen-aged offspring.

3.    THE COLLEGE STUDENT: They are often experienced with kids, and don’t mind staying up late. They typically are able to provide their own transportation. One drawback is that they usually move away after a few years; another is that they like to go out with their friends and are not at your beck and call.
COST $10-$12/hour.
WHERE TO FIND THEM: score one from a friend, or check the lists maintained at colleges and universities.

4.    THE PRO: An adult who sits professionally costs more, but will show up on time, have a distracting stuffed animal in her bag in case of a difficult good-bye, and will do your laundry while your kids are asleep. (I heard tell of one who folded clean clothes and figured out where to put everything away as well!) And she will not Jo Frost you with criticism, charts, and advice. I have never actually had anyone like this in my house.
COST: $15+/hour.
WHERE TO FIND THEM: This is a mythical being, like a unicorn.

Who’s your favorite sitter, and would he or she come over to my house? Please share your tips and ideas by posting comments.

Finding quality childcare for your baby can be a challenging task. Here are a few sites that may help in your search for an arrangement that meets your needs:

• www.optionsforfamilies.org
Options for Working Families is a nonprofit organization that provides a computerized database of licensed childcare providers in Rhode Island.

• www.sittercity.com
Sittercity.com helps to match families with individuals who offer childcare services.  This site lists childcare providers with varying availabilities interested in part-time and full-time positions.

• www.craigslist.org
Although the site does not provide you with any background information, it can be a useful resource to post an ad or search the posts from individuals offering childcare in their homes or yours.

• Local colleges: Check out Brown University, URI, and Providence College for students offering part-time care.

A note to readers:  please add a comment with any childcare resources you know of—we’re always looking for more RI childcare options!

Kristen Kardos, MA Ed., and Kathy McGuigan, MSW, the co-founders of RI New Moms Connection, provide affordable, accessible pregnancy and new mom groups throughout Rhode Island. In “Tips for New Moms” they share their knowledge, resources, and helpful ideas for moms just beginning their journey into parenthood or moms who may need a little refresher.

Editor’s Note: Although “Tips for New Moms” is written with the new mom in mind—to support women in their journey through motherhood—it is certainly not the authors’ intention to exclude dads. Every new parent will find their tips, resources, and insights helpful. I invite all moms and dads to share ideas on how they manage their new role as a parent with Kidoinfo in the comments below.

1.  Reduce your grocery bill. Do not grocery shop when you or your children are hungry—pack snacks for the kids if they accompany you—to avoid hunger tantrums and impulse snack buying. Plan your menus ahead of time and make a list so you’re less tempted to buy more than you need or will use during the week.

2.  Avoid take-out temptation. When making meals, cook a double batch and freeze half to use another time when you are too tired to cook and apt to spend unnecessarily on take-out.

3.  Organize a clothes swap. Plan a mom’s night out or in and make it a clothes, toy, or book swap with your friends. We all have clothes that our children have outgrown, toys they’ve lost interest in, or books they no longer read. One child’s neglected puzzle or train set is another child’s new treasure so let the swapping begin. Make the evening fun and economical by having a potluck with contributed snacks and drinks. Decide the swap parameters ahead of time: should it be a free-for-all with anything people have to offer or should it have a single focus like clothes or toys only?
Related: Plan a Craft Exchange and A Touch of Pink but Mostly Green: A Baby Shower of a Different Color

4.  Borrow from the library. Cut down on how much you spend on renting movies or DVDs from Blockbuster or on your monthly Netflix fee by using your library card to borrow books, DVDs, and passes for local venues such as museums and zoos.
Related: Fast, Free DVDs: the Ocean State Library Network

5.  Trade for childcare. Organize a babysitter swap with your friends – either as a direct trade or as a babysitting coop.
Related: Form your own camps and clubs

6.  Turn everyday places into mini field trips for your children. Visit pet shops to see the fish, visit music stores (like Borders) to sample music with the giant headphones, or visit a new library that has a children’s room.
Related: Book a Rhode Trip

7.  Shop secondhand, consignment, or thrift shops. Find clothes, toys, books, and baby gear—slightly worn but sometimes still in its original package—at a fraction of their retail price. There are a number of fabulous shops to pick from—some cleaner and more organized than others—check our list here.
Related: Learn how to consign clothes for store credit. (more…)

Our new Kido contest is sponsored by Pawtucket Day Child Development Center.

School is almost out. Do you know what your children are doing this summer yet? Pawtucket Day offers programs designed specifically for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and children before and after school up to age 12, including all-day camp during the summer. In their modern building and large, secure play yard, children learn from teachers educated in child development. The chef serves breakfast, lunch and a snack every day. This “hidden gem” is located on a secluded one-way street in Pawtucket, convenient to Route 95.

Click to enter the contest and see details regarding prize!

This contest is now closed. Contest ended June 30, 2008.

Our previous summers have included a mix of necessary childcare and warm weather family fun. In order to carve out some time for my work, we arranged for my boys to spend part of each week at the fabulous home daycare they had attended since they were 18 months old, and then we enjoyed a family membership to a swim club and many visits to local beaches and trips to see family on Cape Cod and in Maine. Now that my boys are six (almost seven this summer), they have outgrown the home daycare—but since I still work, some form of childcare is a necessity. My job as an online publisher and freelance designer allows me the luxury of flexible work hours, so I am in the market for a camp or childcare that will take us through the summer but does not require a five-day-a-week commitment. Not so easy, I have discovered.

I would like to share my research and insight, and I welcome your ideas on what to do with children during the summer in regards to childcare. (There will be lots more opportunities to trade tips on fun summer activities and family daytrips in other posts.)

Summer options for children include: go to summer camp; continue the year-round childcare/daycare they already have; hire a nanny, au pair or babysitter; join a swim club with a babysitter; spend time with grandparents; or swap childcare with friends. Let me know if I am forgetting anything.

Which one of these ideas or combination works best for your family will depend on your child’s personality, your work schedule, and your budget. Here is a list of helpful suggestions to make this process a bit easier:

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Looking for a playground in Providence? Want to have a picnic in Bristol? Check out the new Kidoinfo Parks + Playgrounds guide. Where is the closest toy store? How about a list of preschools? Our Resource section is brimming with information about Shopping, Education and Childcare and many more resources to follow. Kidoinfo makes it easy to find what you need. Tell your friends. Visit often.