Sheila's Blog at Care.com

We Have a Winner!

Sheila — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:19:52 -0500

Today, I’m so happy to announce the winner of the first ever Year of Care Giveaway!

In September and October, we invited all new and current members of Care.com to enter the Year of Care Giveaway to give their family a chance to win $12,445—the annual cost of child care according to the State of Care Index. We chose one winning family at random and today I’m introducing them to the Care.com community!

Karie Fristoe is a stay-at-home mom who’s a former kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. She and her husband Matthew have three beautiful children: Madilyn, Tegan, and Kambria. And they’ve just won a year of child care from Care.com!

Meet the Fristoe Family
After they had their first child, the Fristoes made the choice to have Karie return to work. As any parent knows, that’s a tough decision.

“After my first,” Karie said, “I went back to work. But almost all of my paycheck went to child care. You’re at work, missing your babies, and not loving what you’re doing.”

Eventually, Karie was able to become a stay-at-home mom, but that didn’t eliminate their family’s need for child care. Each of their three children has different needs and Karie found it tough to juggle the options. Her youngest, little 5-month-old Kambria, isn’t old enough to be out of the house all day. But her other two children are older and were “chomping at the bit” to get out, visit nearby Sea World or go to the zoo. Those simple day trips and playdates seemed out of reach. Karie’s mom pitched in to help with babysitting, but the Fristoes felt they couldn’t turn to their relatives for all of their child care needs.

“I can’t put all my babysitting needs on my mom and didn’t want to go with someone I didn’t know,” Karie said. “I saw an ad for Care.com. I went to the site and found three great caregivers…I so desperately needed to find somebody. I found several different girls, requested their background checks—that was a huge help to me!”

Now, Karie has someone she can trust at home to watch one or two of the kids while she’s able to spend one-on-one time with her other children. Having that extra quality time is so great!

“It’s like I fell in love with my children all over again,” Karie said.

I’m so happy Karie was able to find three babysitters from Care.com. One of them is a mother of six, who Karie says “has even more experience with babies” than she does! Now, with the money she’s won from the Year of Care Giveaway, she plans to use these great babysitters a little more.

“We’ve budgeted in other areas for sitters—they’re not cheap nowadays,” she said. “I’m trying to do as much as I can…Actually getting my kids out of the house and changing pace is great. It’s like heaven, but it’s not cheap. It’s definitely a luxury to afford a babysitter.”

Karie also told us that they plan to put her oldest daughter into preschool for three days a week which will give her a chance to make friends and get a jump start on her education!

We ran the Year of Care Giveaway to bring attention to the high costs of child care. Balancing work, family life, and paying for care can be such a burden. There are so many families out there just like the Fristoes who have to decide whether paying for full-time child care is worth having a second income, make budget decisions based on babysitters, and rely on relatives to help out with care.

How does your family find the right balance between cost and quality care? If you have tips or ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Who's Your Care Hero?

Sheila — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:52:45 -0500

Who’s your Care Hero? Who’s that special person who makes your life easier, shows love for others, and gives so much of themselves?

For me, that has to be Ron—he’s such a great coach, handles so much of the daily shuffle, and is a terrific role model for both our boys. I try to thank him often for everything he does for me, Ryan, and Adam, but I also want to also let him know today that he’s my Care Hero.

In celebration of National Family Caregiver Month, we’re giving you the chance to honor the heroes in your life. These are the family members, babysitters, nannies, senior caregivers, pet sitters, and teachers who make our lives easier! Nominate a caregiver and they could win a $500 Care Package (And you can win “thank you” prizes for entering them, too!). We want to hear stories about the people in your life who go to great lengths every day for those they love or work for.

Through the rest of November, visit Care.com on Facebook, post a photo of a caregiver and write a few words on why they’ve been a Care Hero to you and your family. Then get your friends involved—their comments on your nominee’s photo will help them win the contest!

At the end of each week, we’ll choose a Care Hero finalist. Each finalist will win a $100 restaurant gift certificate and whoever nominated them receives a 3-month subscription to Care.com.

On December 1, we’ll choose an overall winner and name them the 2009 Care.com Care Hero. The winning caregiver will receive a $500 “Care Package” including hotel stay, tickets to a show, and dinner on us. As a thank you, we’ll also give the nominator a $100 restaurant gift certificate to show our appreciation.

Say thank you to the special caregiver in your life! Nominate them to be the 2010 Care.com Care Hero! You can enter your caregivers and see all the entries on the Care.com Facebook Page.

Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform

Sheila — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:52:16 -0500

We have two wonderful puppies in our family. There’s Blake (our Cairn Terrier) and Sydney (our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). You can see their pictures right at the top of the page. Aren’t they cute?

I adore both of them and don’t know where I’d be without their love and companionship. On the weekends, two of my favorite things to do are play with our puppies in the backyard or watch a family movie with Blake and Sydney curled up at our feet.

If you’re an animal lover like me, you know how powerful the relationship can be between you and your pets. The bond is so strong that they become more than just pets; they’re family members (who are just a bit on the furry side).

Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform is a terrific book of stories about people who adopted pets in need and discovered they were actually the ones who needed rescuing. Each story is touching, heartwarming, and will bring tears to your eyes—especially when you see the beautiful photographs that accompany every tale.

There’s the story of Bill, a man who made it through a shattered romance with the love from his dog, Jack. I think my favorite might have been Phil, a down-on-his-luck guy who found an orphaned fawn, nursed it, and now takes long, healing walks in the woods with the fully grown deer, Li’l Buck. Page after page, you can’t help but be moved by the dramatic stories of rescued animals.

It makes me want to adopt a dog just like my brother did a few months ago! Maybe we have room for one more in our house?

Have you adopted a pet? Have your animals changed your life? I want to hear how they’ve impacted your family!

We have four copies of Karin Winegar’s amazing book, Saved (which is now out in paperback), that we’d like to give away to the most touching stories. Post a comment, tell us about your pets, and we’ll send out a copy of Saved to the four most powerful pet tales.

I can’t wait to read them all!

Free Access to Care.com

Sheila — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:24:12 -0500

We had so much fun with the first Care.com Free Weekend back in April that we’re doing it again! Mark your calendars, because this coming weekend we’re opening Care.com to all users.

The White House has declared November as "National Family Caregiver Month" (organized by our friends at the National Family Caregiver Association). It’s a time set aside to recognize the great things that caregivers—whether they’re hired providers, caring friends, or devoted relatives—do for the people they love. We’re hosting our second-ever Free Weekend to help raise awareness for National Family Caregiver Month and to help families connect with great, local caregivers!

So from Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, we want as many people as possible to see how our service helps families find great babysitters, nannies, senior home care aides, special needs care, and more! Tell your friends, because they’ll be able to use Care.com to find and contact local care providers, view their full profiles, and run background checks.

But it’s only for three days. After Sunday, things return to normal.

Last April, tens of thousands of families either met great caregivers during our first Free Weekend or created and screened lists of potential backup care providers. These lists are great to have prepared for those inevitable care crises life throws our way: a child care center closes, a sitter gets sick, or you have to travel on a last-minute business trip. For example, did you know 82 percent of families took time off from their jobs or altered their work schedules last year when they experienced a crisis and needed last-minute care (State of Care Index)?

Tell your friends that this weekend, for just three days, they can get a full look at all the benefits a Care.com membership offers. We’re looking forward to having them join the Care.com community!

Beyond the Minivan

Sheila — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:54 -0500

I’m so excited—the Huffington Post has asked me to write a regular column in its Living Section! Like I do here on my Care.com blog, I’ll discuss timely parenting and care planning issues. It’s an honor to contribute to a website with such a stellar lineup of writers and newsmakers!

You can check out my latest column here. The position of women is changing within the work force—within the next year or two, we’ll pass men as the majority of employees in America. Recently, The Shriver Report—a new study on women from California’s first lady, Maria Shriver—reported that “Mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families.”

And yet, at home in two-parent families, women still make the majority of child and senior care decisions. The male/female balance in the working world is evening out… yet we haven’t seen a corresponding change in the home. Women still bear the brunt of the care planning burdens. When do you think that will change?

Post a comment on or tweet my Huffington Post article: Beyond the Minivan: Women and Care Arrangements. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Mom Sends the MSG

Sheila — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:17:40 -0500

I’ve written before about the dangers of texting while driving (it can make you 23 times as likely to get into an accident). Not long ago, I heard about a great campaign that’s encouraging moms to set a good example and stay off the phone while they’re behind the wheel. It’s called Mom Sends the MSG and they’re asking mothers to sign a pledge to keep their minds on the road when driving.

I think this is a great idea. More parents (and care providers!) can set a good example for children and improve safety on the roads by eliminating distractions and focusing their full attention on driving.

Would you sign the pledge along with me?

“We pledge to model safe behavior when we drive.

As moms, we want safer roads.

We know the time has come for us all to recognize the risks of distracted driving, to be more responsible, and to mind the wheel.”

Is Halloween Too Scary?

Sheila — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:18:10 -0400

Halloween is just around the corner. I love this time of year! The leaves here in the Northeast have changed and dropped from the branches, and the air has that slight chill in the morning—it’s such a fun season. Plus, I’m excited because it’s almost time for the annual Care.com Halloween Party where we get to see all our team’s kids and family members in creative costumes!

The other night, I was walking through the Halloween costume aisle looking for what I’m going to wear this year. They had some great ones—especially the cuddly baby costumes, which make me want to ask Ron about having another one! But they also had kids’ costumes that I thought were too over-the-top, scary, or violent.

There was an “evil pumpkin” mask that looked like something someone robbing a convenience store would wear, only scarier. Zombies and vampires seem to be the most popular costumes this year. Some are those okay, but there are plenty that lean toward overkill with the fake blood and gore. And don’t get me started on the fearsome array of plastic weapons!

The costume aisle is scary enough. But when you get home and turn on the television, you’re bound to be bombarded by commercials for movies like “Halloween II” or “Saw VI.” They’re on all the time! And even the “approved for TV” versions of the trailers are dark, violent, and bloody. To be honest, they scare me and our fourth-grader Adam (who, by the way, turned 10 just a couple weeks ago!).

A couple years ago, a childhood psychologist at Penn State University, Cindy Dell Clark, conducted a study of six- and seven-year-olds. She found that many parents underestimated the scare factor of Halloween and how it affects their children. Clark said that Halloween is a fun time for adults, but children sometimes have trouble processing the themes the holiday revolves around—particularly the scary stuff like skeletons or death. Often, children are most scared when they don’t understand what’s going on.

We always let Adam pick out his own costume. I think that’s half the fun! But we do steer him away from anything that’s too gory or gross. For our family, it’s possible to have fun and be a little spooky, but do it without being totally scary.

What do you think? Has Halloween gotten scarier over the years? Have kids’ costumes gone too far? How do you help your children pick out their costumes?

And how do you discuss the scary elements of Halloween that might be too much for them to handle?

Try Out the Care.com iPhone App

Sheila — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:17:18 -0400

If you’re an iPhone user like me, you love having all your contacts, email, and info literally at the tip of your fingers. It’s such a great phone, and I use it all the time. Now, I’m happy to let you know that life has gotten a little easier because Care.com has just come to the iPhone!

Call me a little biased, but my new favorite application is the Care.com iPhone App! It hit the App Store last week and it’s the fastest way for on-the-go families to find care. You can use the app to post jobs, contact caregivers, and rearrange lists of your favorite care providers. Also, you can file Care-on-Call requests—our special service when your family needs last-minute care. It’s so handy!

If you have an iPhone (or an iPod Touch), download the Care.com iPhone App (link opens iTunes) for free, and take Care.com with you everywhere you go.

(And once you’ve used it for a while, be sure to rate the app, too!)

Working at Home -- Does Flexibility Matter?

Sheila — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:22:46 -0400

What’s important to you when it comes to your job?

For me, I love the challenges running a company brings. Things change on a daily basis—I never know what will be new tomorrow, who I’ll meet, or what we’ll be working on. That keeps me on my toes!

But most of all, I love working at a company that helps others. I take the most satisfaction in hearing from Care.com members say how we’ve helped their family find care.

Just last week, I was at an event at Isis Maternity here in Boston and a young working mother stood up and talked about how Care.com helped her find a nanny for her new baby. Now she tells all her friends how easy our service is to use!

Everyone’s different when it comes to happiness at work. Recently, a new study of over 100,000 working adults came out showing people in certain occupations tended to score higher in overall well-being. The survey measured things like job satisfaction, emotional and physical health, access to housing or health care, and overall quality of life.

So who was at the top of the list in terms of job satisfaction? It wasn’t the corporate managers, doctors, or lawyers (the ones who made the most money or had the most “prestige”). The employees who were the happiest with their jobs were the self-employed and business owners—people who were their own bosses or worked at home!

Many Care.com members are moms and dads who work or stay at home with their families. With technology making this kind of flexibility possible for millions of employees, it’s not surprising that people take advantage of these types of job opportunities.

Here at Care.com, we’ve tried to create a flexible work environment despite the demands of a growing online company. Many of us are parents, so we try to give our employees a chance to set their work schedules around their family time. We even have a 40-member “Mom Force” that helps with member care and our safety and security features. This team of moms works remotely from their homes, which are spread across the country anywhere from Massachusetts to Oregon. They work with our Member Care Team to review every care provider profile and job post before we put them onto Care.com.

Micki S. and Kathleen R. are two members of the Mom Force. They were kind enough to talk a little about their experience with working from home for Care.com.

We asked them what they liked about working from home. Both gave answers based on being there for their families—something all moms can identify with!

“[I like] the convenience of being home for my son when he gets out of school and being able to take him to his soccer and hockey practices,” said Micki

Personally, I think it takes a special type of person to be able to work from home, especially if you’re a parent. You’re juggling both your work and household responsibilities at the same time.

“It can be stressful trying to maintain the home, shuffle the kids to various activities and school, keep up with the homework, and work at the same time,” Kathleen said. “However, there is nothing that I value more than family, and I love the fact that Care.com allows me the opportunity to use my knowledge and skills along with being home for my children and husband.”

Sometimes when you’re working from home, you trade in some of the things from a traditional office setting and take on a whole other set of challenges.

“If something goes wrong and your computer is down, you can’t work. It’s up to us to get it fixed—and quickly,” Micki said.

Kathleen told us, “Sometimes I miss the social interaction with co-workers, but then we’ll just pick up the telephone!”

What do you think about working from home? It’s definitely something that’s working out for moms like Kathleen and Micki. If you have a family, would you rather leave office life behind and set up a home office? Or do you think you’re just as happy (if not more so) working in a “traditional” office environment?

I want to hear about the parts of your job that makes you happy, so post a comment and let me know!

Flood Relief for the Philippines

Sheila — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:16:55 -0400

As many of you know, the Philippines have been hit by several typhoons over the past few weeks. As a Filipina-American with many friends and family members in the country, these news reports have especially hit home with me. Thankfully, my loved ones are okay, but many haven’t been as fortunate.

The capital, Manila, and northern areas (which supply about half of the country’s rice crop) were hit the hardest. The severe rainfall caused mudslides which swept away property, killed more than 600 people, and caused over $100 million in damage to homes, buildings, and farms.

Right now, the rain has let up and families are beginning to rebuild and return to work. Organizations like the Ayala Foundation (and the Ayala Foundation USA), the Philippine National Red Cross, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization are doing their part to help meet the medical, health, and housing needs of the people in the Philippines. President Obama also announced the U.S. would send $2 million in relief assistance to the country.

There’s more that we can do. This is just the beginning of a long rebuilding process for many people. Our thoughts are with the citizens of the Philippines, and Care.com is also helping support relief efforts. If you’d like to help as well, please visit these organizations’ websites and join us in the aid efforts.