A. I started  babysitting at age 13, then went on went on to a Day Care Facility, but there I missed the one on one relationships with the children. The other down side was that I got pinkeye, pneumonia, mono and bronchitis all in one month working at the Center.

Later, a friend of a friend asked me to care for a 10 month old and an eight year old full time, so I nannied for two years for them. I watched the baby learn to walk, talk at 12 months, and potty trained and swimming by age two. The sense of satisfaction knowing that I’d helped her progress, had a deep and lasting impact on me. She loved me, I loved her, and we had that connection. She called me ‘My Ashley’.  Being responsible for a child so dependent on me, gave me a sense of responsibility and helped me mature. We danced and sang all day long. The Mom told me “she has a part of your personality”. She took after me and I thought that was so special!  I’ve been close to the family ever since. Recently I sat for them for a family emergency. “We don’t want anyone else”, they told me.

Q. What other experience have you had with children?

A. I nannied for a family in England as a Live-In, and taught summer camps in Canada for two summers, creating and implementing curriculum for 80 children ages 5-10. It was very difficult! But it gave me insights into understanding the dynamics of working with kids of different ages.

Q. What led to your moving into the Nanny Recruiter role?

A. A nanny job with a 14 year old was ending just as Caring Nannies was getting super busy. The timing was perfect.  I’ve had a plethora of experiences as a nanny that help me relate to other nannies and give me the discernment to know if they have the key qualities  for this field.

Q. So how do you pick the nannies?

A. I look for candidates who relate well and are engaging. They need to be able to interact with the child as well as the parents. It’s a family dynamic she’s moving into and she needs to be able to intuitively and  proactively assess needs and meet them. There are so many needs in a household, spoken and unspoken. She needs to be able to look at a room and see what needs to be done. Be reliable, trustworthy, kind, patient. If someone can walk into this office and put me at ease, she can put a child and a parent at ease.

Thinking About Hiring a Nanny?

The Play Factory Will Proudly Host a

FREE Information Seminar for All Parents & Expecting Parents

Thursday, May 30, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Guest speaker will be Beth Weise, Owner of

Caring Nannies  - and Ashley Zehring, nanny recruiter, the largest and most respected nanny and household-staffing agency in Phoenix.

30 years in business!

Learn How to Hire a Nanny & What the Most Important Questions to Ask Are!

Advanced registration is required by May 29th. All attendees will have an opportunity to win a $100 Gift Basket including: 


Certificate for a Free Nanny for 4 hours!!!
2 Harkins Movie tickets with popcorn
Bottle of Wine & 2 wine glasses

To register, please call Caring Nannies at (480) 946-3423

For more information, visit www.acaringnanny.com

The Play Factory is located in The Desert Ridge Marketplace,

21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix – www.playfactoryparty.com

For parents of babies, toddlers, and young children who are considering hiring a professional nanny, or a temporary “Summer Nanny” for their children this summer, The Play Factory at Desert Ridge Marketplace will host a helpful and FREE information seminar on Thursday, May 30, from 7 to 8 p.m. Guest speaker will be Beth Weise, owner of Caring Nannies staffing agency in Scottsdale. Weise will teach parents how to hire a nanny and explain what the most important questions to ask are.

Advanced registration is required by May 29. All attendees will also get a chance to win a $100 gift basket that includes: a certificate for a free nanny for up to four hours, two Harkins movie tickets with popcorn, a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.

The Play Factory is located at 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix. To register, call Caring Nannies at (480) 946-3423. For more information, visit www.acaringnanny.com

Summer Nannies Do Much More Than Just Supervise Children at Home

Summer Nannies do much more than just supervise children. They can plan and implement daily curriculum, monitor your child’s development, and plan fun games and activities at home. During the school year, many children certainly have hectic, busy schedules outside of the home, and the summer heat is a natural cue to slow down, give them time to swim, dream, think, read, draw and paint in the quiet comfort of their own home.

Children are in large groups of 20 to 30 children during the school year so sometimes it’s very refreshing to give them some quiet “alone time” just to relax and slow down. A Summer Nanny allows children to safely be at home and also gives kids time to play with their siblings and simply enjoy being home.

Summer nannies can also help children to write and illustrate their own books, create and record their own music, make movies, grocery shop, and then cook together. A summer nanny can take children to the local museums, the zoo, field trips to the candy factory and fire station, and get them involved in the local library reading program.

Nannies Can Also Help Run the Summer Household More Smoothly

A Summer Nanny can help take an older child to a summer sports camp, and then allow the child to be home the rest of the day. During down time, she can keep up with the laundry, shopping and dinner preparation, or organize the pantry, so when parents come home at the end of the day, they can relax knowing that the day’s most pressing needs have been met.

Cost: Summer Nannies are paid $15/hour or an average of $400 to $500 per week, depending on the number of hours and job duties.

Also, in addition to sending out year-round nannies and Summer Nannies, the renowned Caring Nannies staffing agency – which has been in business for 30 years now – also employs the following:Baby Nurses, Newborn Specialists, Sleep Trainers, Mother’s Helpers, Nanny/Managers, Post-surgery Assistance, Housekeepers, Executive Housekeepers, Chefs, Personal Assistants, Estate Managers, Couples, Butlers, Event Care, Party Childcare, Corporate Backup Care and more. Candidates can be live-in or out, full or part-time or temporary.

How do you cope? First, realize you’ve found the right person for your child. Your child’s strong bonds with others will never diminish his love for you. Having good relationships with caregivers actually acelerates other healthy relationships in his life. Your Nanny is one more person who loves your child.

Secondly, create daily rituals between you and your child, like breakfast, bathtime, reading at bedtime, playing with duplos, or going out for a family breakfast on Saturday mornings.
Knowing there’s something special that just the two of you do will help you get through those moments when you feel replaced.

One Mom frequently came home with a new toy because she felt shaky about her child’s affections. Her Nanny was able to reassure her that no one could ever take her place in his life, and homecomings became much calmer.

You are irreplaceable in his life, and always will be.

Beth Weise