Tag: texas

Why You Can’t Find a Nanny

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Finding the right nanny for your family can be an overwhelming process. You may receive messages from candidates who suddenly stop responding with no discernable reason. Or, you receive zero responses and can’t figure out why no one is interested.

Here are some common mistakes many families make that can sometime limit the amount of nannies interested in working with them.

A Bad Schedule

The standard 9-5 jobs generally have no issues being filled. Many nannies are desperately looking for consistent full time schedules. However, it can be much more difficult to fill a part-time nanny position. Many families work from home these days and prefer schedules like Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. While that looks good on paper, it is a very inconvenient schedule for most nannies.

If nannies are looking for part-time work, it is typically because they have a second job or they are in school. It would be very rare to find a family just looking for a Monday/Friday nanny. If nannies are in school, taking three days out of the middle of the week when they may have classes is incredibly inconvenient.

If you are looking for a part-time nanny, it is best to consider having an alternating schedule. Have a nanny come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so they can supplement with a Tuesday/Thursday job. Or have a nanny who comes in the mornings, so they can have their afternoons free for classes.

Not Enough Hours

At Wilco Nannies, we require part-time positions to start at 15 hours a week. One of the reasons we do that is because of how difficult it can be to find a nanny interested in less than 15 hours. Many families only see themselves needing a nanny for a single day of the week. For example, maybe they have a consistent meeting on Fridays and simply need a nanny for that time. With few exceptions, nannies are looking for a job as a form of income. So keep in mind, that it will be very difficult for a nanny to pay any bills on less than 15 hours a week. If you are finding you only need care for less than 15 hours, consider looking for a drop-in daycare instead.

Not Enough Pay, or Paying Weekly Rates

Inflation has hit nannies and babysitters too. If you have good hours but still aren’t receiving a lot of interest, consider raising the pay. Another option is to offer nannies extra perks like gas reimbursement or a year-end bonus.

Many family prefer to pay a weekly salary. Unfortunately, that is a giant red flag for a lot of nannies. Some families who pay salary instead of hourly use it as a reason to over work their nannies without fair compensation. Nannies can get stuck working 60 hours a week or spending their working hours cleaning, for little pay.

Also note that, generally, household employees in the state of Texas must be paid an hourly wage.

Wanting to Start Short Term and Then Extend

It can be nerve wracking as a first time parent allowing a stranger in your home to watch your child. Many parents think a simple solution is to post a job asking for a nanny for a few weeks or months. Then if that time period goes well, they want to extend the job for a year. The problem with this idea is that if you post a job for only a few weeks or months, many nannies will pass it because they are looking for long term employment.

It is a much better idea to post how long you intend to have the nanny in your service. Then schedule a trial week with a nanny to make sure it is a good fit. It does not take a few months to know if your nanny will work within your family. If it is a good fit, you will know immediately!

Too Little or Too Much Job Detail

When posting your job, it is important to post just the right amount of information to get the right people interested. The most important things to post are your general location (zip code or neighborhood), how many children, ages of the children, hours, and pay. Forgetting any of these items could cause nannies to express interest and then stop responding when they realize it isn’t enough pay or is too far of a commute.

Many families like to post as many details as possible. Unfortunately, to many nannies, this can be a red flag of a micro-managing family. Keep specifics for during the interview process. Those details are all important and appreciated by your nanny. But in a job post, keep it simple and include the most important details.

Looking for a nanny can be very overwhelming and time-consuming. Here at Wilco Nannies we want to take all the stress and pressure off of your shoulders. Let us weed through the candidates and find the best nannies for your family!

What Should be in Your Nanny Bag

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When Mary Poppins placed her carpet bag on the table and pulled out a lamp, we knew she came prepared! While the average nanny and babysitter don’t need to pack an entire room in their bags, here are some great items to bring on your next job.

Things for you!

Your nanny bag should always have items you might need while you are in someone else’s house. Packing and extra set of clothes can be a lifesaver. We know kids are the best at getting messy! Many of us childcare workers have come to home to realize we have Cheerios in our shirt, or stickers on our pants. You never know when food, paint, glitter, water, or bodily fluids might get on your clothes and make for an uncomfortable drive home.

There are some items that are always good to have on hand when you are spending your day or evening at someone else’s house. Bring your phone charger so you will always be able to stay in touch with the family and call someone in case of an emergency. If you have any emergency medicines, such as an EpiPen, be sure to pack them. Do you wear contacts? Pack some extra contact solution or your backup pair of glasses.

For those of us working late nights or babysitting on Friday evenings, there can be a lot of down time. Consider packing some quiet activities to do while the children are asleep. While watching the TV is always the easiest option, we’ve all been in situations where we don’t know how to work someone else’s TV. And no one wants to be the person that breaks it! Bring a book, your own tablet, something to knit, or anything else you can sit and do quietly until the parents get home.

Things for the kids!

If you are a crafty nanny, have some ready to go crafts in your bag. Simple projects are always the best. Pack some string and beads to make necklaces. Try some stickers, paper, and crayons to make fun pictures. Try these print outs on how to make paper boats and airplanes! 

Sometimes a single item can lead to a night filled with fun. Bring a flashlight and do all kinds of activities! Make shadow puppets or trace shadows on paper. Grab some bubbles from the grocery store! Or make some homemade bubbles with the kids. 

If you are a baking nanny, bring some ingredients for simple recipes to make. Did you know you can make slime with just glue and baking soda? Or fill some sandwich baggies with ingredients for mug recipes! These are easy and quick for kids to make.

Not much of a crafter or baker, bring your favorite board game or childhood book. Kids love to see other things people are interested in. Pulling out an old game or book they may have never seen before can be very exciting! Be sure that all items are age appropriate.

What not to bring!

As excited as we can get to show our kiddos fun things to do, there are some items that are always good to keep at home.

Never bring anything sharp, such as scissors, or anything that could potentially stain, such as nail polish. If you are with children under four years old, stay away from items with tiny pieces that they could swallow.

Always check with the family to make sure there aren’t any items the children might be allergic to, or that are against house rules.

Never bring headphones to a job. It seems logical to put in headphones while the children are sleeping so you don’t wake them up. But it is always safer to be able to hear everything going on in the house in case of emergency.

A “Bad Weather” Plan

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While Texas weather is like spinning the prize wheel at a carnival, we typically don’t have the type of weather that causes cancellations.  However, since most of us are survivors of Snow-mageddon in 2021 and Tree-pocalypse of 2023, planning for potential bad weather has become a necessity.

While bad weather can stop families and nannies from going to work, it doesn’t stop bills from being owed.  It is important to discuss with your nanny a policy for days with snow, floods, or power outages.  Whatever you and your nanny decide, always get it written down in a contract.

Define “bad weather” with your nanny.

Sometimes small ice storms can wreak havoc on our Texas roads.  And sometimes a huge storm early in the morning is gone by the afternoon.  When defining what you consider bad weather to your nanny, the roads should be the primary concern.  If emergency services are asking people to stay off the main roads, your nanny should not be required to drive to work. 

A good rule of thumb is to check with your local school district about cancellations.  If your local school has cancelled classes for the day, your nanny may not be able to come to work safely.

Consider your nannies location and your location.

Very rarely do nannies live in the same neighborhood as their nanny families.  While your neighborhood may be dry as a bone, your nanny’s neighborhood may have been hit hard by a storm.  It should be noted in the nanny’s contract that if the schools in her area are closed, she may not be required to come into work.  If you have to have your nanny come in, consider they might have their own children who’s school has been cancelled.  Be sure to establish your rules on the nanny bringing their own child to work for these days.

Consider your own job expectations.

Many of us are lucky enough to work from home and are not expected to drive in bad weather.  But if you are a person working as a doctor, nurse, police officer, etc you will most likely be required to come into work.  Make sure that is expressed to your nanny upon hiring, as well as in writing.  If a nanny understands they are expected to come in, no matter what the weather, they can plan accordingly.

Letting the nanny spend the night.

Families know their job expectations better than anyone.  If you have very important meetings, or have a job that requires you to come into the office, seeing if the nanny is willing to spend the night can be the perfect solution.  It is very important to have good rules and expectations set for when a nanny spends the night.  Do you have an appropriate place for them to sleep like a guest bedroom or an office?  Will they have access to their own bathroom?  Should they bring their own food?  Also always consider if the nanny has their own family or pets who need their attention.

Is it guaranteed minimum hours or paid time off?

Guaranteed minimum hours refers to the minimum number of hours a nanny is paid during a given week.  These hours should be paid even if the family asks the nanny not to come in to work for any reason, such as the nanny family is going on vacation.  Paid time off refers to days the nanny asks to take off.  With these parameters in mind, bad weather days should always be included under guaranteed minimum hours.  Nannies are not asking for these bad weather days off.  They are being forced to have them off due to outside circumstances.

Above all, the safety of everyone should be at the forefront.  If you wouldn’t put yourself in any kind of danger, you should never expect your nanny to put themselves in danger.

What is the going rate?

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The cost of living has affected everyone, including nannies and babysitter.  With prices rising every day, it can be hard to determine how much to pay a babysitter or nanny. 

At the end of the day, all families must look at their budget to identify what they can afford.  Keep in mind all household workers must be paid an hourly wage.  It is illegal in Texas, and many other states, to pay a household worker a salary. 

Here are some tips to help decide what rates work best for you.

Below $15/hr

This rate should be exclusively for babysitters under 16 years old.  If you have a neighbor who is looking to get into babysitting or a middle school student who wants to start babysitting for the first time, this is the range for you.  Keep in mind how many children are in the house.  If the babysitter is working with two children who will be in bed the majority of the job, the rate can be lower.  If the children are younger, there are more than two, or it is during a time when the children will be awake and active, the rate should be higher.

$15-$20/hr

This is the perfect pay starting for 16 years olds to young adults who are getting into babysitting and nannying for the first time.  This group will most likely have to drive to work which costs gas and car maintenance.  This is also a good pay range for college students who do not have a lot of previous experience working with children.  If someone was a neighborhood babysitter in high school, and now is looking to continue during college, they should be on the higher end of this pay range. They do have school expenses and other living costs to consider. 

$20-$25/hr

Here is the part of the pay range where it can get a little more complicated.  At the lower end of this pay range you will have people who might have some babysitting experience or other child care experience.  This experience includes jobs like church nursery worker, coaching, or camp counselor.  This kind of experience is great training to be a nanny or babysitter.  As we move up this pay range you begin to see people with solid childcare experience.  They have worked for a daycare for more than a year or they have at least one family they worked with long term.  You can also see many people coming from related fields like home health care, teaching, etc..

$25-$30/hr

These are nannies who have already developed great experience in childcare.  They are up to date on their certifications.  They have references they can easily pull from.  They know that working with children is their chosen path.  Determining where they should be within this range should be based on how many children, and the expected duties of the job.  This range is for people who consider being a nanny or a babysitter their job.  Not a side gig, not a hustle, this is their job.  If you are a nanny with at least five years’ experience, this is your starting pay range.

$30+

This pay range is where you start to find your “career nannies”.  Career Nannies are people who have decided that nannying will be their chosen profession.  They’ve worked for several families specifically as a nanny.  They are people with experience not only with children, but specifically with helping families as a nanny.  The range is not only determined by the expectations of the job, but by the experience the people have. 

Perks:

Gas Mileage:  In any nanny or babysitting position where driving is expected to be part of the job, reimbursement for gas should be included.  In the state of Texas, gas reimbursement is 67 cents per mile.

Money for activities:  Many families like for nannies to take their children out to activities or playdates.  Nannies and babysitters should always be reimbursed for these activities.  One option is to provide a nanny with a Visa gift card that you can load money on for your child’s activity expenses.

Bonus:  While not required, it is always a great sign of respect for your nanny to give a bonus at the end of the year.  Something that says “we appreciate you”.

What Kind of Help do you Need?

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When looking for help with the kids and the house, it can be hard to identify the right job title.  Many people look to hire a babysitter, but realize they need help in other places of their home.  It is always good to have clear job expectations for whoever is coming into your home.  A babysitter is great for a Friday night date night, but shouldn’t be expected to do the children’s laundry.  A nanny is great for making sure your children are completely cared for, but shouldn’t be expected to clean the house.  It can all get very confusing.  Here is your guide for what type of care you need.

Babysitter

A babysitter works for a family sporadically.  They may come for a date night on a Friday one week, and the following Thursday for a parent-teacher conference.  Their main expectation should be entertaining and keeping an eye on the children.  It can be normal for a babysitter to cook dinner or help with bedtime routine.  But you should want your sitter’s main focus to be playing.  Babysitters are not expected to perform any domestic tasks besides minor ones for the children.

Nanny: 

A nanny is hired by a family to work a consistent schedule.  Their main priority is to care for the children.  This can include things like the children’s laundry, meals, appointments, classes, homework help, and bedtime routines.  When it comes to household upkeep, the nanny’s main role should be keeping the children’s areas tidy and cleaning up after themselves in other parts of the house.  Nannies are not expected to perform any kind of household care or upkeep for the family unless explicitly asked and put into their contract.

Mother’s Helper: 

A mother’s helper mainly focuses on household help before focusing on children.  They are asked to do more domestic chores such as grocery shopping, laundry, pet care or anything related to the home.  While childcare is a part of their job description, it typically is not the main focus.  Mother’s helpers can be expected to do things like pick up the children from school and watch them for short periods of time, but typically children are not with the mother’s helper for the majority of their work day.  Mother’s helpers are great when you have older children but still need some full-time help.

Household Manager: 

A household manager is expected to do everything!  All children and household related items fall under their care.  Household managers not only will grocery shop, do laundry, and take care of all the children’s needs, they can also make appointments for maintenance and repairs in the home.  They keep the household running in every facet.  A household manager is comparable to a personal assistant.  However, their main focus is helping the entire family instead of just one person. 

Whichever role best fits your needs, it is important to make sure all job duties are clearly decided on before a caregiver is even hired.  It also important to note that while all of these jobs include some kind of tidying up, caregivers should never be expected to deep clean the home.  Anyone you bring into your home to fulfill the above roles is there to help support your family.

How to Interview a Nanny

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When finding someone to care for our children, we want everything to be just right!  The interview process is one of the most important parts of finding a nanny.  It is your opportunity to make sure the nanny has the experience you are looking for, and that you have a good rapport with them.

Your relationship with your nanny is an odd one.  You are not only their boss, but they are a part of your personal life.  Even if you find a nanny with amazing qualifications, it won’t mean anything if you can’t stand being around that person.

Interview Tips:

Have the interview face to face

With a busy schedule and the ease of technology, it can be very tempting to simply schedule a zoom interview with potential nannies.  But this is the type of relationship where seeing if you “click” with a nanny is extremely important.  It is also a good way to make sure you are speaking with someone who is able to make appointments on time.

Keep the interview childless

It may seem logical to include your kids in the interview process.  You want to see how the nanny interacts with the children.  While it is important, that should be done after the initial interview with the nanny.  Kids are kids and they can be very distracting during a meeting.  It’s better to focus on the nanny and her answers than kid chaos.

The personal and the professional

Think of this interview in two parts:  The professional questions and the personal questions.  It is important to know if the nanny has the qualifications you are want, and that you can have a good relationship with them.

Professional Questions

How long have you worked with children?

Are you available for all of the hours we need?

Are you comfortable with the length of the job?

Are you CPR certified and willing to get a background check?

What household responsibilities are you comfortable with?

Personal Questions

Tell me about where you are from?

How did you end up in childcare?

What is your favorite activity to do with kids?

What is your least favorite thing to do with kids?

When this job ends, what do you see yourself doing?

Many parents get overwhelmed with the interview process and worry that they may be missing a giant red flag. But trust your gut! If the nanny meets all of your requirements and you spent the last hour of the interview talking about your favorite reality TV show together, it is a good sign! But even if an interview goes well, ALWAYS have a trial week. With those two things, you will know very quickly whether you have found the right person.

A Trip to the Trail of Lights

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It seems like ages since we’ve been able to walk the famous Austin Trail of Lights. But it is finally back! After last night, I am trying to remember if it was always this fun, or if they added some new things. Regardless, check out all the tips and tricks we wish we knew before attending the Trail of Lights

Tickets

The Trail of Lights is a free event. You do not need to buy tickets. But to make life easier on yourself and your little ones, you might want to consider it. The Trail of Lights has Zip Passes that allow you to get into the park at 6pm before the public opening at 7pm. This is perfect for the under four crowd! You can avoid the rush, still see all the lights, and get home before the inevitable meltdown. There are lots of other VIP and platinum passes which get you into nice, private areas. But there is so much to do and see regardless, it feels unnecessary.

Parking

If it is in your budget, buy parking passes! Yes they are expensive, but it will make life so much easier, especially if you have little ones in strollers. Parking passes allow you to park in a gravel parking lot by the event, or at Austin High School. Austin High School parking is very easy to drive to, but it is still a bit of a walk to Zilker park from the school.

Traffic will always be crazy no matter what day or what time you will go. Give yourself at least 30 more minutes than you think you will need. If you decide to forgo the parking pass at the event, some of the local churches or businesses may let you park for cheap. Be wary of parking in the neighborhoods around Zilker. While some neighbors may be okay with it, no one wants to find out it wasn’t allowed and discover their car has been towed at the end of a long night. You can find more parking information HERE.

Food

This is Austin, so you can count on one thing at every event and that is AMAZING food. The first area you will come across is Candy Cane Lane which is the location of all the food trucks. This is not the only food stop, but it is the best one if you are eating dinner at the trail. If you have little ones who suffer from hanger (hungry +anger), this should be your first stop. The lines will be long no matter which food truck you pick. Have the kids pick out what food they want, let one parent stand in line, and go find a table with the kids. The tables are all picnic benches and it can be tough to snatch one up before another hungry family does.

Once you pass the food trucks, there a lots of snack stops to get kettle corn, hot chocolate and other treats. One new treat stop we found was the s’mores station. This was fantastic! Each s’mores package contains enough for two s’mores. If you have more than one child, it is more than enough to split between two. Don’t feel like each child needs their own smores kit. I promise you, it is too much food! We then traveled to some lovely firepits to roast our marshmallows and scarf them down in the traditional, savage manner.

The festival has also added several drink tents for adults. The drinks are really good and a nice reprieve from the chaos of event. But in true event form, the drinks are heinously overpriced. Personally I’d recommend putting my money toward the spiced apple cider in the Napa Valley Tent. Alcoholic beverages can not be taken out of the eating and drinking areas. If the kids need a small break to sit, this is the time to enjoy the adult beverage!

Things to do

Obviously the main attraction is the lights! There are amazing light displays through the entire park. There are so many fun tunnels to walk through with the kids. They even added bubble machines to certain areas! Be picky where to take that family photo. By the time we got to the last tunnel, there were a lot of exasperated kiddos who were done smiling for the camera. My personal recommendations are to get a picture at the grand entrance and a picture in the blue bat cave later in the walk!

As you move along you will come to the North Pole. This is the section of the trail where you can meet Santa, mail letters to Santa, and see his workshop. It is as adorable as you think it is! Once again, expect long lines. They seemed to be moving fairly quickly, though. This is another great spot to take pictures! It was very cute watching all the kids with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Past the North Pole you have Zilker Square where the amazing ferris wheel and carousel are located. More lines to contend with, but again they have a system and are good at keeping the lines moving. The ferris wheel and carousel are fun to watch so it can be a nice distraction for a bit.

The last section you will pass is the Holiday Village. This is the point where all the kids are burnt out, which is a shame because this is where all the live music and movies are located. If they have the energy definitely stop by. But if you have gotten a few “How much longer” questions, you can skip it.

There is the final stop of the large Christmas Tree. It is a time honored tradition to head over the the tree, look straight up, and spin until you get dizzy. It is very easy to get to, but could be tough with strollers. While it is a fun tradition, it is not a priority. If the little ones aren’t interested, it will be there next year!

Tips!

This event is a lot of fun, but can also lead to a meltdown quickly if you haven’t planned ahead. If your kids are under five, bringing a stroller or a wagon is a must! It’s going to be a long night even if you skip some of the areas. No matter when you go, there will be crowds to contend with. Having your littlest ones in a singular spot where you can keep an eye on them is a big help. For the older kids, have a plan in case you get separated. We always say, if you get separated, head to the ferris wheel. It is the biggest and easiest location to find in the whole trail.

Make sure you check the weather! We arrived at the event with a lovely 60 degree breeze. We were wondering if we should’ve left all our jackets in the car. As the night went on the, the temperature slowly but surely began to drop all the way to a crisp 40 degrees. We were very happy to have our coats and very grateful to our friends who thought to bring hand warmers!

There are porta potties located throughout the trail and they are very easy to find. Shockingly it was one of the few areas that did not have lines! We did use them and they are what you’d expect. They did have hand washing stations, but of course they were out of soap and towels once we got to them. It would be very beneficial to bring some flushable wipes and hand sanitizer. We did not see any area that had a changing station. You will most likely to find a nice spot in the grass to change your little ones. Be sure to bring a changing pad with you!

We hope you and your family has an amazing time at the Trail of Lights. Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Halloween Safety

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There are a lot of myths surrounding Halloween and the dangers of trick o’ treating.  The story most of us are used to is the razor blades in the apples.  This year’s flavor is fentanyl in candy.  The reality is all of these stories come from urban legends or vaguely related news stories.  In fact, a study in 2000 found that since 1959, there have been 80 cases of Halloween candy tampering in the United States.  All but 10 of those were found to be hoaxes.  Of those 10, the children only had minor injuries.

While we don’t need to Xray our candy, precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of all the kids out and about on Halloween night.

Porch Light

An old-fashioned rule that still holds true!  When the porch light is out, they are out of candy.

Be Seen

Always bring a flashlight or glow sticks for your children to hold.  You can also make sure your kids are lit up with reflectors on their costumes or light up shoes.  The majority of us will be taking our kids out during the night time.  And it is far too easy for kids to be in dark costumes to not be seen by oncoming motorist.

Careful of Candles and Jack-o-lanterns

A lot of costumes may include wigs, tool, or other very flammable material.  We know there will be jack-o-lanterns out on Halloween night.  Make sure to have strict rules with your children so they know not to go near an open flame on someone’s front porch.

Stay Away from Homemade Treats

While a nice gesture, homemade treats can contain allergens or ingredients that your children may not be able to eat.  Always go for packaged items.  And no, it is not possible to inject drugs into candy with a needle without you noticing.

Remove Makeup and Adhesive Before Bed

Between the excitement and the candy, getting your kids to wind down at the end of the night can be a challenge.  But we know, once they crash, they will crash hard!  Make sure you use makeup remover to get rid of all makeup or body paint before they collapse in a heap on their beds.  Many costume adhesives can also cause rashes if left on for too long.

Stranger Danger

There is a hilarious bit of irony for telling your children not to take candy from strangers, but then have an entire holiday dedicated to doing just that!  While we encourage interacting with strangers on Halloween night, stranger danger is still very real. A good rule for Halloween night is “no entering a person’s home.”  If their home is set up as a haunted house, they must enter with a parent. 

Keep a Cell Phone for Older Kids

Kids reach that certain age and they want to go out and get candy with their friends.  If this is the year for your child, it is always a good idea to make sure they have a cell phone.  See if your phone has a location app on it so you can track where your children are in the neighborhood.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Halloween!  Stay safe and enjoy the sugar high!

A Trip to Rock ‘N River Water Park

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It is hot as Hades these days in Central Texas! With lifeguard shortages and high prices, it has been a little tougher this summer to stay cool.  Since I have never taken the kids to a water park, and after checking the absurd pricing at several other water parks in the area, we decided on Rock ‘N River Water Park!

The water park is located in Old Settler’s Park.  It was pretty easy to find with the GPS.  We went during a weekday and were able to park very easily.  I imagine on the weekends it can get a little more complicated to find parking.  Even on a Friday there was a line to get into the water park.

The water park itself was exactly what you would want for the ten and under age group!  The eight-year-old was able to do almost every single waterslide, and the five-year-old was able to do the majority of the water slides.  There are two large baby pools, one has a large shaded canopy over it.  There is a large splash pad area with a climbing structure, slides, and a huge spilling bucket!  There are two separate pools near the back that have a basketball hoop and a swim up snack bar!  And of course, there is a lazy river!

Because we were lucky enough to go on a weekday, we were able to find two nice chairs under an umbrella.  There are a lot of beautiful seating areas.  They have cabanas, loungers, pavilions, and umbrellas but unfortunately, they have to be rented.  Once all the rental spaces are gone, there aren’t a lot of places to sit in the shade.  There is a large grassy area with several trees.  But if you don’t plan on renting a seating area, your best bet is to bring your own picnic blanket.  If we are ever to go back on a busy weekend, renting a seating area is a must!

Once we had saved our seats, the kids were able to run wild!  It can be hard to keep track of the kids, but the water park is small enough it is easy to find them.  Despite the shortage, there were a lot of lifeguards and I felt like the kids were being watched.  The only area that was cause for concern was the lazy river.  It is very small, but between all the tubes, the people, and how fast the lazy river moves, I would only have child in their unsupervised if they are able to stand with their heads above the water.  I can very easily see a little one getting stuck underneath the water and not being seen. 

There are big bathrooms on either side of the park including several family bathrooms.  The bathrooms are your standard pool bathrooms.  There is a really cool swim up snack bar!  I’d recommend bringing some quarters for kids to get snacks.  A credit card or cash in that area would be asking for disaster.  There are several food trucks also available.  We decided to bring in some Chik-Fil-A for ourselves, but we did enjoy some snow cones before we left!

The kids had a blast!  My favorite thing about water parks are how tired kids are at the end of the day.  They climbed, slid, splashed and swam around until they were completely pooped!  We really enjoyed the whole day!  If there is one negative thing about the water park it is the noise!  Not only is there the noise of splashing water and screaming children, but they play music over loud speakers.  It is impossible for the kids to hear you unless they are standing next to you. Make sure you have a good meeting spot!    

I cannot recommend this water park enough.  It is perfect for the younger crowd.  We did see some teenagers and middle schoolers there as well.  They looked like they were having a really fun time, but this place is tailored to the younger kids!  Book a cabana, grab some coins, the sunscreen and enjoy!

Summer on the Cheap

Published on by clairebooherLeave a comment

Summer is here!  We all made it through another school year and another year of uncertainty.  It is time to have some fun!  Luckily in central Texas, there are so many cheap and fun ways to keep your kids entertained for the summer.

Movies

For all the movie lovers there are so many fun options.  Many of our cities offer movies in the park on Friday nights, movies in the pool if you need to cool off, and of course Alamo’s Kids Camp that allows you to see movies for only a few bucks!

Concerts

There are always a lot of outdoor concerts this time of year!  To fully enjoy the experience without feeling like your melting into a pile a goo, here are some good things to keep in mind when attending these concerts. 

Pack a picnic with all the snacks and food!  If you are going to bring cold items, freeze them before you head to the outdoor show.  Of course, don’t forget to bring lots and lots of water! 

Bring another activity to the show like bubbles or a football.  Sitting and waiting for things to start, has never been a child’s strong suit.  Make sure you always know where the bathrooms are, and have a meeting spot in case the kiddos get lost in the crowd. 

Story Times and Summer Reading

Every library in central Texas has weekly story times as well as crafts to do during.  It is a great activity to head to the library once a week, and check out books for your kids’ summer reading.  There are a ton of great summer reading incentives through HEB, Pizza Hut or create your own reading chart for your kids!

It really is amazing all the things local libraries plan for kids over the summer. See what is going on in Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander and Austin!

Splash pads

The number of pools and splash pads around the central Texas area is amazing.  Because of the lifeguard shortage, many of the pools are limiting their hours.  Splash pads do not require lifeguards and are on most hours of the day. 

When visiting a pool or a splash pad it is always a good idea to have kids wear water shoes or crocs.  Splash pads are pretty good at keeping the area clean, but it only takes one stray rock to ruin the day.

Crafting and Baking

After quarantine I am sure most of us feel like we have done every craft there is to do!  But there are always more craft activities to keep your kids busy.  Check out this great website, or enjoy scrolling through Pinterest for easy crafts and baking projects. 

Make a day of it by going to a craft store or a grocery store, have the kids get all the things they need for their project, and then go home and do the project!

Hitting Milestones

Summer is the perfect time to work on important milestones for kids.  Stay inside during the hot afternoons and work on potty training.  With more time in the morning, you can get the kids used a to a morning routine that includes more chores like making their bed or making their own breakfast. 

If your child is interested in playing a sport in the fall, summer is the perfect time to spend time and practice swimming, basketball, playing catch or any other activity your child may want to improve.  One of the first things I worked on with my nanny kids during quarantine was helping them learn how to ride their bikes! 

Embrace Boredom

There are only so many hours in the day that we can fill with activities.  It may seem like you have to fill up every single second to keep your kids busy, and get them tired at the end of the day.  But boredom can be a very helpful thing for kids. 

It helps encourage creativity as well as time management.  Don’t be afraid to tell your kids that you need to take care of something and they need to think of something to do on their own. Let kids know it’s okay if they have nothing to do.  Sometimes enjoying the quiet without screen time can be refreshing for a young mind.

We wish everyone a happy and safe summer!