Nanny Stella is currently on the road, personally helping families in need, and wishes you and your loved ones the very best of Holidays filled with abundant love, robust health, blissful peace, and a wonderful promise of a beautiful new year!

As we approach the end of this year and prepare for the new one, we thought this would be a great time to reflect on some of the most important advice she has shared with us so far.

On What It Means to Be a Parent

"It's about what you do with your time...It's about listening to (your children) and making time on your calendar for them...It's about giving them responsibility and disciplining them without losing your temper. First and foremost, it's about being involved and interested."

On Choosing the Right Childcare

"As a working mom you can't guilt yourself out. But, you have to go to every extreme that you can to ensure your kids are safe and with the right person...Never, ever, ever ignore your gut instinct. Investigate it without doing any detriment, but investigate it."

On Teaching Our Children Healthy Habits

"One way to ensure children are eating healthy is to dine together as a family every night. Sitting down to a nutritious meal together without distraction from the television or phone calls also gives family members a solid time to connect and communicate with each other...Allow children to help select and prepare fruits and vegetables to make eating them more fun and interactive. Incorporating physical activity into family time - taking a walk after dinner - also helps the whole family stay motivated."

On Resolving Parent-Child Conflicts

"The reason children don't behave on "special" days is because they are not expected to behave on regular days...Have expectations of a child's good behavior in any situation and convey that to them...If a child is throwing a tantrum at mealtimes, don't panic and don't lose your temper. There is always a build up to a temper tantrum, i.e. trigger points. Explain that this is unacceptable behavior. Give them one warning and one consequence...(If the tantrum continues), simply remove them gently from the table to a time-out spot until the temper has passed. (Generally, 1 minute per 1 year of age.)