Tag Archives: au pair new orleans

Au Pair Tips for Success

Stay in touch with your Community Counselor

Call if you cannot come to a monthly meeting.

Let your counselor know if you will be out of town.

Call when you need help or advice.

Be a good buddy

Remember what it is like to be a new au pair. Welcome new arrivals.

Arrange to meet a new au pair.

Take her out.

Accompany her to the next cluster meeting.

Take responsibility for your actions

No one is perfect. If you make a mistake, take responsibility and try to correct the situation.

Respect the privacy of others

Gossiping about other au pairs and host families can be very harmful.

If your friends confide in you, honor the confidence.

Do not tell others about what goes on in other host families.

Communicate

Share your ideas, discuss cultural differences, ask questions when you don’t understand.

If you have a problem, present it to your host parents clearly and calmly. Suggest a solution to the situation. Listen to what they say and try to reach a compromise.

Let your host family know if language is a problem. Admit if you do not understand a word or instructions. Ask questions.

Follow house rules

The only way you will establish trust is by following rules – even those with which you may not agree. If you are not sure of the house rule, ask.

Be considerate of your host parents

Keep them informed of where you are going.

Let them know if you are staying out overnight.

If you plan on traveling, discuss the details with them and do not interfere with their schedules. Remember that your host parents are tired when they get home from work.

Show appreciation – return the favors your family does for you with kindness and generosity.

Take initiative – don’t wait to be asked, anticipate children’s needs, offer to help when you are sharing “family time.”

Set a good example

The children you care for look up to you. Don’t do things in front of the children that their parents would not want them doing.

Shower or bathe regularly

Most Americans value cleanliness as a virtue. Families expect that their au pairs will bathe or shower regularly, wash hair frequently and change into clean clothes daily. Use deodorant.

Take care of yourself

Have reasonable expectations of yourself – be patient as you learn to adjust to life in America.

Try to understand and accept cultural differences – that is part of why you came here. Learn from the experience.

If you are feeling homesick or house-bound, call someone and give yourself something to look forward to.

Keep reasonable evening hours if you are expected to get up early to work the next day.

 

 

Lynnesse Is Nominated for Au Pair of the Year 2016

nollynnesse-apyear2016Congratulations to Lynnesse for having been nominated by her host family for the Au Pair of the Year 2016 award!

Lynnesse is a second year au pair from South Africa. Her host parents say she felt like part of the family from the start and their three young children think of her as their wonderful big sister and love to spend time with her. In addition to providing excellent care for the kids, Lynnesse enriched the family’s life by sharing her South African culture and different perspective while herself learning about the life in the United States.

 

Au Pair of the Year is a yearly contest. For more information please visit

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/aupair_of_the_year/index.asp

Oak Street Po Boy Festival

Which po boy to have? Oyster, shrimp, beef or sausage? Or perhaps one of the several more exotic varieties? Should it be dressed or not? Shared with a friend or gobbled up by one hungry self? These were the big questions facing au pairs who attended Oak Street Po Boy festival, an annual po boy extravaganza in one of the funky New Orleans neighborhoods.nolpoboyfest

Beignets at Café du Monde

There is not a better and more iconic place in New Orleans for au pairs to reacquaint themselves with city after summer vacation than Café du Monde in the French Quarter. Excitement about new schedules, plans and goals both for au pairs and their host kids was enhanced and yes, sweetened, by copious amounts of sugar poured lavishly over delicious beignets.nolcafedumonde2016

All at the Mall

Au pairs met at the mall, the Lakeside Shopping Center to be precise, to reconnect after summer vacation and greet newly arrived “comrades in arms.” After sharing happy memories of summer escapades, both with host families and on their own, au pairs fanned out across the mall to compete in Scavenger Hunt. The winners enjoyed scoops of ice cream and plenty of accolades.nollakesidemall2016

Back to School Tips

NOLBacktoschoolThe new school year will start shortly. The transition from a more relaxed summer time to the busy school year can be challenging for all – kids, parents and au pairs. Here are a few tips for making it as easy as possible for everybody.

 

  1. Discuss changes to the daily routines in advance and mark children’s after school activities on the calendar
  2. Make sure au pair is familiar with the system of dropping off/picking up children (including NOT leaving kids in the car when picking up siblings)
  3. Put au pair’s name on the list of people allowed to pick up the children from school
  4. Provide au pair with the list of emergency contacts, including doctor’s
  5. Prepare a list of acceptable foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks
  6. Designate a spot for kids’ backpacks, school projects and sport/extracurricular activity items
  7. Discuss children’s after school routine (rest, playtime, use of electronics, homework)
  8. Remind au pair that it’s illegal to pass a yellow school bus if it has the STOP arm raised

Au Pair Julia Volunteers at Baby and Child Expo

NOLJuliaExpoSwedish au pair Julia has been enjoying her match with local host family for more than five month now. To find out more about childcare in the area, and in the States in general, she volunteered to participate in the Baby and Child Expo at the Lakeside Shopping Mall. After talking to several interested families, she was delighted to note that both she and the families learned a lot from each other. She was also impressed by the great variety and high quality of services offered to families with young children.