Healthy Eating
Guidelines for Eating Smart

Eat breakfast – it’s the best way to start the day.

Drink water – 4 glasses or more a day, more when it is hot or when you are active.

Downsize your portions – how much you eat is as important as what you eat.

Snacking – most packaged snacks are high in calories and low in nutrition. Skip the cookies and the chips and snack instead on whole fruits, nuts, popcorn (without the butter), carrots or non-fat yogurt.

Fiber – foods rich in fiber are filling and give you energy. These foods include bran cereal, fresh and dried fruit, broccoli, asparagus, peas, corn, cabbage, brussels sprouts, whole grain breads, brown rice and lentils.

Lean protein – whether or not you eat meat, you need protein. Best sources include skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish and shellfish, egg whites, lowfat milk and cheese, kidney beans, chick peas, tofu and other soy products.

Variety – try to eat fruits and vegetables of many different colors. This will help you get many vitamins and other nutrients important to your health.

Stop eating before you are full – you’ll feel better.
If you want to lose weight, here are some ideas to help you do that:

Eat breakfast – it’s the best way to start the day.

Crash diets or quick weight-loss schemes are not a good long-term solution.

Have patience in losing a half-pound to one pound per week.

Always drink plenty of water or other fluids.

Never skip meals in an effort to lose weight.

Get up and go, increase your physical activity.

Eat a variety of foods.
Credits: The International Food Information Council Foundation and http://www.bluecrossma.com

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.

Each au pair arrives in the U.S. with her own child minding style and expectations. These individual differences spring from her own experiences in her own family as well as from cultural styles typical of her home country. Throughout the world parents want the best for their children, but what is best in one country may not be considered best in another.

Child care customs, games and songs are not universal and no au pair arrives knowing how parents in the U.S. raise and educate their children. This is just one of many aspects of our culture that are unfamiliar to au pairs when they arrive. Much time is spent at orientation educating au pairs about the patterns and expectations in this country. Host families can help their au pairs learn to adjust to American family expectations while the family learns to understand their au pair. Differences in expectations and style underscore the need for adequate orientation to the expectations of your household.

Au pairs will generally be surprised by the abundance of toys and activities typical of most American homes. Their inclination is likely to be towards more imaginative play, unstructured time outside and less directed playtime generally. The pace set by the classes many children attend adds to a hectic lifestyle unfamiliar to many au pairs.

When it comes to discipline, the majority of American parents tend to give choices, reward, and explain, generally being more permissive and “democratic” than is common in other cultures. Au pairs need help in understanding and accepting these practices as otherwise they may just see the children as manipulative or disrespectful when they voice their opinions and negotiate.

The cultural exchange nature of the Au Pair in America program ensures that au pairs are interested in and committed to learning about new ways of caring for children. Keep a discussion open about differences in parenting styles and be sure to help your au pair learn as much as she can about American child rearing.