Category Archives: Host Family Tips

SUMMER SAFETY INFORMATION

Summer is coming, so it is an important time to talk about the specific safety issues of the season:

SUNSCREEN 

  • Apply early and repeat. For kids six months and older (as well as adults), sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or greater reduce the intensity of UVRs that cause sunburns. Apply liberally 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, so it can absorb into the skin and decrease the likelihood that it will be washed off. Reapply every two hours and after kids swim, sweat or dry off with a towel. .
  • Cover up. Dress kids in protective clothing and hats. Clothing can be an excellent barrier of ultraviolet rays. Many light-weight sun-protective styles cover the neck, elbows and knees.
  • Keep infants out of the sun. Keep babies younger than six months out of direct sunlight, dressed in cool, comfortable clothing and wearing hats with brims. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says sunscreen may be used on infants younger than six months on small areas of skin if adequate clothing and shade are not available. Ask your host family if they want you to use sunscreen on an infant.
  • Plan early morning play. Avoid over exposure to sun by avoiding peak-sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) as much as possible. Make sure you all can get a break from the sun when needed.
  • Beware of shade. Shade does provide relief from the heat, but it offers a false sense of security about UVR protection. You can still sunburn in shade, because light is scattered and reflected. A fair-skinned person sitting under a tree can burn in less than an hour.
  • Check the weather. Look for the ultra-violet (UV) index (on a site like Weather.com) when planning outdoor activities; it predicts the intensity of UV light based on the sun’s position, cloud movements, altitude, ozone data and other factors. Higher UV index numbers predict more intense UV light.

POOL/BEACH RULES

Here are tips to prevent accidents around the water. Also read this article: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013/06/rescuing_drowning_children_how_to_know_when_someone_is_in_trouble_in_the.html

  • EYES ON THE KIDS AT ALL TIMES:   Even if your kids are swimmers, they MUST be watched.   Anything can happen in the water – do not rely on lifeguards.   YOU are in charge!
  • Stay within arms reach of young children in the water.
  • Never allow young children near the water without an adult.
  • Inexperienced and non-swimmers should wear a life jacket in the water.
  • Stay off cell phones. Do NOT allow yourself to get distracted when your kids are around water.
  • Only swim when a lifeguard is on duty at a public pool or beach, and never swim alone.
  • Kiddie pools in backyards should be drained after use.
  • For houses that have swimming pools, BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO THE POOL WHEN THE KIDS GO IN!! Don’t run back inside because you forgot a towel and leave the kids unattended!
  • Never prop the gate to a pool open!

 INSECTS

  • Check for allergic reactions. Some kids react to insect bites more than others. If your child gets bitten and seems to have an allergic reaction to the bite, ask your host parents if you should seek medical attention or give your child an oral antihistamine or other medication.
  • Beware of serious bug-borne illnesses. West Nile is a virus you may hear about when the heat strikes. If you hear of instances in our area, and your child has bites and flu-symptoms (including muscle-stiffness), talk to your host parents about seeing a doctor. It’s better to be safe.
  • Check for ticks. Ticks thrive in warm, moist, woodsy areas, so ideally kids should wear long clothing to cover their skin when walking in the woods or tall grass. Clothes are a culprit, too; ticks can come in on a t-shirt! If the clothes aren’t dirty enough to need washing, do it anyway. Placing clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least an hour will kill any ticks.
    Kids six and older can check themselves, with adult guidance, but they must check their entire body, not just forearms and legs:  under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, around the waist, etc. If a child develops any rash or fever after a tick bite, talk to your host parents about seeing the doctor.

DEHYDRATION
You may be surprised how much — and when — kids should drink liquids. To prevent dehydration, kids should drink 12 ounces of fluid 30 minutes before an activity begins and take mandatory fluid breaks (like many day camps require), with kids under 90 pounds drinking five ounces every 20 minutes during activities, and kids over 90 pounds drinking nine ounces every 20 minutes. Tip: A child’s gulp equals a half-ounce of fluid, so your child should drink about 10 gulps for every 20 minutes of play.  The Safe Kids Coalition urges parents and caregivers to watch for warning signs of dehydration, such as thirst, dry or sticky mouth, headache, muscle cramping, irritability, extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness or decreased performance.

HELMET DURING BIKE RIDING, SKATE BOARDING, ETC.

Make a family rule: no helmet, no wheels.   ALWAY’S REMEMBER TO BUCKLE THE CHIN STRAP!!

NEVER LEAVE KIDS ALONE IN A CAR – EVER!!!!  
Never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute.  Fatalities can occur at temperatures as low as the mid-50s because a vehicle heats up so quickly. Children are at a great risk for heat stroke because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s does.  This rule always applies in all weather.

Summer Gear to keep in your vehicle/in your possession:

  • Cell phone
  • Water
  • Medications for chronic conditions, an epi-pen for a child with known allergies
  • Antibiotic cream for cuts and scrapes, bandaids
  • Crushable icepack for bruises
  • Sun protection
  • Hats and sunglasses
  • Insect repellent
  • Tweezers for ticks

Kitchen Safety Tips

Unfortunately, kitchen accidents happen every year because people forget basic safety principles. Read the kitchen tips listed below to remind yourself how to practice good kitchen safety in your home.

  1. Never stick a fork or knife into a toaster to retrieve food while it is plugged in. You can get electrocuted. Instead, unplug the toaster, wait for it to cool, and then flip it upside down to get the item out.
  2. Grease fires have to be put out with baking soda or salt. If you pour water, flour or sugar on a fire it will get much worse.
  3. Avoid loose clothing when cooking. Roll up your sleeves and wear an apron if you don’t want to change clothes.
  4. Don’t use extension cords in the kitchen. They can cause spills and electrical shock accidents.
  5. When boiling water or sauce, stir away from your body to prevent splashing onto your skin.
  6. Clean up spills immediately. Depending on the spill, they can catch on fire, create unnecessary smoke, or even cause you to slip and fall.
  7. Cut away from your body when using a knife. Also make sure to move slowly and carefully when carrying a knife in the kitchen to avoid injuring yourself or another.
  8. Wash your hands with warm soap and water often. Cross-contamination can happen quickly. An easy rule is to wash your hands between preparing different food items. Also, never use the same surfaces to cut veggies or fruit where you were handling raw meat. Designate certain cutting boards for raw meat and others for veggies.
  9. Always supervise your kids carefully if they are helping you, and keep sharp items out of their reach.
  10. Turn your gas range off when you’re done using it. If you smell gas when you shouldn’t, make sure all the burners are turned off, open your windows for ventilation, and call your gas company.

Caring for a Sick Child at Home

The purpose of this article is to provide information and offer suggestions to au pairs with regard to caring for children who are ill. It is intended that au pairs discuss this information with their host parents as they might want to modify or expand on what is presented here.
When a child has less energy than usual, is unusually cranky, has less of an appetite, or just doesn’t seem him/herself, chances are the child is sick. Fever is a sign a child is fighting an illness or infection. Fevers are usually not serious and can be cared for at home. It is typical for younger children to run higher fevers than older children. Fevers are also often higher in the evening than in the morning. Be alert for rash, earache, stomachache or sore throat, as these may indicate more serious problems.
A child’s temperature can be taken orally, under the armpit, or with special thermometers only in the ear. Au pairs and host families should discuss the preferred method for that family. A child has a fever if the temperature is 99.4’F (37.4’C) or higher when taken by mouth or under the arm. Be sure the thermometer is shaken down first, and left in place for 3 minutes in the mouth or 6-8 minutes in the armpit. Talk or read to the child while you are taking his/her temperature. Never leave a child alone with a thermometer.
When a child has a fever, he or she needs more rest than usual and should not be awakened. Quiet play is fine, but too much activity can aggravate a fever. Children should be dressed in light layered clothing. Liquids are very important – offer water, juice, fruit drinks, tea, popsicles, Jello or soup. Some children might enjoy stirring their tea with a lollipop, or having soda as a special treat. Host families and au pairs should discuss appropriate medication and desired dosage. Do not offer children aspirin; consider instead acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but only with the approval of a host parent. If a child’s fever is over 103’F, a lukewarm bath might be comforting. If a child vomits, offer small amounts of liquids, but no dairy products. Within the first 24 hours the diet should be limited to clear liquids, bananas, plain white rice, applesauce and plain toast.
When children are sick they will need an extra dose of patience, attention, affection and comfort even more than they need medicine or special diets. Although basic rules and discipline should not change, a child may be more dependent on adults when he or she is ill. Extra imagination and creativity is needed to keep a sick child entertained with quiet pastimes. Children will welcome novelties – use a baking sheet as a tray to assemble a puzzle in bed or to keep crayons from rolling away; create a story with stuffed animals and a flashlight under a blanket.
Warning signs – It is time to ask for more help if a child :
• has a fever higher than 104’F (40’C)
• is very cranky, sluggish or doesn’t awaken easily
• has trouble breathing
• is confused, or vomits repeatedly
• is unable to swallow or is drooling
• has a convulsion or seizure
• has dry lips, sunken eyes, little or no urine or dark yellow urine

Thanks to Etta Rosen for this article.

Make Your Own Play Dough

Play dough is the perfect modeling material for children. Their small hands can pat, poke, pinch, roll and knead it into many shapes. Keep it in an airtight container to use another day, or let it air dry into favorite shapes.

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Measure 2 cups of flour, one cup of salt and 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of oil to one cup of water in a separate bowl then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. For colored play dough, squeeze 10-20 drops of food coloring into the water before you add it to the mixture. Cook the dough at low heat in a wide pan, stirring constantly until it becomes rubbery. Remove the dough from the heat and knead it for a few minutes. When it cools the kids can play too!

Photo: Kevin Jarrett (Flickr)

A Love of Language and Learning

One of the most valuable features of the cultural exchange experience that hosting an au pair provides for our host families is the love of language and learning that it brings to the host children. If you want your children to grow up learning another language (or several!), au pairs are a great way to give kids regular exposure and daily practice with foreign language and vocabulary, during their most formative years.

One of our host parents shared about her experience hosting au pairs from three different language backgrounds who have imparted their young children with an education in and love for German, Spanish and Chinese:

“After four years of German au pairs, we felt the German language was well grounded in our twins, as I am able to continue this bilingual upbringing non-stop after work and on the weekends. The German au pairs brought my girls the ‘fun’ aspects of the German language by making it come alive with creative craft activities and all the fun outing activities, whereas I was able to reinforce all their German learning through reading and more traditional teaching.  So in our most recent au pair cycle renewal, we decided to expand the twins’ learning with two additional languages.

We have a native Spanish-speaking au pair and a Mandarin-speaking au pair who split the longer workdays that I have. The twins know very well that Spanish is spoken only with Jenny, and Mandarin is spoken only with Yu Jue.

Very recently, my husband remarked that the girls don’t stop speaking Spanish! Mandarin is their fourth language, and they love singing and engaging in our au pair’s very funny children’s stories from China. Yu Jue makes everything very amusing in Mandarin, and the girls really like being challenged by her. It’s a big puzzle and game to them!

At 4½ years, learning languages is just pure fun!  In short, the cultural enrichments stemming from understanding the language itself are an excellent foundation for all the years of global awareness and travel yet to enter into our twins’ lives.  Our au pairs are giving our girls a gift of a life time, and we are so humbly grateful for these opportunities!”

Are you interested in an intercultural child care experience that will immerse your child(ren) in another language and culture? Learn more about the educational benefits of hosting an au pair!

Winter Driving Tips

If the snow &/or ice is heavy or threatening to become heavy, don’t go out. It is not worth the risk. Cancel, change plans, make due. If you must go out, keep the trip as short as possible, and follow these guidelines.
When there is snow &/or ice on the street:
1. If your car has been outside, warm up the car and clean the snow & ice off all windows & windshields using a brush & scraper (make sure your headlights and brake lights are snow free). Do not warm up a car in a closed garage.
2. Go more slowly than usual, and leave more time than you normally would to get where you’re going.
3. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle(s) ahead of you. Safe distance in snow is double the normal distance.
4. Turn your headlights on if it is snowing (and any time you use your windshield wipers). In heavy snow, fog lights might also be helpful (but not all cars have them).
5. Don’t make sudden or jerky movements with steering, and don’t accelerate or brake forcefully. This can cause you to slide and lose control.
6. If you start to slide or skid, take your foot off the gas pedal and keep steering & looking where you want to go. When you are headed the right way again and feel some traction, accelerate slowly (or brake slowly). If your wheels start to spin, take your foot off the gas pedal until you feel the tires grab again.
7. When you break, push the break gently. If you have anti-lock brakes, you will hear a thumping sound which is normal (it is the way the car prevents the brakes from locking up and making the situation worse). If you have regular brakes, pump them slowly, keeping your heel on the floor and the ball of your foot on the brake pedal (this helps you to be gentler because you are using only your foot, not your whole leg).
8. If you need to get out of a parking space with a lot of snow, you might need to “rock” the car, going forward a little, then back a little, over and over. Keep the wheels fairly straight, with only slight movements left or right. It is really difficult to get over snow when the wheels are turned hard to the left or right. If that doesn’t work, you may need to either shovel the snow out of the way or put down sand, kitty litter or gravel to get traction (some families keep a bag of this in the trunk).
9. Keep your gas tank at least ¼ full so that the gas line doesn’t freeze (if extra moisture gets in the line), and keep your windshield wiper fluid 1/2 full or more. You don’t want to run out of wiper fluid in the middle of the road with trucks spewing dirty slush onto your windshield.
10. Never use the cruise control in snow, ice or rain. It can cause the car to hydroplane and you could lose control.

DRIVING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR

Driving with kids in the car can be particularly distracting especially if there is crying, whining, or some other issue that warrants attention. It is hard to ignore children who want attention, but when you are driving you need to remain focused on DRIVING!

  1. Be prepared. Before you put the kids in the car, make sure you have items that they may need easily on hand or within reach. For babies, plan to feed them before you depart– eating in the car may not be the best practice due to your limited ability to react to choking or spills. For older kids, put snacks, drinks and toys within easy reach. In all cases, make sure that any heavier items such as video games or larger books have a place to be stored (such as in the seatback pockets) so that they won’t become potential projectiles in the event of a crash.
  2. Make them wait. As unpleasant as it can be, tell the kids that you cannot help because you are driving and that they will need to wait until you can pull over or until you get to your destination. You may have to listen to a tantrum, but at least the child is restrained in a seat and cannot hurt anyone.
  3. Keep your eyes forward. Resist the urge to reach back or take your eyes off the road even when you’re stopped. It only takes a second for an accident to occur.
  4. Pull over. If you cannot deal with screaming and need to tend to your child immediately, pull over to a safe spot. It’s safer to get off the highway and go into a gas station, than move to the side of the road where you could face other hazards such as the possibility of getting struck by another vehicle.
  5. Use your mirrors. If your children are in rear-facing car seats, attach a mirror to the head restraint to be able to monitor them. It’s comforting to know you can still monitor the kids if there is something wrong without turning around.
  6. Set the ground rules. Educate children on car safety. Tell them that drivers need to pay attention to the road, so that everyone is safe. If they know you can’t and won’t react, then they won’t expect it.
  7. Distract the children. Try to distract whining children by engaging them in a song or game outside of the car. Children’s music in the CD player or on satellite radio is a nice addition. Pointing out school buses, fire trucks, and traffic lights always seems to work and soon they forget what was bothering them in the first place.
  8. Stay off the phone. For the safety of yourself and your children (and others on the road), do not use the cell phone to talk or text. You’re carrying precious cargo and your job is to transport them safely. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO USE THE CELL PHONE WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING! If you need to make a call, pull over to a safe place.

THE BACKPACK– Keeping It Organized

The back pack is very important to review every day. It is one of the important links between school and home. Backpacks quickly become disorganized and notices missed if not emptied every day. Here is a suggested daily routine that you can follow, or supervise your host children as they do it, depending on their age(s):

  1. After the student arrives home, empty the backpack on a table.
    2. Find the homework. Set it out in the homework area with all the supplies needed to complete the homework.
    3. Put the lunch box in the kitchen. Empty it, discard the garbage, and see if the child actually ate the lunch that was packed. Wipe out the lunch box. Let host parents know what was not eaten.
    4. Find all notices sent home with the child. Find anything that needs to be filled out by the parents. If it is your responsibility to keep track of activities, put them on the calendar now. If not, make sure the parents see them.
    5. Make sure permission slips, fundraiser notices, book orders, photo notices and anything else that must be signed is done on time. Make sure these items get back in the backpack and the child turns them in on time. If a signed form and money is still in the back pack when the child comes home, the child forgot to give it to the teacher. Remind the child, tell the parent.
    6. All completed homework should be put in the homework folder in the backpack as soon as the homework is completed. Make sure there is a sturdy folder to put the homework in; this way the child knows where it is when he or she arrives at school, and the homework will stay neater 🙂
    7. In the morning, recheck for homework. Is it in the folder? Are all permission slips and notices requiring money in the backpack?
    8. Make lunch and put the lunch box in the backpack. If the lunch box is in the backpack there is less chance it will be left on the bus.
    9. Does the child need to bring anything else to school that day? Maybe he or she needs gym clothes, or something for show and tell. Put it in the backpack!
    10. At the end of the week, make sure all work sent home is placed out for the parents to see. Any dirty gym clothes are taken out of the backpack and put in the laundry. The back pack and the lunch box should be wiped out and kept clean.

MINIMIZING MORNING MADNESS

It is important to have a good morning routine with your host kids on school days!  Here are some tips to help: 

  • Prepare the night before by making lunch, pack backpacks, and set out the clothes.
  • Set up a launching pad near the door for kids’ backpacks, coats, shoes, hats & gloves so no time is wasted looking for these items.
  • Wake up at least one hour before the kids, eat, have coffee and get dressed. BE READY!
  • Make sure you know how and when to wake up the kids.
  • Stagger wake up times if you can. Pre-teens and teenagers need more time in the morning to shower and get ready.
  • Younger kids should bathe the night before whenever possible.
  • Make sure the kids pick out what they are wearing the night before. Limit their choices, make sure everything is clean and ready to wear.
  • Do not rush kids. Make sure they have enough time to dress, wash, comb their hair, brush their teeth and eat breakfast!
  • Avoid turning on the TV. Kids waste a lot of time in the morning watching TV and playing.  These activities should be avoided and only saved if everything else is done!
  • Never let them skip breakfast. Hungry kids can’t concentrate in school.
  • Remind kids to use the bathroom just before leaving for school. Lots of kids don’t like to use the school bathroom.
  • Wish the kids a good day. Give them a hug!  Let them know you will be waiting for them when they get off the bus or at the school when they are done!

 

10 Tips for Summer Safety

  1. Remember to bring along drinks, especially water. Try to get children to drink water every 20 minutes, when they are outside in hot weather.
  2. Pay attention to surfaces that can be hot against children’s skin, such as metal slides and other playground equipment in the sun.
  3. Safety around water is particularly important. A child can drown in just a few inches of water. Whenever you are near water you must never leave a child alone – if the phone rings, take them with you or let it ring! Always stay within arm’s reach when the children are in or near water.
  4. Young babies should be kept out of direct sunlight. Keep the baby in the shade or under a tree, umbrella or stroller canopy.
  5. Dress babies in lightweight clothing and use brimmed hats.
  6. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, even if it appears overcast (cloudy).
  7. Try to keep children out of the sun in the middle of the day when the sun is strongest.
  8. Learn what poison ivy looks like and keep children out of it. A good rule to teach the children is “leaves of three, let it be.”
  9. Use insect repellent spray to keep away mosquitos and ticks. Ask your host parents before applying.
  10. Check for ticks when you bring children in from playing outside, especially if you’ve been in tall grass or the woods.

Photo: Scott97006 (Flickr)

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