Au Pairs
9 Winter Driving Tips to Stay Safe in the Ice & Snow
The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. Don’t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination. If you must drive in snowy Read More
Avoiding Homesickness During the Holiday Season
Homesickness can be a problem during the holidays, even if it hasn’t been at any other time of the year. Au pairs often miss their friends and family, familiar places, and their own traditions and customs. The holiday activities in the United States seem, and may actually be, different just at a time when an Read More
What to Do After a Car Accident
Having a car accident is a very upsetting, stressful situation. Being prepared and knowing what to do can make things a little bit easier. Make sure you know which host parent to call in case of an accident. Make sure you have all the necessary documents in your car glove box. Read this post on Read More
Thanksgiving is November 27
Thanksgiving is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year in the United States. It started as a harvest festival and has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789. The most important part of Thanksgiving for American families is to spend family time together. Here are some fun facts about Read More
Making Thanksgiving Memories Together
Thanksgiving is a public holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November every year in the United States. It started as a harvest festival and has been celebrated nationally on and off since 1789. The most important part of Thanksgiving for American families is to spend family time together. Martin Cathrae “My favorite holiday Read More
Clothing & Accessories to Keep You Warm in the Winter
I did a blog post in October called Preparing for Cold Weather, with some general tips on layering and the kind of things you can get to stay warm. I encourage you to check that out and then come back here for specific suggestions for clothing items. Even though I have lived in this part Read More
What to Keep in the Car Glove Box
If you are like me, you probably have napkins and straws from fast food restaurants and other assorted items in your glove box in the car. It can be a nifty storage place, but it’s main purpose is to keep some important documents related to the car. It is very important that you keep all of the Read More
Surviving & Thriving in the Holiday Season
The fall/winter holiday season is most often a time of joy and excitement. However, it can also be a time of stress and disappointment for both host families and au pairs. Here are some ideas and insights that will hopefully help you avoid stress and disappointment and share more of the joy and excitement! Holiday Read More
5 Tips for Safe Trick or Treating
TRICK OR TREAT TOGETHER – Children should trick or treat in groups and younger children should have adult supervision. DRESS UP SAFELY – Avoid masks that block children’s vision and make sure costumes don’t pose a tripping hazard. Avoid sharp or heavy props that could cause injury. BE VISIBLE – Children should be visible to drivers. Read More
Preparing for Cold Weather
We’re in that time of year when Maryland temperatures start dipping a little lower. It can be 70°F (21°C) one day and 40°F (4°C) the next. But, that doesn’t mean you need to hide indoors. There are lots of ways to stay warm and enjoy the outdoors through fall and winter. There is a Scandinavian Read More
Hints for Success – Homesickness/Culture Shock
Almost everyone experiences culture shock and homesickness when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people. Here are my Top 5 Tips forDealing with Homesickness 1. Make friends – Don’t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There Read More
What are the Rules for Holidays?
There are no regulations requiring host families to give au pairs any specific holidays off. In the spirit of the au pair program, many host families will give their au pair the day off on major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, July 4th). Most au pairs look forward to sharing holidays like Thanksgiving and Read More
Going Unplugged During Work Hours
Phones, tablets, and laptops are wonderful tools to stay connected and informed, but we need to be careful not to let them become distractions from real-life interactions and most importantly our responsibilities. Au Pairs – Imagine for a moment that you went to the hospital and you were in the care of doctors and nurses. How would Read More
Back to School Planning
Back to school time is here. This can mean changes to the au pair schedule and possibly to the duties. It is very important to communicate these changes to avoid problems. Here is a list of topics to consider discussing: Au pair’s work schedule. The children’s school and activity schedules. Where the children get dropped off Read More
Stopping for School Buses
With schools getting back in session soon and many new au pairs, I wanted to remind everyone about the Maryland law that requires you to stop for school buses. Below you will find pictures explaining what to do in 4 different types of roads if you approach a school bus at a stop. If you Read More