Category Archives: Host Family Tips

New Match Advice for Au Pairs

NOLMatchAdviceThe basis for developing a trusting relationship is good communication. Good contact between the host family, au pair and community counselor is the best recipe for success on our program. Here are some tips about how to get your match off to the best possible start:

  • Family Time – Spend time with your new family; the more you get to know them, the more comfortable you will feel.
  • Time to Talk – Set aside some time each week with your host family to talk about how things are going, ask questions, and discuss any concerns.
  • The Schedule – Review and discuss the schedule and your duties, making sure you really understand what is being asked of you.
  • Vacation Planning – Discuss vacation time as early as possible so you can choose weeks/days that work for you and your host family.
  • Classes – Review your education options and discuss your preferences with your host family.
  • Cluster Meetings – Attend the cluster meetings, as they are a great way to have fun with other au pairs and connect with your community counselor.
  • Monthly Contact – Your counselor is required to touch base with you once a month; let her know how things are going.

Support – If you are concerned or worried about anything at all, let your counselor know!

Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

NOLOlympicGames2016The Olympic Games will take place from August 5th – August 21st.  Au pairs will be cheering on their nations from the USA and maybe supporting the USA too.  The Olympic Games are the world’s biggest sporting spectacle. They are divided into a summer and winter Games, held every four years by a single city. This year 207 nations will participate in the games.  Athletes with disabilities compete at the Paralympics. More than 10,000 athletes from all over the world take part in the summer events.  Here are some fun facts:

 

The First Olympics

The ancient Olympics celebrated the god Zeus and were held every four years at Olympia, Greece. Winners received an olive wreath. The date of the first Games is unclear, but the first recorded Olympic champion was Koroibos, who won a sprint in 776 BC.

 

The Olympic Rings

The rings symbolize the unity of the world’s five continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas). Every national flag in the world contains at least one of the five colors.

 

What is the Olympic Ideal

The ideal is to build international understanding and cooperation. The Olympic code promotes amateurism, or performance without payment, and professionals are allowed to participate only under certain rules.

 

Winning Gold…or not

Even though the top athlete in his or her field wins the ‘gold,’ the medals aren’t really made out of solid gold. In fact, they haven’t been pure gold for around 100 years. The gold medals awarded now are actually silver, with gold plating. That probably doesn’t matter to the athletes who have dedicated their lives to winning one, as long as they aren’t planning on melting the medal down and pawning it off.

All About Rio

This year the Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Just one hour ahead of the Eastern Time Zone, it will be easy to view many events live.  View the official website with everything you need to know here  https://www.rio2016.com/en

 

Schedule of Events

Find out when your favorite events are scheduled here http://www.nbcolympics.com/full-schedule

 

Au Pairs Talk Communication

NOLJuly2016meetAu pair Lina from Brazil said: “The best way for you to enjoy your year as an au pair is to have a very good relationship with your host family.” Her au pair friend Julia from Sweden added that very good relationship could only be achieved through an open and honest communication.

 

However, communication that must bridge different languages and cultural expectation can pose challenges. A quick game of deconstructing Twitter acronyms showed just how tricky understanding and interpreting a new language can be, whether it’s Twitter-speak, spoken English or culturally inflected body language.

 

Samantha from Mexico spoke for everybody when she suggested that both au pairs and host families needed to show flexibility and patience when communicating and soon enough everybody will speak the same argot!

GL TTYL

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.

Happy Fourth of July

NOLFlagKnown  as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83).

In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain.

On July 2nd, the Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.

From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades, family gatherings and barbecues.

 

Have fun with the children too – visit the link below for fun coloring pages, craft ideas, puzzles and games to celebrate the 4th of July holiday

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/fourth-of-july/

APIA at Baby and Child Expo 2016

NOLBabyExpo2016Looking forward to seeing you at the Baby and Child Expo Saturday, July 9, 2016

Please stop by our table where we’ll have information about Au Pair in America – the most experienced (30 years and going strong!) live in childcare program in the nation.

Visitors will be eligible for 2 raffle baskets, each including $850 certificate off of program fees. Kids will get coloring pages, bookmarks, frisbees for summer fun and other gifts.

Lakeside Mall – Center Court

3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd

Metairie, La 70002

Summer Safety Tips

NOLSummerSafety2016During the summer months, we need to take some added precautions to keep children safe in the sun and by the water. We recommend you review these safety tips together as a family to make sure everyone understands how important they are. Have a wonderful and safe summer!

  • Avoid long periods of sun exposure, especially between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
  • Apply sunscreen of at least 15 SPF that protects against both UVA and UVB rays (should be worn on sunny and cloudy days).
  • Infants should be dressed in lightweight clothing covering as much skin as possible and brimmed hats to shade the face.
  • Stay hydrated; drink water throughout the day.
  • Intense activities and sports should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach very high levels.
  • Actively supervise children in and around the water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults.
  • When in the water, there should be at least an adult at arm’s length from young children at all times.
  • Children who cannot swim or who are not strong swimmers should wear water wings or life jackets when in or near the water.
  • Never leave children or animals in a car alone even for one minute.

President’s Day

NOLPresiden's day
Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22 ~ Washington’s actual day of birth ~ the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for American workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.
To see a listing of all U.S. presidents go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents.  Click on each president to find out who they were and what they achieved during their presidency.  Most American school children have to learn their presidents,  this is a great site to go through with them and test their knowledge

Holiday Tips for Au Pairs and Host Families

FLEXIBILITY

Holidays are a lot of fun but they also require much planning, communicating, visiting, and accommodating other family members’ schedules, all of which may cause quite a bit of stress for your host parents. Try to be as helpful and flexible as possible to help your host family have a truly enjoyable time.

 

Childcare

More childcare duties will be required when children are out of school. Have a plan for the time when they put aside their Xmas toys and look for other amusement. Check out APIA website http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/activities/index.asp to get ideas on how to keep your host kids happily occupied.

 

Driving

Traffic tends to be heavier around the holidays.  My best advice is to leave earlier than normal and take your time.  Be the “bigger person” and allow that one last car to slip in ahead of you.  It may avoid an accident.  Remember au pairs can be asked to pay up to $500 of the deductible for an accident.

 

Healthy eating

Is your house filled with treats, and goodies that are tempting you? It is the season, and you are here for a cultural exchange, so try some of the traditional sweets your host family is offering, but it is a good idea to downsize your portions – how much you eat is as important as what you eat.

 

 

Tips for Host Families

 

Scheduling

Letting your au pair know her schedule in advance is important at any time but especially during holidays. For most au pairs these will be the only Xmas & New Year holidays in the States. Host families are asked to make an effort to follow the spirit of APIA program, which is cultural exchange, and both include AP in their celebrations and also give AP some time to experience and enjoy them with her friends.

 

Childcare

Please let your au pair know exactly what your expectations are regarding childcare. Is she supposed to let the kids be so they can enjoy unstructured time with visiting family members? Or is she supposed to keep them occupied so you can enjoy a quiet conversation with your brother and sister-in-law? Will grandparents take an active role in caring for the kids or should au pair get them ready for bedtime and read them a good night story?

 

Safety

If there is an alarm system for the house, be sure that the au pair is listed with the alarm company as a legitimate user of the alarm. Also, the au pair must know the appropriate security code in case of a false alarm.

 

TLC

If holidays can be stressful for host families, they can be doubly so for au pairs. Please keep in mind that your au pair is in a foreign country, away from her family, friends, and familiar circumstances at the time when we all celebrate family and togetherness! Please make sure to give your au pair some Tender Loving Care that you’d like your daughter to receive were she to be an au pair far away from home.

 

 

Welcoming Au Pair to Your Home

After you match with your new au pair and arrange her travel from orientation to your community, it’s very important to keep in touch with her prior to her arrival. Please keep in mind that you have opened your home to someone else’s daughter. There are many things you can do that will help her to feel welcome in your home. An email to check in every so often is reassuring and builds the bonds you started to form when you offered her a home for a year. Sending photos of the children or pictures they have drawn is also a welcome form of connection.

Once your au pair arrives at orientation, please call her to welcome her. It makes the au pair feel much more comfortable to hear from you while she is at orientation.

Some families send flowers or small packages with personalized stationery or homemade cookies. Ask your counselor for other suggestions if you want to send something, but keep in mind that your au pair will have to transport whatever it is to your house. Faxes can be received by the hotel and are also a nice way to say hello.

Before she travels to your home, prepare a welcome sign made by the children. You can display it at home or use it at the airport or train station. Make sure her room is clean and ready for her. Mark the au pair’s birthday on the family calendar.

When she arrives at your home, she will be tired, excited and probably anxious. Keep in mind the fatigue that being in a new culture causes, particularly if your au pair is not a native English speaker. The au pair needs time to recover from jet lag.

It’s important to give her a few days to unpack, rest and become acclimated to the host family’s home, family and neighborhood before expecting her to assume full child care responsibilities. She should be allowed to find ways to make her space her own; mounting a bulletin board on the wall is one easy way to do this.

According to Department of State regulations, au pairs are not allowed to assume sole responsibility for the children until after she has been in the home three days. Giving her the opportunity to bond with the children one at a time is helpful in building relationships. Those first few days can be used to complete the child care questionnaire for each of your children, to conduct a tour of the neighborhood, to go to the grocery store to determine her food preferences and for her to see the variety of foods available in the US, and to share information about the house and her chores. Many families also use this time to have the au pair drive for the first time.

The Community Counselor will call and/or visit within the first forty-eight hours after the au pair’s arrival.

Some other adjustment issues to keep in mind:

  • The au pair may be confused by directions with so many new things to learn, especially as she works to adapt to a new language and surroundings.
  • She may be homesick, possibly suffering from stomach indigestion as she tries to adapt to new foods, diet and a different time zone.
  • Children may be both excited and apprehensive about the au pair’s arrival, and their behavior patterns may be different from how they generally behave. With patience they will weather the transition.
  • Host parents may need to adapt to sharing living space with a young adult.

Putting time and effort into a positive welcome experience and being prepared for what typically happens in the first few days will give your match a strong foundation to build on.

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/host_family_tips/welcome.asp

 

Anne Lise arrived from France recently and was very happy with the welcome by her host family. She was touched to see that her host children drew not one but a whole gallery of pictures to decorate her room.

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“I was very well received by the family! I arrived at night and in the morning the girls came to see how I was. After when I went to say hello, they all made me a kiss and a hug.” (Anne Lise)