Tag Archives: Au Pairs

Social Distancing: 5 Online Adventures for Kids

Reading, playing, and doing art projects are always great ways to entertain children and keep them physically active and learning. It’s a good idea to limit screen time. But, in this time of social distancing, technology can play an important role in allowing kids to see and connect with the world outside of their homes. Many online resources are popping up to create those opportunities.

Here are five to get you started:

And if kids have questions about the coronavirus, Live Science has created an ultimate kids’ guide to the new coronavirus that has lots of information and is appropriate for school-aged kids.

Handling Expenses

Host parents often ask for suggestions on how best to handle common expenses that occur as au pairs are caring for the children.

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are different ways to handle the little day to day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon of milk.  Some families keep a cookie jar fund, a little cash that they set aside weekly or monthly for these types of expenses. Others give their au pair a prepaid debit card for this purpose. Below are some suggestions for avoiding problems with expenses.

Host Families

  • It’s important to be clear about how long this money should last and what types of expenses are approved.
  • Let the au pair know whether or not you expect receipts.

Au Pairs

  • Only spend the money on approved expenses.
  • If it is something you are not sure about, ask first.
  • Put your receipts in the cookie jar in place of the money to avoid any confusion.

Gas and Fare Cards 

Host families are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs: to and from classes, cluster meetings and when driving the kids.

It is a good idea to figure out how much gas an au pair will use for these trips and either put gas in the car or give a gas allowance.   If your au pair is riding to classes or cluster meetings with another au pair, you should offer to share the cost of gas.

Au pairs are responsible for their own transportation at all other times.  You should replace the amount of gas used for personal use.

Photo: Andrea Travillian

Daylight Saving Time Begins March 8 at 2:00 am

Daylight Saving Time
During DST, clocks are turned forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.  Today, approximately 70 countries worldwide utilize Daylight Saving Time in at least some portion of the country.  If you don’t come from one of those countries, I am guessing that the idea may seem strange to youSpringForward.

Before you go to bed on March 7, be sure to set the clocks forward one hour!

Why Au Pair in America ??

Flexible and Dependable Care

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As a parent, you know that no two weeks are the same dealing with events, commitments and work. With an au pair, you will be able to create your own child care schedule of up to 10 hours per day, 45 hours per week (30 hrs per week for EduCare), providing the flexibility and convenience you need to simplify your life.  By having your child care provider living in your home it will be easier to adjust schedules when life’s little surprises, such as sick days, arise.

Full Service

With exceptional child care, you should expect exceptional service. You will receive comprehensive program support including assistance with selecting your au pair, coordinating logistics, providing orientation for your family and au pair, year-round local support, medical insurance for your au pair and 24/7 emergency assistance.

With a quarter century of experience, we are able to accommodate and anticipate the needs of host families. Our local, professional Community Counselors reside in your area and provide daily, ongoing, local support to you and your au pair to ensure a happy and successful experience.

An Enriching Experience

With Au Pair in America, your family is getting more than just great child care. Your children will receive a global education during their most formative years, learning about the world and your au pair’s culture and customs. In addition, many parents want their children to be bilingual and the constant exposure and reinforcement provided by an au pair are the best ways to immerse children in a new language.

A Cost-Effective Solution

You will receive 45 hours of child care for just $356 per week, regardless of how many children you have. If you have full-time school-age children we offer a 30 hour per week Educare® for just $286 per week.

When you compare the cost of to other child care solutions, including a Nanny or day care, you will find an au pair can be a surprisingly cost-effective. Choosing our Extended Payment Plan, spreading out payments several month makes it even more affordable.

Expert Matching

At Au Pair in America, we offer Expert Match, a flexible and effective approach to finding the caregiver that is a perfect fit for your family. You may search for your au pair utilizing our user-friendly online search tool, or work with our professional placement team who will assist in finding the perfect au pair for your family. Should you require additional assistance with either option, we are ready and willing to accommodate.

The Largest Selection

With Au Pair in America, you will have access to the largest pool of au pairs in the country. Applicants come from more than 60 countries on five continents and our multi-tiered screening ensures that only the most exceptional and qualified au pairs are accepted. View our au pairs available now.

Orientation and Training

Your au pair will have recent, practical child care experience, the details of which you will be able to review in their application. In addition, all our au pairs complete a pre-departure online training segment and attend a comprehensive four-day orientation program that features: child development training, child safety training, adaptation training and our exclusive customized Red Cross® training.

Program options to fit your family

Whether your children are infants or school aged, Au Pair in America has the solution for your family. Choose from Au Pair, Extraordinaire, or EduCare to satisfy your child care needs.

Organizational strength

Au Pair in America is a division of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), which has provided educational and cultural exchange programs for more than 45 years. Our resources enable reliable visa processing, comprehensive insurance for au pairs and discounts for host families interested in any of AIFS’s renowned programs.

ABC's of Winter Fun !!

ABC’s of Winter Fun

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A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells

H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box

I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment
L is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
X is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – visit the animals