Resources for au pairs and host families in Rhode Island, and for families who are considering the au pair program for their child care needs. Those who choose Au Pair in America are working with the nation's first and most experienced au pair program. — Tanja Carroll, RI Community Counselor
Au Pair in America is the nation's first legal au pair program. Since 1986, we have provided the best child care opportunities to host families across the U.S. and au pairs from around the world.
It is good to offer kids a balance of independent play time and play where you are actively engaging with them. You can make toys they may be bored with, feel new and exciting, by suggesting different ways to play with them. Try some of the ideas below as a starting point. Play Food/Dishes Teach Read More
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
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Even though a few other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s still considered a uniquely American holiday, one that the au pairs look forward to experiencing. You can learn more about it here. “I really enjoyed Thanksgiving with my host family. It was as Read More
Here is a video explaining how to carve a pumpkin (as well as some non-carving alternatives.) If you get a pumpkin at our pumpkin patch cluster meeting, I don’t recommend carving it until the week of Halloween, so it will stay looking fresh for big day. Read More
Almost everyone experiences homesickness and culture shock to some degree, when they come to live in a completely new environment. So much is different and it takes time to adjust. It is normal to miss your own family, at home. Try to remember that they support you and want you to make the most of Read More
Dehydration means that the body lacks the necessary amount of fluid. Infants and small children are more likely to become dehydrated than older children or adults, because they can lose relatively more fluid quickly. Here are some steps to take to make sure children remain hydrated in the summer months: Encourage your child to drink Read More
“Rest and be thankful.” – William Wordsworth Holidays and vacations are a great opportunity to rest, recharge and explore the U.S. Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer travel season. Here are some reminders about program rules regarding holidays and vacations. Holidays Host families are not required to give au pairs any specific holidays. Each Read More
Being an au pair is an important role in a child’s life. When you are caring for a young child up to 45 hours per week, there are lots of opportunities to help them learn language. Many host parents are eager for their children to be exposed to foreign language. If this is true of Read More
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 Read More
A Rhode Island winter can be very cold and snowy! This means that you may end up indoors with your host children. The Winter Holidays Au Pair in America pinboard on Pinterest has some great ideas for things to do during the holidays and during the winter. Photo credit: Jay Gooby (Flikr) Read More
