{"id":17,"date":"2019-02-10T00:47:08","date_gmt":"2019-02-10T00:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vab\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2019-02-10T01:03:07","modified_gmt":"2019-02-10T01:03:07","slug":"host-families","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vab\/host-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Host Families"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\">Staying Healthy in Cold &amp; Flu Season<\/h1>\n<p>January 7, 2019 \u2013 2:53 pm<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-3675\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/mdf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/01\/4314530838_65c57bb85f_z.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"392\" height=\"261\" \/>Here\u2019s some useful information from the Center for Disease Control about how you can protect yourself from the flu and how to treat yourself and your host children should you get sick.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It is NOT too late to get a Flu Vaccine. <\/strong>\u00a0Au Pair insurance does not cover immunizations, but there are lots of places to get flu shots for $30 or less.\u00a0Check your local health department or stores with a pharmacy such as CVS, Target and Walgreens. If a host family is insisting that their au pair get a seasonal flu shot and she agrees to get it, the host family would be responsible for the expense.<\/p>\n<p><strong>An Ounce of Prevention<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are steps you can take in your daily life to help protect you from getting the flu.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer<\/li>\n<li>Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.\u00a0 Germs spread this way.<\/li>\n<li>Try to avoid close contact with sick people<\/li>\n<li>Practice good health habits.\u00a0 Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food<\/li>\n<li>Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.\u00a0 Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it<\/li>\n<li>If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever reducing medicine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Symptoms of the Flu<\/strong><br \/>\nThe flu and the common cold have similar symptoms.\u00a0 It can be difficult to tell the difference between them.\u00a0 Your healthcare provider can give you a test within the first few days of your illness to determine whether or not you have the flu.<\/p>\n<p>In general, the flu is worse than the common cold.\u00a0 Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, and cough are more common and intense with the flu.<\/p>\n<p>Flu symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A 100<sup>o<\/sup>F or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever)<\/li>\n<li>A cough and\/or sore throat<\/li>\n<li>A runny or stuffy nose<\/li>\n<li>Headaches and\/or body aches<\/li>\n<li>Chills<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Nausea, vomiting, and\/or diarrhea (most common in children)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Treating the Flu<\/strong><br \/>\nYou can treat flu symptoms without medication by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Getting plenty of rest<\/li>\n<li>Drinking clear fluids like water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages to prevent becoming dehydrated<\/li>\n<li>Placing a cool, damp washcloth on your forehead, arms, and legs to reduce discomfort associated with a fever<\/li>\n<li>Putting a humidifier in your room to make breathing easier<\/li>\n<li>Gargling salt water (1:1 ratio warm water to salt) to soothe a sore throat<\/li>\n<li>Covering up with a warm blanket to calm chills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Children are at higher risk for getting the flu because their immune systems are not fully developed.\u00a0 If your host child gets sick, always ask your host parents before giving any medications to the children.\u00a0 There are strict guidelines for dosages and they MUST be followed.\u00a0 Never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have the flu.\u00a0 Giving aspirin to children with the flu can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye\u2019s Syndrome.\u00a0 Read ingredient labels on over-the-counter medications carefully to ensure they do not contain aspirin.<\/p>\n<p>Photo: Arlington County<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\">9 Winter Driving Tips to Stay Safe in the Ice &amp; Snow<\/h1>\n<p>December 19, 2018 \u2013 2:05 pm<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"_zXc\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3555 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/mdf\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/01\/16382392412_c30506466f_z.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"359\" height=\"239\" \/>The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. Don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n<p>If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared, and that you know how to handle road conditions. <strong>It\u2019s a good idea to always keep at least a half tank of gas in your car<\/strong>, especially in winter months where you could get stranded.\u00a0<b><\/b>It\u2019s helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you\u2019re familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner\u2019s manual for tips specific to your vehicle.<\/p>\n<p><b>Driving safely on icy roads<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.<\/li>\n<li>Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.<\/li>\n<li>Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your lights and windshield clean.<\/li>\n<li>Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.<\/li>\n<li>Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you\u2019re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_yXc\">\n<p><em>Photo: Steve Pisano (Flickr)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Staying Healthy in Cold &amp; Flu Season January 7, 2019 \u2013 2:53 pm Here\u2019s some useful information from the Center for Disease Control about how you can protect yourself from the flu and how to treat yourself and your host children should you get sick. It is NOT too late to get a Flu Vaccine.  <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vab\/host-families\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Host Families - Erin&#039;s Au Pair in America Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/vab\/host-families\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Host Families - Erin&#039;s Au Pair in America Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Staying Healthy in Cold &amp; Flu Season January 7, 2019 \u2013 2:53 pm Here\u2019s some useful information from the Center for Disease Control about how you can protect yourself from the flu and how to treat yourself and your host children should you get sick. 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