Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 16th. If you are looking for gifts you can help your host children make, check out the Au Pair in America pinboard.

Father’s Day Ideas

Now that school is out (or almost out), please sit down with your au pair and discuss what her hours will be for the Summer.  The best thing about hosting an au pair is the flexibility of the schedule.  Try to give your au pair as much time as possible when the schedule will be changing to avoid any conflicts with school or vacations, keeping in mind the government requirement that the au pair work NO MORE THAN 10 hours in one day and 45 hours per week.  A work week for the au pair is 7 days and during those 7 days, she must have one FULL day off and one day where she does not work more than 5 hours, with no split schedule on the 5 hour day.

Each month, your au pair must have a weekend off.  This means a Friday when she would normally get off work until Monday morning when she would normally go back to work, she must be off.  This is essential to the happiness of the girls and gives them the ability to go away with friends for the weekend, or take a weekend class if their work week does not allow time to take a class.

The au pairs are not permitted to work hours over and above the 45 hours each week, even for extra pay.  We don’t want the girls to “burn out”.  It’s not safe, and the safety of our children is the most important.  If you find you are at or above 45 hours each week, perhaps a part time day camp or a baby sitter for the extra hours is needed.  Your au pair should only be caring for your children.

Taking a class while the au pairs are here is a program requirement.  It’s not an option.  The au pairs come on a J-1 visa that requires the au pairs to achieve 6 credits or it’s equivalent (72 class hours) during their year here.  This requirement must be completed to meet the terms of the visa.  Please work with your au pair and the schedule to ensure she has time to attend class.  Make sure you are not waiting until the last few months to cram in classes.  That never works.   While there are very few summer classes, the fall schedule is online and I suggest registering for a class as soon as possible in the event it is canceled and you have to make another choice.  A list of schools the au pairs may attend is on our cluster blog.

One final note, if you are going to be traveling away from Northern Virginia with your au pair for more than 4 days, please let me know.  Especially if you will be leaving the country, ie, Mexico, Caribbean, cruise, etc.   There are forms that must be filled out so there are no issues with the au pair reentering the country.

I hope you have a safe and fun summer!

During the summer months we need to take some added precautions to keep children safe in the sun and by the water.  Here are some good tips.

• 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 critical levels
• Never leave children or animals in a car unattended.

• Actively supervise children in and around the water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults. Be very clear who is in charge.
• When in the water there should be an adult at arms 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 the water

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
• Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or a life-guarded beach, use the buddy system!
• If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
• Avoid alcohol use. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance and coordination; affects swimming and diving skills; and reduces the body’s ability to stay warm.

As well as the host parents numbers, au pairs should have the phone number of the community counselor and the Au Pair in America 800 number saved to their phones.  This way if they need assistance they can quickly and easily dial the number.  Remind you au pairs to call immediately if there is any issue with a child in their care.  Host families should make sure that au pairs know what to do if there is an emergency situation while they are in charge of the children,  this is a good time of year to review any family rules that apply to summer activities especially by the pool and while at the beach.

Enjoy the summer and be safe!

Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday in the United States of America, celebrated on the last Monday in May.  It is a celebration of remembrance for the brave service of men and women who gave their lives for their country. Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. We now, designate this day to remember loved ones who have passed on, as well as remembering our service men and women. Flowers and flags are placed on graves in remembrance of them. Parades and dedications of memorials usually are part of the day’s activities. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local marching bands, members of the armed service, fire departments, police departments, and fraternal orders often march in parades and attend ceremonies to commemorate the day.  

Here are a couple of links to website that have activities you can do with the children in honor of Memorial Day.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/memorial-day/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/memorialday/

“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.

Photo: torbakhopper (Flickr)

Holidays

• Host families are not required to give au pairs any specific holidays.
• Each host family will make different arrangements on holidays, some au pairs will be off and others will be required to work.
• Au pairs should not make plans for holidays without checking with your host family first.

Vacations

• Au pairs earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
• Vacation time should be mutually agreed upon.
• All vacation should be pre-planned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
• All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing tickets.
• If an au pair travels with her host family, it should be discussed in advance whether this is the au pair’s vacation or if she is working.
• If an au pair travels with the host family to work, the host family is required to pay for her transportation, lodging and meals.

Important: If an au pair is traveling outside of the U.S., she must have her DS2019 signed (travel validation) PRIOR to her departure from the US. More information about this may be found here on the Au Pair in America website.

By Christine Connally – Community Counselor in Maryland

Mother’s Day is celebrated each year in the U.S. on the second Sunday in May.  This year that is May 12th.

It is always a nice gesture to do something for your host mom. You could help the children make a surprise for her or give her a card yourself.  Any gesture is appreciated.

Don’t forget to send a special message to your own mom back home.  Without her love and support, you wouldn’t be here today.

You will find great ideas for projects you can make with your host children here on the Au Pair in America Mother’s Day Pinboard.

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the host moms in our cluster!

Au Pairs – Imagine for a moment that you went to the hospital and you were in the care of doctors and nurses.  How would you feel if those doctors and nurses who were there to care for you were more interested in texting or using their personal cellphone than caring for you?  How would that make you feel, about yourself and about them?  Would you think that you were getting the treatment you deserved?  Would you feel like paying the bill after your stay?

Life as an au pair is a fine balance between being a childcare provider and a family member. You live with your host family and participate with them as a member of the family, but you also have clear responsibilities as a childcare provider. Being a childcare provider is truly one of the most important jobs I can think of, because you are helping to shape our next generation.  What message are you sending them when you would rather interact with a cellphone than with them? How will they feel about themselves and about you? Children feel as though everything is about them. They will see this as a rejection of them and they will be more likely to act out.

It also poses a safety concern when you are not paying enough attention to the children in your care.  Accidents happen, but when an adult care giver is close by and appropriately supervising the chances of a major injury dramatically reduce.

During work hours, the following would not be considered acceptable:
– Texting;
– Talking to friends on the phone;
– Chatting with friends online;
– Using WhatsApp; Snapchat, Tiktok, X, Pinterest;
– Updating your status on Facebook, posting on Instagram or any other social media;
– Watching videos on YouTube, Netflix or other streaming services.
– Playing any online games etc.

Think about this — even if you work 45 hours a week, that leaves you 123 hours per week for all of that other stuff, or about 70 hours (if you are getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night.)

Host Parents – You need to be clear about what you consider acceptable during work hours to avoid misunderstandings.  Also, please understand that you are dealing with a new generation of people who are very accustomed to being plugged in at all times.  Their intention is not to be rude, they don’t necessarily realize how their actions will be perceived.  Please use this information as an opportunity to begin a dialogue on the issue.

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 your car registration card and car insurance card (most host families keep these documents in the car glove compartment. Make sure to check with them before you start driving).

If you have an accident:

1. Keep Safety First. Drivers involved in minor accidents with no serious injuries should move cars to the side of the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic. Leaving cars parked in the middle of the road or busy intersection can result in additional accidents and injuries. If a car cannot be moved, drivers and passengers should remain in the cars with seat belts fastened for everyone’s safety until help arrives. Make sure to turn on hazard lights and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if possible.
2. Exchange Information. After the accident, exchange the following information: name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle. If the driver’s name is different from the name of the insured, establish what the relationship is and take down the name and address for each individual. Also make a written description of each car, including year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Finally, be polite but don’t tell the other drivers or the police that the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.
3. Photograph and Document the Accident. Use your phone camera to document the damage to all the vehicles. Keep in mind that you want your photos to show the overall context of the accident so that you can make your case to a claims adjuster. If there were witnesses, try to get their contact information; they may be able to help you if the other drivers dispute your version of what happened.