Halloween, what is it all about? Halloween is celebrated across the United States on October 31st.  Not all,  but most families will participate in some aspect of the Halloween holiday traditions.  This may be a new experience for you so It is a good idea to talk to your host family ahead of Read More

For many people, autumn events like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties, and eat yummy treats. These events are also opportunities to provide nutritious snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety. Below are tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters Read More

Summer is over, and in many places the air is turning colder. As the weather changes be sure to take advantage of what the fall season has to offer. Even if you don’t live in a place that sees a lot colorful leaves, there are fun family-friendly ways to get outdoors this fall: • Go Read More

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?  Read More

Almost everyone experiences culture shock when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people. When everything feels so unfamiliar, it is natural to long for the security of home. However, you don’t want to let that feeling of longing for home, make you too sad or Read More

The backpack is very important to review every day. This is one of the links between school and home for the student. Backpacks quickly become disorganized and notices missed if you do not empty it every day! Here is what we suggest you do every day: After the student arrives home, empty the backpack on Read More

The Workman’s Holiday ~ Dedicated in honor of the worker, Labor Day is also known as the “workingman’s holiday”. The holiday is dedicated to all workers in the United States in respect and appreciation for the work they do in or outside of the home, union or non-union, big companies and small companies Read More

With schools starting soon and many new au pairs who have recently arrived, we wanted to remind everyone about what to do in different situations with school buses. If you have questions, please ask us or your host parents. The rules regarding stopping for school buses are: It is against the law to pass a Read More

Kids in our cluster will be returning to school soon. This will mean changes to the au pair schedule and possibly to the duties.  It is very important to communicate these changes to avoid problems. I suggest you discuss the following (if applicable): Au pair’s work schedule The children’s school and activity schedules Read More

Au pairs should complete a minimum of  6 credits, 72 hours of classroom time, 7.2 CEUs or a combination of the above to meet the education requirements. Classes must be taken at an accredited post secondary institution. Host family will pay $500 education allowance plus parking pass, metro transportation costs and/or gas to and from Read More