Category Archives: Au Pair Tips

Holiday and Vacation Reminders

suitcase - Kristen TaylorWith summer break around the corner, we wanted to remind everyone about program rules on holidays and vacations.

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.

Vacation

  • Au pair earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
  • The host family can pick a week and the au pair can pick a week, if an agreement is not reached.
  • All vacation should be preplanned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
  • All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing a ticket.
  • If an au pair travels with their host family, it should be discussed UP FRONT 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: An au pair MUST have her DS2019 signed PRIOR to her departure from the US.

Photo: Kristen Taylor – flickr

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day in the U.S. this year is May 14th.

It would be 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.  Don’t forget to send a special message to your own mother, back home.

Looking for some great Mother’s Day ideas?

Check out the Au Pair in America Mother’s Day Pinboard on Pinterest.

National Cherry Blossom Festival 2018

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event which celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year’s festival will be MARCH 17-APRIL 15!

The predicted peak blooming period of the cherry blossoms for this year is APRIL 8-12.

Here are some of the highlights:

Smithsonian Kite Festival – Saturday, March 31, 2018
Washington Monument Grounds
10 am-4:30 pm

Petalpalooza Fireworks Festival – Saturday, April 7, 2018
Waterfront Park – 600-900 Water Street, SW
1-9:30 pm
Fireworks at 8:30-9:30 pm

Cherry Blossom Parade – Saturday, April 14, 2018
Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW
10 am- 12 pm

There are many more great events, visit the festival website for more information.

Helpful links:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
National Park Service Bloom Watch
Metro Website (use the trip planner feature on this website to find the metro options, taking metro is much better than driving for the festival events)

Photo & Video: National Cherry Blossom Festival 

How to Write a Check or Money Order

By Christine Connally, APIA Community Counselor in MD

This question comes up from time to time and with the tax deadline approaching, I thought I would post a link with a great step by step tutorial.  Click on the image of a check below to go to the tutorial on About.com.

write_a_check_step5_sign_memo

Remember: Use pen and don’t leave extra blank space where someone can make changes.

If you don’t have a checking account and need to make a payment by check, you have two other options: money order or cashier’s check (bank check.) Money orders are available for purchase at your bank, the post office or the customer service desk of some retail stores (CVS, Safeway, WalMart.) You will be charged a small fee, $1.50-$5.  Money orders need to be paid for with cash (not credit cards.) You will fill out the money order similarly to a check and keep your receipt portion for your records.

If you are paying your taxes:

  • Make check or money order payable to “United States Treasury.”
  • Write this info somewhere on the check:
    • Your full name
    • Your address and phone number
    • Your Social Security Number
    • 2013 Form 1040 NR-EZ
  • Mail your tax forms (keep copies for your records) and payment to: Internal Revenue Service
    P.O. Box 1303
    Charlotte, NC 28201–1303
    U.S.A.

St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17.St Patricks day

click here to access APIA St. Patrick's Day Shenanigans board on Pinterest

St. Patrick’s day is coming up already.  Check out APIA’s St. Patrick’s Day Shenanigans’ board on Pinterest for lots of great ideas to celebrate!

Helping Young Children Learn Language

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 your host parents, you can try the suggestions below, in both English and your native language.

Below are a few tips to start with, for more ideas, check out Ready at Five.

  • Read – Read to them daily, point out pictures and ask questions. Even if they can’t answer the questions, this is still modeling conversation.
  • Talk – Point out objects around them, names of their body parts, explain what you are doing and places you are going. Long before babies can speak, they benefit greatly from being spoken to.
  • Sing – You can sing childhood classics or make up your own silly songs. If you are looking for song ideas, HERE is a great website with lists of songs, lyrics and links to YouTube videos* of the songs.  Children’s music is also available at the public library and even on iTunes.
  • Words – As children move from toddlers to preschoolers begin to point out written language.
  • Writing – Toddlers and preschoolers can begin to learn pre-writing skills by drawing with crayons or doing finger paints.

*The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for babies under 18 months of age. For children 18 months to 5 years they recommend no more than 1 hour of high quality content. You can play the songs on youtube for the audio and not necessarily show the screen to the child.

Photo: Quinn Dombrowski (Flickr)

Daylight Saving Time Begins March 11

What is Daylight Saving Time?

During Daylight Saving Time, clocks are turned forward one 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. The U.S. started observing it in 1918, so it celebrates it’s 100th birthday, this year.

In March, we move the clock forward one hour, losing an hour of sleep. In November, we move the clock back one hour, regaining that extra hour of sleep.

An easy way to remember it is: Spring forward, Fall back.

Before you go to bed on March 10, be sure to set the clocks forward one hour!

Photo: Mark Lee

Winter Sports And Sports Insurance

From Christine Connally, Community Counselor with Au Pair in America (MD)

Is it risky to do winter sports without the sports insurance?

Yes. If you have to pay your own hospital bills for a broken bone, you might be shocked at how much that would cost. Christine checked this website for some cost estimates.

ice-skate-224x300Here are a couple examples:

  • Without medical coverage, to treat a broken arm or leg (that does not require surgery) it could cost up to $2,500.
  • Without medical coverage, to treat a broken arm or leg (requiring surgery) it could cost $16,000 or more.
  • We wanted to make sure everyone understands how the medical coverage works for sports related injuries. There is a list of “high-risk sports/activities” that are not covered with the basic or upgrade medical insurance plans. Those activities are only covered with the Sports Insurance Package (also known as Option A.)

    The Sports Insurance Package was available pre-departure and may also be purchased at any time during your year. It takes effect within 48 hours of your enrollment and it is good for 12 months. The cost will be the same ($75) whether you have a month left or your whole year ahead of you. We recommend you pay for it early on, if you didn’t already purchase it. You never know when an opportunity might present itself and you don’t want to miss out on an adventure. You also don’t want to take a risk on getting injured and being responsible for the bill on your own.

    Below is a partial list of sports that are only covered with the sports insurance package:
    Football, Rugby, Scuba diving, Ski-doo,  Wakeboarding, Skydiving, Parachuting, Rock climbing, Zip line, Skate boarding, Rollerblading, Roller skating, Ice Skating, Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowmobiles & Snowshoeing.  View the full list on page 3 of the insurance brochure HERE (2013 arrival au pairs) & HERE for (2014 arrival au pairs)
    Note: Injuries sustained while partaking in these sports are covered with purchase of the Sports Insurance ONLY.

    How to register for the Sports Insurance
    Download the form HERE and follow the instructions. It takes a few days for your coverage to begin. If you think you will be doing any of these sports, you should get it now

    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

    TrekAmerica Travel

    Southern Sun

    Click here to find out more about TrekAmerica

    About Trek America

    Established in 1972, TrekAmerica has over 40 years’ experience exploring the big cities and back roads of America. From their 3-day mini-adventures to the 21-day Southern Sun road-trip from New York to LA, TrekAmerica is one of the most fun, safe and affordable ways to travel the States!

    Au Pair in America DISCOUNT – Save 20% off!

    Au Pair in America

    TrekAmerica’s small group adventures are specifically designed for young international travelers who want to experience the best of America’s vibrant cities, sleepy towns, amazing national parks and Native American lands, all in a friendly, fun and safe environment.

    Why travel with TrekAmerica?

    Las Vegas Group

    • An 18-30’s program, ensuring travel with like-minded individuals
    • The safety, security and costs savings of small group travel
    • 65% of travelers join alone but leave with life-long friends
    • 40 years as the North American small group adventure specialist
    • Food kitty of just $10 per day covers all meals while camping
    • Extensive range of over 50 camping and budget lodging tours
    • Loads of included & optional activities to suit interest and budget
    • The coolest and most diverse groups in the business, with a maximum of
      13 passengers and an average of 5 different nationalities on every trip!

    How to receive your discount

    20% Discount for Au Pairs

    • To receive your discount, please have your Counselor’s details to hand as you will need to provide their name, address, email and phone number.
      To book online simply take the following steps:
    • 1) Go to the relevant tour page and click on the Dates and Prices tab.
    • 2) Wait for the dates and prices to load and click on the Book Now button next to your preferred date.
    • 3) Complete your personal details in the booking form and make sure to enter 222011 in the Discount Code field. Once this code has been entered, boxes will appear asking you to enter your local Counselor’s details.
    • If you would prefer to book your tour over the phone or if you have any questions please contact the sales office on 1-800-TREK USA (873-5872) or by e-mail at info@trekamerica.co.uk

    Claim your Discount:

    You can get 20% off any TrekAmerica tour, just for being an Au Pair. Find out how you can claim your discount here.