Monday, November 28, 2011
GreatAuPair has always made it a priority to protect the safety of au pairs and their host families through our advanced security measures and Parent Editorial Team™ that carefully screens all profiles. The GreatAuPair.com web site provides the tools and support to allow families and au pairs to carefully screen each other as well as educational and security measures.
Now we would like to introduce a new organization created by au pair industry experts to promote global wareness through education and outreach. In response to the growing frequency of emotional and sexual abuse of au pairs, Talya Shoup Burnett, author of the popular au pair blog, Best Au Pair Guide, has partnered with Edina Stone, Founder and CEO of AuPairClearingHouse.com, a national U.S.-based consumer website, to create Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs (P.E.A.P.). This new organization’s purpose is to raise awareness of the exploitation of au pairs, which is a growing problem worldwide.
Au pairs are a highly affordable means of childcare and are becoming increasingly popular for busy, professional families around the world. While most au pairs work in safe homes with good host families, many of them are at considerable risk for exploitation and human trafficking due to their youth and inexperience. Au pairs are frequently overworked and underpaid, and at times they are even emotionally and sexually abused.
P.E.A.P. was created to raise awareness of these issues and to prevent exploitation worldwide through education and outreach. By mobilizing au pair agencies, organizations, and families to join in the awareness campaign, the organization is hoping that au pairs can be made aware of how to react when something happens to them – what specific actions to take, who to call first, etc.
You can find more information about the mission and guiding principles of P.E.A.P. as well as contact information at the Au Pair ClearingHouse web site. Please help spread the word about this organization and visit P.E.A.P. on Facebook to lend your support and to share this page with the au pairs, host families, and agencies that you know.
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Tags: abuse, au pair, au pair clearninghouse, au pair education, au pair safety, au pairs, awareness, business, crimes against humanity, domestic work, Edina Stone, education, ethics, exploitation, family, host families, human rights abuses, human trafficking, P.E.A.P., pair, prevent, Prevent Explotation of Au Pairs, purpose, raises, security measures, sexual abuse, Talya Shoup Burnett
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Background Screening, Complaints and Violations, Resources for Aupairs, Resources for Families, Uncategorized
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Although it’s been quite some time since I’ve been a nanny, I still remember the infamous question that made my skin crawl: “So you get paid to play outside all day?” Are you kidding me? Little did they know I spent many days on the job up to my ears in messy diapers and laundry while trying to figure out just what can be constructed with a can of glitter and a few popsicle sticks after school today.
Let’s face it: Mary Poppins has given nannies across the globe something to work towards. Although we can’t all be “practically perfect in every way,” we certainly try our best to mirror her rosy-cheeked disposition while tackling the terrible two’s and potty training. Being a nanny is not easy; it takes buckets of patience, armfuls of creativity for a rainy day, super powered multitasking skills, and a whole lot of affection, among other things. Not only are the parents trusting us with the lives of their children, nannies build life-long relationships with their families that ultimately come very close to the bond between a parent and child.
It’s important that you build a great name for yourself by being the best nanny that you can possibly be. Here are a just a few worthwhile suggestions about how to keep it professional while on the job.
Tick Tock!
Timing really is everything. We’ve heard it a thousand times before but it should never grow old! I used to think that my mother’s obsession with arriving early for everything was something I couldn’t wait to get away from. Thankfully, this trait has stuck with me.
It is extremely important to parents to know that they have a punctual, dependable person there for their children. If you’re asked to meet them at 8 am, show up ten minutes early. There is nothing wrong with being early, but everything wrong with being late! Not only are you on time when you show up early, you’re proving to the parents that you’re someone that genuinely cares about your job. If you’re going to be late, let the family know as soon as possible, and don’t make a habit out of it. Punctuality is key!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Since the families agree to respect your time with a paycheck, the very least you can do is respect their wishes. If the parents have guidelines for things like naps, time-outs, after school snacks, bedtime routines, etc., it is your job to respect these guidelines. Routines are not easy to set in place, and the last thing a parent wants is to pay someone to mess it all up! Remember, as much as you love those little ones as though they were your very own, you are an employee for the family, and need to show your willingness to adapt on a daily basis. Think about it; if you were working as a waitress and were constantly messing up the orders, you’d be fired in no time. Be a professional!
Look Who’s Talking!
I will never forget the first family I worked for, as I’m sure you won’t either. They absolutely insisted on letting their kids splurge on whatever sugary snack they wanted after a long day at school, resulting in two hyperactive explosions refusing to do any homework! I wanted so badly to say something to the parents, but was too afraid they’d think I was being disrespectful; after all, I was the nanny, not the mom. One day I mustered up the courage to sit down with the parents and asked if it was possible to provide a healthy snack instead. The family was open to suggestions after I explained my reasoning and the kids absolutely loved my idea of helping me whip up some homemade trail mix.
All I’m trying to say is that communication is key. If something is bothering you, let the family know. Since you are spending so much time with their children, it’s important to keep them up to date. As children grow, their needs and wants can change. Instead of taking it upon yourself or resenting the family for not understanding, give them a chance to listen. I strongly recommend a chat at least once a month with the parents to air out any concerns you may have. Sitting down with the parents provides a great opportunity to stay connected and is often much-needed adult time!
Those are just a few suggestions, but there are so many other ways to prove that you’re taking your job seriously. With so many directions to be pulled, it’s no wonder being a nanny is far from the easiest job on the planet. The children are depending on you to be a best friend, a replacement parent, and a partner in crime among other things. At the same time, the parents are expecting you to love, protect and care for their children while they’re away, and to respect their wishes. Although we can’t all be lucky enough to sport around a bottomless carpetbag of tricks, being a nanny is more than just a random gig to score for some extra cash. Being a true professional is paramount to your success!
If you would like more helpful information on subjects like the difference between nannies and au pairs or tips on what to expect as a first time au pair, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions on GreatAuPair.com.
If you are a family currently working with a nanny or looking to hire a nanny, you may want to read our helpful tips on how to create a great relationship with your nanny.
~ Fallon, GreatAuPair.com Customer Support Team Leader
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Tags: Child Care, domestic work, important traits for nannies, keeping, key skills, keys, mary poppins, nanny, popsicle sticks, potty training, professional, professional nanny, rainy day, skill, tips for nannies
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Resources for Nannies, Tip for Nannies and Au Pairs, Tips for Nannies and Au Pairs
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
One of the most frequent questions I have been asked by parents when expressing a desire to sign with their children is, “Why should we teach my baby sign language when he or she is not deaf?” If you have not already been introduced to signing with your baby, my answer to this question may surprise you.
Experts on the subject have discovered that there are many amazing benefits associated with teaching your baby how to effectively communicate with you through sign language. First and foremost, it greatly helps to reduce the frustration babies or toddlers feel when they cannot explain how they are feeling or what it is they need, therefore almost eliminating tantrums completely! It is also proven that babies taught to sign will begin to speak earlier than nonsigners and once talking will have a more extensive vocabulary. This is due to the fact that when you are demonstrating a sign to your baby, you are also speaking the word at the same time. Even more shocking is that these babies will generally have an IQ score that is at least 10 to 12 points higher.
There are many books out there that will teach you these basic signs and how to introduce them to your child, but none
of them compare to the Signing Time program I was introduced to many years ago. Created by Rachel Coleman, originally for her daughter Leah, who was, in fact, born deaf, it has now been brought into many homes of hearing children and used to help them communicate with their parents and caregivers before they can speak. I began using it with my own daughter when she was just three months old, and, at nine months, she has a signing vocabulary of 20-plus signs! What makes this program stand out among all the others is that these sets of DVDs have been created to keep your child’s attention by having actual babies and toddlers modeling the signs, as well as Mrs. Coleman signing catchy tunes that you will, for sure, be trying to get out of your head for hours after watching. You can also purchase other learning materials to go along with the DVD box sets like flashcards, hard back books, and even CDs that include all of the musical numbers that you hear on the DVDs. There are many other baby learning products out there, but this would definitely be my first choice. You can find more information about signing as well as purchase these great DVDs on the Signing Time Web site and also on Rachael Coleman’s blog. GreatAuPair customers will receive a 5% discount off any purchase over $50 by using coupon code teachmybaby at checkout. Discount may not be combined with any other offer.
I hope you have found this recommendation helpful, and I would love to hear from any of you who have tried signing with your children. Please leave a comment below about your experiences or any helpful tips you would like to share.
~Nanny Katherine
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Tags: auditory system, baby, baby sign language, baby teaching, benefits, communicate, communication, deafness, human development, infancy, language, language acquisition, Rachael Coleman, rachel coleman, sign language, sign language for babies, sign language in infants and toddlers, sign languages, Signing Time products, signing time!, signing with your baby, teach baby sign language, teach your baby, teach your baby sign, teaching
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Product Recommendations, Resources for Families, Tips for Nannies and Au Pairs
Monday, April 25, 2011
Along with many other nannies and au pairs out there, I spend an extremely significant amount of time with my current charge. To be more specific, Maya, the sweetest and most adorable nine-month-old you will ever meet, is in my care Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., which is a total of 50 hours per week. We spend our days together filled with adventures at the zoo, fun-filled days at the children’s museum, and trips to various neighborhood coffee shops for music time. As if that weren’t enough to keep us busy, we also take a swim class twice a week and a baby sign language class once a week at the local community center. All of this time and interaction with one another has definitely formed a pretty amazing bond between the two of us. Nothing is better than walking into work every morning and being greeted by her crawling over to me, with her tiny arms raised into the air, almost begging to be picked up. What’s even better is that I am lucky enough to have the most wonderful mom boss who helps to foster the nanny-child connection and also believes that the bond her daughter and I have will have a tremendous impact on the other relationships she will form later on in life.
Throughout my years as a nanny, it is an honor to have been chosen by the families I have worked for to have such a great impact on the lives of their children. Next to their parents, it is my job and responsibility to provide these children with a sense of both emotional and physical security on a daily basis. I feel that because of this, it is my obligation to explain to parents during my interviews how important it is, for their children’s sake, to hire someone who will be in it for the long haul. What some nannies and even some parents don’t understand is that a sudden loss or change in caregivers can be a significant stressor for a child. When the child realizes that the attachment figure who was there to care for him when his parents were not able to can simply disappear, he may be more cautious in developing future relationships. My suggestion to both parents and nannies to prevent this from happening is to agree to work together for at least a year, if not more. This way it gives both the child and the nanny or au pair enough time to form a substantial bond, as well as the opportunity for them to create lasting memories together that the child will be able to draw upon once the caregiver is not an active part of his daily life.
Although I have addressed how difficult it can be for the children when a nanny has to leave her position with their family, it is also critical to note that this can be a very hard time for the adults involved as well. While I have been fortunate that all of my nanny positions have been for at least two years or more, I still see this career as being somewhat of a catch-22. Much like the children, I have become attached to and very fond of each and every child I have had the pleasure of caring for throughout the past nine years. It has been of the utmost importance for me to build both a nurturing and trusting relationship with them while also being mindful that all of these positions will eventually have an expiration date connected to them. When the time does come for this healthy codependent relationship to end, know that there are many fun and creative things you can do to help both the children and parents (and yourself) move forward once your position with them ends. Below are a few of my suggestions.
Create a photo album. Gather a few pictures that you have of the children and yourself together (take some if you don’t have any), and put them in a photo album for the children to always remember you by.
Create lasting memories. I have always made it a point to plan some sort of fun outing to do with the children I have cared for on my last day with the family. (Be sure to clear this with both mom and dad bosses.) This can be as simple as taking the children out to get ice cream or as elaborate as taking them to a local theme park for a day filled with fun food and rides.
Set up a future visit. If you live nearby, ask the parents if they wouldn’t mind setting up a time in the near future for you to come by and visit with the children. Not only will this help to alleviate the children’s temporary heartbreak of losing you as their nanny, but it will also give them something to look forward to. I have had the opportunity to go back and visit all of my previous charges and their parents and have also been lucky enough to babysit for each and every one of them on occasion!
In closing, I hope that I have given you a bit of insight about how important your role as a nanny or au pair is in the lives of the children you care for everyday, and how you can help to ease the transition when it is time for you to say your goodbyes. Always remember that your job is one of the most influential ones out there, and to take pride in the impact you are having on today’s future generation!
“A nanny shapes our children, in ways we will never know…they challenge and inspire them and prepare them as they grow.” –Anonymous
-Nanny Katherine
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Tags: au pair, babysitting, care, Child Care, children, creating memories, domestic work, ease, employment, fun food, nanny, nanny position, say goodbye, separation process, tips for working with nannies
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Activities for Kids, Nanny Activity Ideas, Resources for Aupairs, Resources for Families, Resources for Nannies, Tips for Nannies and Au Pairs
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Last week I started a list of the many ways parents can show their nanny how much they value all of her dedication and hard work and why it is extremely important to do so. Below, please find the remainder of my list that will hopefully get you on your way to creating a great relationship with your child care provider. Please feel free to leave comments or any other suggestions you have, I would love to hear from you!
Try not to add duties. This is often referred to as the “job creep,” where families add on duties that were not agreed upon in the beginning. Some examples of these extra duties may include housekeeping, family errands, cooking, taking care of family pets, family laundry, etc. Keep in mind that while it is okay to ask your nanny or au pair if she would mind taking on an extra duty, she should also have the right to say no if she feels it will be too much. However, if she does agree to your request, this added workload should be matched with an appropriate amount of extra compensation.
Avoid a growing schedule. It is important to remember that your nanny or au pair most likely has a life outside of caring for your family and children. This is one of the reasons why it is best to avoid tacking on hours to the schedule you originally agreed upon. Your au pair or live-in nanny’s free time while she is not scheduled to be working should be just that, her time. We all need time to recharge, and it is extremely important to respect this, especially if your caregiver lives with you in your home. If you happen to have a child care provider who is okay with additional hours, be aware that you will have to compensate her fairly. Constantly coming home from work late could also be an issue that may eventually cost you the loss of your nanny or au pair. If you are going to be even 10 or 15 minutes late, a phone call or quick text message is always appreciated. You should also expect this kind of consideration from your nanny if she is ever late for any reason.
Don’t leave a messy house. It has always been my philosophy and my goal to leave my employer’s house cleaner and more organized when I leave for the day than it was when I came to work in the morning. I do this because I know firsthand, as a working mother myself, how difficult it can be to keep up your home when all you want to do is spend time with your children when you are not working. With this in mind, I also know how frustrating it can be as a nanny to walk into work one day and see that the house is a complete disaster. It is even more upsetting when I made an honest effort the previous day to leave it clean and tidy. My solution to this problem is to put aside 15 to 30 minutes on Sunday evenings to pick up the house while encouraging your children to help you if they are of the appropriate age. Children as young as two years old can begin to help with this task. Your nanny or aupair will more than appreciate your efforts to help her keep the house in order and will most likely be more inclined to do more to help in the future.
Be prepared. Nothing is more frustrating than walking into work and realizing that you are missing the essentials to get through your day. Some examples of this can be as small as not having enough baby formula for the day, not having enough diapers and wipes, or not having enough food in the fridge to feed the children. The very last thing your child care provider wants to have to do is load up all the children in the car and drag them to the local supermarket to get these things. You may ask her to keep a list of the things you are running out of, but in most circumstances it is your responsibility to make sure that they are purchased and in the home when she comes to work in the morning. It is also helpful to make sure they have other things, like a good stroller, diaper bag, bus fare, and sandbox toys available, to aid in caring for your children to the best of her ability. If you do not have the time to go out and purchase these items, sit down with your caregiver and ask her if she would mind going out and purchasing them for your family. If she agrees, be sure to research how much money she will need ahead of time, and provide a list for her to take with her to the store so nothing is forgotten.
A healthy nanny is a happy nanny. It is essential for your caregiver to be healthy in order for her to be able to perform the job she has been hired to do. Your part in helping with this should be to provide an agreed-upon number of paid sick days per year, which will enable her to be able to stay home and get well should an illness or injury arise. I have seen many different proposals for sick days in my career, and what it really boils down to is not only what is fair, but also what you are comfortable with. Just as important as providing these paid sick days is allowing your nanny or au pair to take them when needed without making her feel guilty for doing so. I can’t tell you how awful it is to wake up the morning before work with a stomach bug and have to call into work when I know my boss is going to be upset with me because I have inconvenienced them. You have to think of it from this prospective: If the caregiver comes into work when they are ill, not only will they not be able to care for your children the same way they would if they were well, but you run the risk of everyone in your household catching the bug as well. Make it clear to your nanny or au pair in the beginning of her employment with your family that you understand people get sick from time to time and that you will line up backup child care should she ever need to take a sick day or two.
It is my sincere hope that this blog will help you to create a wonderful working relationship with your caregiver and that it will become a tool you can look to should a problem ever arise. My advice is to make sure that you create a nanny/family agreement to ensure that all of these bases are covered. This will prevent most of these issues from ever happening and will help to establish both boundaries and your expectations up front. It might also be helpful to your family to have either a monthly or bimonthly review, where you evaluate your nanny’s or au pair’s job performance and she does a self-evaluation as well. Not only will this help to alleviate any issues that are arising, but it will also help to foster one of the single most important aspects of the nanny/family relationship: Communication.
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Tags: au pair, berkley, business, Child Care, childcare, children, cleaning, domestic work, family, happy, happy child, happy children, house cleaning, houses, how to keep your nanny happy?, katherine berkley, nanny, professional nanny
Categories:
Resources for Families, Resources for Nannies, Tips for Nannies and Au Pairs
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