Car Issues

1.            Car insurance is one of the many costs that host parents incur when they have an au pair.

Host parents who need the au pair to drive a car as part of his or her work duties obviously pay for the car insurance, just as they pay for the gas and for the tuition at the Gymboree class.

Host parents who offer access to a car as part of the perks of being with the host family (and, frankly, as a way to let an au pair maintain an independent social life) also pay for car insurance.

Offering an au pair the use of a car without her or him being insured to drive it is like offering the au pair a car with only three wheels.

Your au pair can’t drive legally in a car with three wheels and your aupair cannot drive legally without insurance.

2.            Discuss the full costs of your au pair’s driving privileges with your au pair.

When you sit down with your au pair to talk over car rules, driving expectations, and family car management, this can be a good time to share with your au pair a breakout of the costs involved in having him or her use the car. You might mention the costs of additional insurance, additional wear and tear ,and depreciation in value as the mileage is racked up by late night drives from one Starbucks/McDonads to another.

You can also use this time to discuss some of the other costs of providing a car for your au pair, including the extra effort it might take to coordinate the schedules of several drivers, what a pain it is when the car is parked in the wrong place, and your general worries about your au pair’s safety in the car.

The point is not to make the au pair feel guilty about being a burden or costing you money  — so don’t lay it on too thick. And, be sure that if you harbor any resentment about these extra costs, you deal with that resentment before you talk with your au pair.

Driving is a privilege!!  But it’s only a privilege when you provide your au pair with a safe, legal, and insured car to drive.

3.         Should you let your aupair drive in the Snow?

Of course, there are a million variables that affect this decision. Here are some:

• Is snow frequent or rare?
  Is the snow deep, light, icy?
  Does your car have 4 wheel drive?
  Is your car a Volvo?
  Is your car already beat up, or rather new?
• Is your au pair a good driver?
  Has s/he got lots of experience driving in snow?
  Is s/he from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Northern Canada?
• Is the specific trip urgent or discretionary?
  Daylight or after dark?
  With children or without?
• Are drivers in your area generally comfortable in snow?
  Do you live on a hill?
  Are your town roads well plowed?
  Can you avoid hilly or unplowed roads to get to where you want to go?

• Can you afford to lose your (au pair) car to a body shop for a week or two?

Have a reasonable conversation with your aupair about the need for her to drive and always follow your gut. Always put safety first.

Help your Aupair have a fun social life

While we may not want the “party all night drunken” aupair we do want them to have a happy active social life, one that creates memories for years to come.

And, when we host parents are older, busy, different interest, we don’t always have ways to help our au pairs use their off-duty time to build their own community of friends.

There are, however, some great ways to meet other “young people” and getting them started on creating those memories

Here are some ideas worth trying:

1.  Take a class. Not just an academic class, but a one-evening class in Adult School, or similar. Check out http://www.umkc.edu/commu/  

Classes are pretty inexpensive

2.  Join a church or faith community.

3.  Find a town sports league and join a team. Soccer, volleyball, basketball are some ideas

http://kcsportsleagues.com/

4.  Join an ESL class just for the opportunity to chat with other people new to the area.

5.  And try this check out Meet up here is a link

http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/mo/kansas_city/

They have different kind of meetings for all kinds of people and interests

6.  Sign up for a gym membership or take Zumba classes, check out link to get ideas for where classes are in Kansas

http://www.zumba.com/en-US/classes/index/US/Kansas/

Top Five Misconceptions about Au Pairs

What is an au pair? If you answered, “a nanny for rich families,” you would not be alone. This is one of the many common misconceptions people have about au pairs.

In fact, an au pair is a young adult from another country who lives with your family and provides one-on-one live-in child care services in exchange for room and board and a stipend. It is a child care option that is competitively priced with other child care solutions, such as nannies, babysitters and day care centers – with some additional benefits.

Before you rule out an au pair program as a child care option for your family, here is a quick guide that will help you better understand the program.

Myth:  Having an au pair is only for high income families

Fact:  Hosting an au pair is an affordable child care program for many families across the country. At an average weekly cost of $350 per family, not per child, the au pair program is an especially affordable child care alternative for families with multiple children. Because au pairs provide live-in child care and work up to 45 hours per week, you have the ability to customize your au pairs’ work schedule based on when you need child care.

Myth:  Au pairs are not screened or regulated
Fact:  All au pair agencies are regulated by the U.S. Department of State and require that au pairs are thoroughly screened, interviewed, tested on English competency, and undergo a comprehensive criminal, personal and professional background check. In addition, many au pairs agencies require au pairs to have first aid and child development training.

Myth: Au pairs don’t speak English
Fact: While au pairs come from many different countries around the world, all au pairs are required to be proficient in spoken English, as regulated by the U.S. Department of State. Au pair agencies conduct an English competency test for all au pair applicants and interview them in English prior to accepting them into the au pair program. Families also have the opportunity to interview au pairs over the phone or on Skype prior to employment.

Myth: International au pairs are all women
Fact: An au pair is any young adult from another country who exchanges child care services for room and board and a stipend. All government-regulated au pair agencies recruit both male and female au pairs. Au pair agencies want to ensure that families can select an au pair that matches their particular needs, skills and background.

Myth: Au pairs are babysitters that speak another language
Fact: Unlike a babysitter, an au pair provides ongoing child care up to 45 hours per week, according to a family’s needs. Au pairs can also perform light household duties associated with children. For example, they can prepare and clean up after meals, do children’s laundry, make the children’s beds, and organize the children’s playrooms/toys. Having an au pair’s assistance with these day-to-day tasks allows you to spend more quality time with your family. In addition, since au pairs are from another country, they provide children and families with a unique window into another culture, sharing games, stories and songs from their home countries.

Myth: Au Pairs only want to learn English and travel

Fact: There are many legal ways for an international person to obtain a visa to the U.S. and travel or learn English. Au pairs are interested in child care and have a love of children. In addition, they have a desire to improve their English, life skills and obtain improved employment opportunities when they return to their home country after the program.

What are my child care options?

Finding quality child care can be a major parenting challenge, especially for new parents. With so many child care options available, it is hard to know which one is right for you and your family. Before making a decision, here is a quick guide to help you determine the child care option that best suits your family's needs.

It is important to consider the number of children you have, your child's or children’s personality, your budget, the quality of care, and how convenient it will be for you. Whether you select a day care center, nanny, au pair, or a babysitter, the most important criteria is that your child care option provides a safe, supportive environment for your children.

Day care center

Licensed day care centers are an inspected child care option, with many staff members trained in early childhood education and development.

Pros:

·       Formal Training & Education: in most licensed day care centers, employees should have some training or education in child care. This provides an educational and supervised environment for all children enrolled.

·       Socialization & Activities: children can benefit from the social interaction with other children of the same age group. Day care centers also provide a variety of learning activities that can teach children different skills, such as singing, numbers, art, dancing, and the alphabet.

Cons:

·       High Child-to-Caregiver Ratio: day care centers have a high child-to-caregiver ratio, which means children don’t always get the individualized attention they might need.

·       Rules, Fees & Penalties: most day care centers don’t allow children who are sick and have a late pickup fee policy, both of which are important considerations for working parents or those who have less flexibility in their schedules.  

To learn more about day care centers in your area, utilize resources such as the NAEYC to find a list of accredited day care program that meets your family’s needs.

Nanny

A nanny is a person who provides child care for your child in the comfort of your own home, at a schedule you predetermined.  

Pros:

·       Individual Care: a nanny offers one-on-one child care, tailored to the child’s or children’s needs, with minimal competition for attention.

·       Familiar Environment: employing a nanny allows a family to keep a consistent child care routine in a familiar home environment. This is especially important for younger children or infants.

Cons:

·       Cost: the cost for a nanny can vary depending on the level of experience of the caregiver and your location. The average cost can be between $500 and $700 a week, plus a premium for each additional child.

·       Inflexibility: for most nannies, a set schedule is determined for the week, with an additional hourly charge for overtime. With a set schedule, some nannies are not open to altering their work schedule, or working evening hours.

For more information on nannies and their availabilities in your area, select a nanny online search engine, such as Nannies4Hire.

Au pair

An au pair is a young adult from another country who lives with your family and provides one-on-one live-in child care services in exchange for room and board and a stipend.

Pros:

·       Cost: the cost for a live-in au pair is around $350 a week per family, regardless of the number of children in the family. This is an especially affordable option for families with multiple children.

·       Flexibility: an au pair offers a flexible child care option based on a family’s busy schedule. As long as the au pair’s work schedule does not go over 45 hours a week/10 hours a day, the child care schedule can be altered anytime.

·       Cultural Exchange: an au pair provides a family with a unique window into another country, language and culture – a unique and educational experience for children and families alike.

Cons:

·       Adjustment Period: au pairs may require a short transition period to become comfortable speaking English daily as well as to adjust to cultural differences between their home country and the U.S.

·       Less Privacy: having a live-in au pair requires a family to provide a separate room for the au pair and is a consideration for families who aren’t comfortable having someone live with them.

Government regulated au pair programs, such as AuPairCare, are a helpful resource to learn more about a live-in child care solution.

Babysitter

A babysitter provides temporary child care for a few hours each week when it is necessary to have child care in place.

Pros:

·       As Needed Child Care: babysitters are a good solution when you need child care for an evening or for a special event.

·       Cost: a babysitter’s hourly rate is usually reasonable, between $10 and $17 per hour, depending on the level of experience the babysitter has and where you live.

Cons:

·       Lack of Experience & Training: many babysitters don’t have formal training (such a babysitter course) or significant child care experience 

·       Limited Availability: babysitters may not be available when you need them, or for ongoing child care needs.

To learn more about the babysitters in your area, Care4Hire is a child care search engine to determine if it is the right solution for you and your family.

Cultural Differences

As I am in Norway this week I have had time to reflect on the differences between the cultures of America and Norway. Here in Norway everyone takes public transport to school, work, fun everywhere, it is the norm. In America , at least the Midwest, we drive everywhere. So I am wondering if this driving everywhere and not being out in public more enforces this fear of letting my children loose?

While in Norway I am far more relaxed about the children leaving my sight. I allow my ten year old to walk to the store alone, to go down the street to buy something at the corner kiosk, if I lived here I am sure I would let her take public transport to school and every other activity she has, letting her become more independent and secure on her own. However in America I barely let her walk the dog alone around the block or leave my site at the Mall. I am the same parent in both countries but my fear for my children's safety is much higher in America. I am wondering if this fear is based in truth...is America more dangerous for my children than Norway? does the media in America make me more fearful so I act with more precaution? Or is it because we drive everywhere so we feel sheltered in our cars. Or is America more dangerous for children?

I struggle with these questions now as my kids grow older and demand more freedom. When I was their age, ten years old, I would travel by public transport by myself for hours to get to my skating lessons, horse back riding you name it. I did it by myself and I was fine, I learned alot and became independent. I want this for my kids but can't seem to let go of the fear...at least as long as I live in America.