Chicagoland Au Pairs & Host Families

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• Cultural Care office staff aiming to "Reach the Beach" for Kids First this weekend May 18, 2012
  Can you tell? Cultural Care staff members in Cambridge, MA are super excited to participate in the Massachusetts Reach the Beach relay. The staff in Cultural Care Au Pair’s Cambridge office have been brainstorming a lot this year to come up with fundraising ideas for Kids First, our non-profit organization whose mission is to better the lives of children in need. Lately we’ve felt outdone by hugely successful bake sales in our overseas offices (we are talking HUNDREDS of dollars raised from the sale of homemade goodies!) and the Au Pair Training School in NY whose staff announced at the beginning of this year that they had raised over $10,000 for the kids. Because there’s been a bit a fitness kick going on around here, we were able to round up a 12-member team that is at this very moment participating in the “Reach the Beach” relay race. The race began this morning at 9am and continues until tomorrow morning, beginning at the Mount Wachusett Ski Area and finishing at Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport, MA. In total, our group of runners will cover 200 miles, and it usually takes about 30-35 hours in total. Our runners have been going out together for training runs over the past few weeks and felt ready to tackle this huge challenge when they left last night. The runners have encouraged others to consider making a donation in the following amounts to Kids First: $200.00 in recognition for the 200 miles they will run in two days $178.00 for our team’s bib number, Cultural Care is Team 178 $126.00 for the number of times they have been asked if they are crazy for doing this $77.00 for the number of times they will tell each other along the route that we are crazy for doing this $36.00 in recognition of the 36 legs of the race $30.00 in acknowledgment of the 30 hours they will be running $26.00 for the number of muscles in each of their legs that will be like jelly (Yes, there are 13 muscles in each leg – 4 anteriorly, 2 laterally and 7 posteriorly. There, you learned something today.) $12.00 in honor of the 12 runners on our team $6.00 for the 6 extra-strength Aleve they will take per day $5.00 for the number of coffees their drivers will each need to drink to stay awake $4.00 in honor of their four drivers: Ashley, Jen, Meg and Natalie $3.71 for a gallon of gas along the route $2.00 in recognition of the two vans that will carry our team from the mountains to the beach $.99 for an iTunes song to motivate the runners There’s still time to make a donation in recognition of our runners. Otherwise, please wish them all a safe and successful race!
• Culture Corner: Au pairs talk politics with American locals May 16, 2012
  Angela Fleet, a local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair in the Seattle area, decided to host her most recent au pair meeting in Green Lake Park. The park, which is one of the cities most beloved green spaces, includes a path around its lake—the perfect place for au pairs to convene and catch up with their peers and with Angela. Says Angela, “It’s an active and lively place and filled with characters, including Leonardo.” Leonardo happens to be a staple at Green Lake, as he offers walking Spanish lessons to the locals. “I thought the girls would like to meet our famous Greenlake Walking Spanish Teacher, so we said hello and struck up a conversation. He loves meeting ladies! In fact, one time I stopped to get his card (because I really want to learn Spanish) and he had lipstick on his cheek! Leonardo very much enjoyed the conversation with Angela’s group of au pairs, and in particular his chat about Hugo Chávez with au pair Yveth from Venezuela. Angela reveals, “From this interaction with Leonardo I learned that Yveth said she would probably extend one year if Chavez is reelected, but if not she would go home!” It must be a thrill for au pairs to hear people speaking in their native language during their time in the U.S. Au pairs: have you engaged in conversations like this while out and about in your community? Do you often hear your native tongue spoken in the U.S.? The encounter of Leonardo and Cultural Care au pairs in Seattle is a great example of how our program breaks down cultural barriers! 
• Top 5 tips for handling your au pair’s curfew May 15, 2012
  Lots of host parents wonder about setting a curfew for their au pair since it’s their first time thinking about a curfew since they had one themselves. Here are a few suggestions: 1.      Bring up the topic during the interview process. Ask the candidate if she has a curfew and what time she needs to be home and how she feels about having one in theU.S. 2.      Explain to your au pair why a curfew exists – it is important for her to be well rested and prepared for her child care responsibilities. 3.      When determining a curfew, keep in mind her age. If she is on the younger side, an earlier curfew might make sense. If she is older, she might need a little more freedom. 4.      Consider a reverse curfew – setting a curfew a certain number of hours before she starts the next day. 5.      Think about where you live – if there are lots of activities in your area that don’t start until late, you might need to set a later curfew. For more advice on setting a curfew for your au pair, watch my Au Pair Answer Mom video on the topic.
• Au pair flash mob gains momentum with 4,028 Facebook fans! May 9, 2012
  Annika Jung, a Cultural Care au pair from Germany wanted her au pair year in the U.S. to be special. And one of the special adventures she sought out upon her arrival was participating in a flash mob. I interviewed Annika to find out how the au pair flash mob—scheduled to take place on June 16, 2012—was created and how the flash mob will play out across the country on that special day!  How did you get the idea to start the flash mob?As I searched for special adventures in the USA, I also searched for flash mobs in my area, but couldn’t find something I could be part of. Until I had the idea [to create my own], in January this year, because of the immense number of au pairs in the USA. I used Facebook as a platform to contact some au pairs and try to figure out how much interest there would be. I opened a group and invited my au pair friends. Overnight, this group went up to 1,000 members. I never expected that so many au pairs would be interested. And now, after almost 5 months, the group raised to almost 4,000 members. An unbelievable number of au pairs. How many people total will be involved?Right now we know that 600 au pairs will participate in the flash mob and everyday it´s growing. We have 12 states in which it will definitely be happening and some more potential states. How did you organize such a large group? How can others get involved?The Organization Team worked hard and got the permission for a song and made up a choreography for the flash mob. And we created a matching t-shirt, everyone could wear at the dance (but not mandatory). There is still time to: Become a fan on Facebook and learn more Order a t-shirt Visit the official flash mob Learn the dance on YouTube Have you ever been in a flash mob before?I had once been a part of a small flash mob in a television show in Germany. The audience did this dance for the end of the show. I always wanted to be part of a flash mob, because it´s amazing what kind of impression, the same dance done by a group of people, can have. And how people come together, and have fun, no matter which grade of dancing potential you got, you can be part of it. A flash mob for me catches some magic moments for those ones who participate and those ones who watch it. What is the purpose of this event? This event is first of all, from au pairs for au pairs. It should be an incredible memory of their year as an au pair. The Organization Team also decided that we want to help Kids First to raise awareness and maybe some donations to help kids all over the world. We, au pairs are working for kids and try to help to make every child happier. Anything else you want to add?We need every single au pair to be part of it—no matter where you are or which agency, we need you. If this is going to be great, we will definitely organize a second one. Good luck to Annika and the rest of the au pairs across the country who will be a part of this amazing event!
• Top 10 ways an au pair can help a military family May 8, 2012
  In honor of Military Appreciation Month, our military host families and the au pairs who provide childcare to families in the military, here are not 5 but 10 ways an au pair can help a military family. Quality childcare All au pairs are carefully screened and trained and families receive attentive year-round support from local childcare coordinators. Cultural Care Au Pair goes above and beyond the strict guidelines that regulate the au pair program set by the U.S. Department of State. Extra pair of hands An au pair can provide extra help in the home in addition to childcare. Assistance with light household duties, homework help, and driving to children’s activities is particularly helpful following a spouse’s deployment. Flexible scheduling The flexibility of the au pair program allows families with unpredictable work schedules and non-traditional hours to set a schedule that works for them. Assistance with moving  Having an extra set of hands gives parents additional time, energy and freedom for packing, organizing and all the logistics involved in getting ready for a move. Help settling in When everything else is changing – home, school, friends, job – having consistent childcare can make the transition to a new place smoother for everyone. Staying connected An au pair can help children stay connected with deployed parents through daily activities such as letter or email writing, craft projects, and video conferencing. Peace of mind Knowing that their children are being cared for at home by a trained, experienced au pair allows military personnel to concentrate at work and focus on the job at hand. No waiting list Like many day care centers, military Child Development Centers (CDCs) often have long waiting lists. Families can apply for an au pair and welcome a child care provider into their home in eight weeks and sometimes even sooner. Network with other military families Cultural Care Au Pair is proud to serve more military families than any other au pair program. Interested parents can be connected with other military families who have welcomed an au pair into their home. Military discount Cultural Care Au Pair is proud to support our military and honor their commitment by offering military families military discount which includes a $75 application fee waiver and a $500 program fee discount.
• Host mom redefines the time value of money May 2, 2012
  Christine Dunn, a Cultural Care Au Pair host mom, is founder and president of Savoir Media and works with companies and executives on developing strategic, integrated media and marketing programs. She also blogs for Boston.com, Boston’s primary online news resource, providing budgeting and investing advice. Last week, Christine wrote an interesting post entitled: The myth about “balance” – Redefining the time value of money. In it she shares how her au pair has helped her fulfill the first item on her “bucket list” which is “providing an international experience: Introducing, and exposing, my family to different cultures and people.” She also plans to take her family on a trip to the Philippines to experience her own heritage and regularly invites her two older children to join her on shopping excursions to H-Mart which specializes in Asian food products. To learn about the other goals on her bucket list and how Christine tries to gain balance as a working parent of three read her blog post here.
• Top 5 ways an au pair can expose your child to a second language April 24, 2012
  One of the great benefits of bringing an au pair into your home is exposing your family to another language. Since one of your au pair’s goals may be to improve her English while she’s here, it’s important to establish mutually agreeable guidelines so that both your au pair and your family are making the most of the cultural exchange experience. 1. Simply by hosting an au pair, your child will be exposed to words and phrases in other languages and gain an appreciation for other parts of the world. 2. Agree that your au pair will speak her native language during certain hours of the day and can practice her English with you when you’re home.  3. Arrange for her to give your children a language lesson at a certain time each week – maybe your au pair can create pictures or flashcards of words in her language. 4. Make books in other languages available to your au pair, which you can usually get through your local library, so reading time can be enriched with language. 5. Ask your au pair to sing songs in her native language with the children. Music is a great way to learn a language. For more good advice about welcoming your au pair, watch my Au Pair Answer Mom video.
• Top 5 ways to make your au pair feel welcome April 17, 2012
  Once your au pair arrives, it is important to make sure she feels welcome. Here are some tips to make her feel at home right away: 1. Send a card or care package to the Au Pair Training School in NY to show her that you’re excited she’s here. 2. Have your whole family greet her at the airport or bus stop with homemade signs and balloons. 3. Make sure her room is clean and inviting. Maybe leave a small gift — body wash and lotion, a pair of pajamas or a local treat.  4. Take photos from your au pair’s photo collage and put them into frames so she immediately feels at home and surrounded by loved ones. 5. Prepare a home-cooked dinner with your immediate family for your first evening together. For more good advice about welcoming your au pair, watch my Au Pair Answer Mom video.
• Au pairs learn Household Poisoning Prevention April 12, 2012
  Au pairs in Pennsylvania get a refresher lesson in Household Poisoning Prevention from staff at the Health Education Center at Lankenau Hospital. Cultural Care’s Continuing Safety Education Program (CSEP) is designed to provide our au pairs with ongoing training in the area of child safety. During the first four months of the year, our local childcare coordinators (LCCs) focus on Household Poisoning Prevention. Some LCCs choose to teach the units on their own, like Zanny Perrino did with her group of 16 au pairs in northeastern MA. She says of the CSEP meeting, “I think some of us were surprised to learn how common accidental poisonings are in this country, especially with small children.” Other LCCs, like Joanne Freed Belsky, choose to enlist the help of the experts to deliver this important safety information. Her group of 12 au pairs visited the Health Education Center at Lankenau Hospital to learn about household poisoning prevention from one of their staff members. By the end of the session, they had entered the number for the poison-control center into their cell phones and learned what to do in case of household poisoning. Some tips to prevent household poisoning from Cultural Care’s curriculum are included here. So please take note and keep our children safe! Ensure that all medications and household products are locked out of sight and out of reach of kids, even if they are labeled as child-resistant. Child-resistant does not mean child-proof. Items to watch for include cleaners, cosmetics and medicines. Always read labels, follow directions and give medicines to kids based on their weights and ages. Only use the dispenser that comes packaged with medications. Buy products in child-resistant packaging when available. Always store products in original packaging to avoid confusion. Discard old medicine regularly by flushing it down the toilet. Never create new cleaning solutions by mixing different products designed for other uses. New mixtures could be harmful to kids, and might not be stored in properly labeled or child-resistant containers. Avoid taking medicine in front of kids, as they tend to mimic adult actions. Never refer to medicine as candy. For homes with a residential swimming pool, make sure pool supplies and chemicals are locked out of reach. Make sure potentially poisonous plants are kept out of reach.
• Top 5 things to look for in an au pair application April 10, 2012
  What are the things you should look for in an au pair candidate’s applicaiton to make sure it is the right fit for your family? 1. Childcare experience. This should match up with your own personal needs and family make up. 2. Driving experience. This, too, needs to match with your family requirements, depending on where you live and what type of driving your au pair will be doing. 3.  Letter and photo collage. These will say a lot about her character and personality. Through her letter, you should be able to get a sense of her motivation for becoming and au pair and what is most important to her. 4. References. If you need someone who can take charge of a very hectic and busy household you should look for signs that an au pair is a leader and can made decisions easily. If you are looking for someone to nurture a newborn, perhaps an au pair with a softer, gentler profile is a better fit. 5. Something that makes the right candidate stand out. A special activity, sport, qualification, personality trait, or just how she answers a certain question. When you see it, you know it’s a good fit for your family.