Do You Need Someone Who Can Cook?

Many families are looking for a childcare provider, or an au pair, who can cook.  99% of Go Au Pair's applicants say that they can cook.  Since we all know have different needs in regards to food preparation, it's important that you ask specific questions to find out if the au pair can cook to your standards or needs.

Here are some examples of things to consider when you are coming up with questions to asses the au pair's cooking skills:

1.  What kind of food do you want her to cook?
2.  Do you need a cook, or just someone who can warm things up, or throw something simple together (like a sandwich)?
3.  Do you have any specific foods you want prepared?
4.  Do you have religious or allergy-caused restrictions on foods?
5.  How much cooking will she be doing?
6.  Are you willing to teach her to make specific foods?  Remember that she is from a different country so she may not be familiar with some of the American foods or how to prepare them.
7.  Do you like the kind of food served in the country she is from?  This food is most likely what she knows how to make.

Visas vs. I-94 Cards

People often get confused about the difference between a visa and an I-94 card.  Here is a great resource that can answer your I-94 and Visa questions.  You can also find out more about the DS-2019 form and the J-1 visa on Go Au Pair's website.

Need Someone Who Can Swim?

A lot of host families have the need for a Childcare Provider who can swim.  This can be because they have a pool in their back yard, or they spend a lot of time at a lake, the ocean, community pool, etc.  It's great to be able to trust your care provider to take your children swimming or to play in water, but it is also important for most parents that the person know how to swim in case of an emergency.  90% of Go Au Pair's au pairs say that they can swim.

Here are a few questions you might consider asking an au pair candidate to determine if they have the swimming skills you feel necessary for them to care for your children while they swim:

1.  How long have you been swimming?
2.  Are you able to swim on your own, or do you need a flotation device?
3.  How often do you go swimming?  Where?
4.  Have you had experience caring for children in a pool, lake, at the beach, etc?  Are you comfortable caring for children in the pool...etc?  Just one child, or multiple children?
5.  Create scenarios that could help you know what they would do in specific situations.

The summer may be over soon, but don't let that stop you from looking for someone who can swim, if you feel you will be needing your au pair to take the children swimming at indoor pools, on vacations, or even next summer.

Back To School

With so many children going back to school, families are looking at their childcare needs not only for basic childcare, but for homework help, and tutoring.  That's one of the great things about the au pair program--you as the host family can put that on the list of your au pair's responsibilities.

No more having to come home from work only to sit down and spend the next few hours helping your kids with their homework because your au pair has already done that.  Host Families have commented to me on several occasions how wonderful it is to be able to spend quality time with their children doing fun activities such as going out to throw a ball, take a walk, play some games, or simply have a heart to heart on the front porch.

If you plan on having your au pair help your children with their homework, be sure to consider that when selecting your au pair.  Depending on how old your children are, you'll want to make sure the person you choose has the skills and knowledge needed to tutor and help your children.  Go Au Pair has many au pairs that are college graduates--so look at what they studied and see what fits best for your situation.  Be sure to ask detailed questions when you interview the au pairs to be sure that they are willing and able to perform this responsibility to your satisfaction.

The Olympic Games

If you are like me, you are probably enjoying the wonderful opportunity to see the world join together for the Olympic Games.  I love to watch not only to cheer on the US teams, but to learn more about other countries, people, and cultures.  It's amazing to see the passion and commitment each team has.  I also love to watch friendships and respect develop between the athletes from opposing countries.

My children have been so blessed to have the opportunity to cheer for the US teams, as well as my husband's home country of Brazil.  They have really enjoyed cheering the Brazilian soccer team on and I can see a sense of pride in them as they say "That's where my daddy came from!"

If you have an au pair, this is a wonderful opportunity for a great American Cultural Exchange--for both you and her.  Watching the Olympics together can help give you both a better perspective on each other's countries.  Your children will learn so much when asking questions and gaining a love for not only their own country but for their au pair's as well.

Strawberry Treat

If your kids love strawberries, I found an easy recipe that looks delicious on Jamie Cooks it Up.  It could be a great activity for au pairs to do with the kids, too!

August Featured Country: CHINA

This month Go Au Pair is featuring the country of China.  Host Families who match with a Chinese Au Pair during the month of August will receive $100 off of their program fees.  Click here to learn more.

Free Au Pair Applicant Search

I've spoken with a lot of people who are interested in reviewing au pair applicant profiles to see if there are any good fits for their family, however, they don't want to feel obligated.  They also don't want to go through a pile of application forms unless they know they want to proceed with interviewing the applicants.

Did you know that you can log on to Go Au Pair's website and by just entering in some basic information you can receive log in information to view applicants for free?  Just go to http://hostfamilies.goaupair.com/search-au-pairs.aspx.  It's really easy, and you aren't obligated to anything!