Talking to You: Summer sun protection

As the weather gets warmer and summertime activities take all of us outside more and more, it’s a great time to remind ourselves as well as our au pairs of the importance of sun protection. Some au pairs may be used to a very different climate and may underestimate the power of the sun in their host family’s location. Also, the au pairs are setting an example for their host children so an au pair who shows responsible sun protection habits encourages their host children to follow suit.

We all have those bottles of sunscreen we’ve been keeping for a long time, but did you know that most sunscreen products expire within two to three years? As soon as a bottle of sunscreen is opened, the molecules that act as protection against UV rays begin to be exposed and over time they break down and lose their effectiveness. Always check the expiration date on the container for the date it becomes ineffective. Sunscreen can be expensive, but it’s better to pay that price than to pay the price of a day at the beach without sun protection!

Stipend Increase

Effective July 24th, the weekly stipend for au pairs will increase to $176.85. Since this falls in the middle of the week it is recommended that all au pairs will be paid at the new rate for the entire week of July 20th.

As a reminder, no money should be taken out of an au pairs weekly stipend to "pay back" the host family for expenses. Those should be paid by the au pair back to the HF, preferably with a check. Au pairs should not be paying host families for food, gas for the job, or the first $500 of their education requirement. If you have questions about what the au pair can pay for, and what a host family should pay for, please let me know!

Too much luggage going home?

Another LCC raised the question of what to do when an AP has acquired a LOT of stuff during their year in the US. Not just a bunch - we are talking about a LOT of stuff. What is the easiest way to get the luggage home? Do you ship through the post office? Through DHL? Through UPS?

My answer: bring it with you

I know that it seems like the airlines are nickel and diming everywhere trying to make up for lost revenue as they overspend on fuel. However, paying for one or two extra bags is still currently the cheapest way out there to bring home your stuff. Buy the extra duffel bags or suitcases, and bring it with you. A month ago I had a girl who brought 2 extra suitcases home. Each weighed in under 20 kilo's (barely) - but was charged only $50 per suitcase to bring them home to Germany. That is a fantastic deal.

Once you have your ticket, call your airline and find out what their rule is. Even if the cost is $75 or even $100, it's still a great deal. Shipping the same weight through USPS could cost you over $400! And, it's not trackable and it's not guaranteed. At least on the plane, it is trackable and arrives when you do.

Monthly AP Meetings

Hi All,

I'm trying to get us organized for the rest of the year, and wanted to remind you about the monthly au pair meetings. These are mandatory meetings for the AP's to attend and you should make sure that you and your HF have them scheduled. In some cases, I am able to work something out for your sign-in.

Our events are usually on the 3rd Sunday of each month. Here is what we have coming:

Check out what we are doing:
July 13 - Potluck Picnic (note: date change)
August 17 - TBD - have an idea? Let me know!
September 21 - All CCAP AP/Host Family Picnic at Marymoor Park
October 19 - Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze
November 16 - Thanksgiving
December 14 - Christmas cookie exchange! (note: date change)
January 18 - AP's to choose and plan event!!!
February 19 -
March 15 -
April 19 -

Everyone - please note! The AP's will choose and plan our January event! Let me know what you need, and I can help!

King County Libary System

We are lucky to have such a great library system here in King County. One of the first things I tell my AP's to do is to get themselves a Libary Card.



The library is a great activity for older kids - they can play on the computers, check out books that the school doesn't have, join the summer reading programs and just hang out. For younger kids, they offer great story times and other programs.


So - how to get started? Go to the King County Libary website and you can apply online for a libary card, or go to any library and apply. You must have some way to show your proof of address - either your drivers license, checks or something else with your address.


Once you have that, you can reserve books, movies, CD's, books on CD or tape - whatever you want. Why pay for Netflix when the library has hundreds of movies for you?

What else can you do at the library?

• Enroll your HF kids in the Summer Reading Program
• Computer time
• Classes (ESL, etc)
• Meet the authors of favorite books
• Story time
• Writing classes
• Get research help for college papers (or high school) from the librarian

Free ESL and Talk time offered

King County Libaries are offering ESL classes, talk time, literacy and citizenship classes. This may be a great, FREE opportunity for those AP's who want additional talk practice! Learn more about this at the KCLS website...

Check it out - and if you are interested, make sure you note if you need to register or not for the class.

Safety Tattoos for Kids

OK all, - I have found the coolest company on the web. One that makes you think: "Wow, I wish I had come up with this one!"

These guys create customized temporary tattoos for kids. They have over 20 different forms, and the examples below are just some of the ones they have (slightly larger than real life). I ordered mine, and in less than a week, had my shipment arrive. They work great - and look fantastic.

Dentist recommendation

Viivi swears by these guys. While they are a bit out of the way, they offer very good, and inexpensive, dental care.

Southeast Family Dental Clinic
3800 South Myrtle
Seattle, WA 98118

phone: 206-461-6981
fax: 206-461-8581

You have to show up 15 minutes early - or else your appointment may be given away. And if you can't make it, call one day ahead. However, with a letter from your HF stating your job role, and pay (weekly) with a copy of a weekly check, you qualify for the cheapest dental care available. Most weeks the co-pay is $25, but other times it is $0. Either way, it's great dental care. They do everything except for root canals. Still working on a source for that.

Directions from the Eastside:
I-90 Westbound to Rainier Avenue South
Follow Rainier South to the MLK Way split and follow MLK Way
South to Myrtle, and turn Right
Clinic 1 block down on the right side
Park in the lot