Talking to You: Holiday Focus

People often ask for my advice for appropriate gift-giving for families and au pairs during the holidays. While gift cards, photo albums, an extra vacation day, or a picture frame are all great gifts, one of the best gifts a host family can give their au pair during the holiday season is the gift of clarity.

With all of the school vacation time, travel, family engagements, and holiday traditions, it can oftentimes be difficult for the au pairs to understand when their work day begins and ends. It’s so important for families and au pairs to sit down before the official holiday games begin and make very clear what the “holiday hours” will be.

In addition to clarifying hours, it’s also important for families to clarify what activities or events the au pair is asked to be a part of as part of her role as the au pair and what activities or events she is invited to be a part of as a member of the family. Without this clarity, there can often be misunderstandings and hurt feelings. The holidays are a wonderful time of the year and can be the highlight of an au pair’s experience. Taking this important step can help to keep the season bright!

Note: for new families, Nat is one of the VP's from Cultural Care, and often will send out her thoughts on different topics. I try to post as often as they make sense for the HF's and AP's

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!