AuPairCare: May 2011

Welcome to Au Pair Care!

Welcome to AuPairCare!

AuPairCare understands that each family is unique. That's why our programs are customized to fit your childcare needs, budget, lifestyle, and timing. Our carefully screened au pairs provide the highest quality of in-home care to ensure that your children will be safe, happy, and healthy. AuPairCare offers you a dependable, flexible childcare solution. You'll have childcare that fits you.

Did you know that AuPairCare has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating! If you're looking for an au pair agency, this is an important consideration. Ask other agencies their rating.

Meet Our Au Pairs

AuPairCare has hundreds of carefully screened au pairs from around the world available for placement. When you welcome an au pair to your home, you gain superior childcare at a surprisingly affordable price. Meet some of our amazing au pairs at http://www.aupaircare.com/

So what's this about traveling in the summer?

I have a brother that insisted I come visit him and the rest of the family frequently when my children were babies. He’d say, “Travel while you can, before they get into that school schedule”. Now he has little ones and he says, “It’s just too hard to travel with babies. You come see us”.

His craziness started me thinking, I have traveled a lot with kids, so here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way.

1) If flying, book a direct flight during the time of day your child is most happy. EX: Morning child=morning flight, late riser=later flight

2) If driving, stop at places with a playground so children can get out of car and exercise. There are many rest areas with playgrounds or pack a ball to throw, kick or chase in a field.

3) When packing, don’t forget the number one best item to use…zip lock bags. You can use them to be as organized as you’d like. You can put all of Monday’s cloths in a bag, Tuesday’s, etc. You can pack toiletries and avoid messes if anything spills. You can keep socks in them. You can keep all your child’s clothes in one and yours in another. The organization scenarios are endless.

4) Keep in mind that this is a vacation, so don’t over plan. Leave some time to enjoy each other and sometimes, play it by ear. If your kids are a little older, they’ll love to hear, “what do you want to do?”

5) If you have an au pair, make sure to allow some adult time. Reconnect with your spouse and enjoy each other for a night or go on a fun adventure that you just couldn’t do with the kids. Remember, this is your vacation, too.

6) Whenever possible, stay in something with a kitchen. Having the means to make meals or store food always comes in handy during middle of the night feedings or kids that want a snack NOW!

7) One way I’ve found helpful in packing is to pack one suitcase per a couple of days instead of one suitcase per person. That way you only have to get into one suitcase at a time.

These are some ideas I’ve found helpful. What about you? Let us know about some of your best travel tips with children of all ages.

Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, nanny, childcare, babysitter, sitter, live-in, au pair, provider, AuPairCare, nannies, children, child, kids, multiples, twins, triplets

Have you heard? A new language school is in town. It's called Lango!

I am so excited about a new opportunity for our children to become bilingual. It's called Lango and it has come to Hampton Roads. What is Lango?

Lango offers dynamic and engaging Spanish, French and Mandarin classes and summer camps to kids. Lango classes teach children a new language in an immersion-based setting using songs, stories, games, dance -- even yoga to engage children in their new language.

At Lango your child will:

Learn a foreign language
Make developmental strides
Gain an appreciation for other cultures
Make new friends in the classroom

Lango's dynamic classes incorporate original music, dance, games, storytelling and more to keep kids immersed and engaged in their target language. With our experienced and fluent teachers, kids follow the adventures of the "Lango Kids", our multicultural cast of characters who appear in our original workbooks, songs, and other learning materials. Students learn through a series of activities -- "adventures" that mimic those of the Lango Kids.

Who has been to a Lango class? We'd love to hear from you.

The Gulf Coast Tick right here in Hampton Roads? Yuck!

Have you seen the news lately? There's a new tick in town. It's the Gulf Coast tick and it's marched right into our area.

I have an active family and we love to hike in the woods. With an au pair, kids have more opportunities to get outside and take advantage of the natural areas around our house.

We've always been aware of ticks and do a "tick-check" every night. I have the philosophy that I can't shelter my kids from everything, but I can educate them so they're prepared. So, here's a little education on the Gulf Coast Tick...

The Gulf Coast tick is larger than the deer tick and also carries disease. It is also unique in the tick family because it stalks and attacks it's prey. The disease most associated with the Gulf Coast tick is Tidewater Spotted Fever which has symptoms of a rash and fever. The good news is that Tidewater Spotted Fever can be treated with antibiotics.

How do you avoid ticks? Always wear a hat when in the woods and try to wear light color long sleeves and pants. Why light colored? So you can see the ticks if they're on you. As I mentioned before, have your au pair or you do a "tick-check" on your children. Comb though hair, separating it into little sections, so you can see the tiniest of ticks. Also, make sure you check the private parts. Ticks can hide anywhere. A tick-check can become part of the routine for active families. My kids now do their own and even say as we walk inside from a walk in the wood, "I'll do my tick check before my shower".

Any other advice out there? Let's share.

Are you making sacrifices in order to afford your daycare, nanny, or childcare in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg?

Many child care options are unaffordable to the average U.S. family. In 2009 the average center-based child care fees for an infant were more than the average annual amount that families spent on food, according to a survey done by Child Care Resource and Referral. Parents want high quality child care, but its high cost forces many parents to make sacrifices. But, parents don’t have to sacrifice high quality for affordability. Au pair matching agencies, such as AuPairCare, provide international au pairs for U.S. families at a low cost when compared to other child care options in the country.

The hourly cost of an au pair from AuPairCare is approximately $7.50 per hour, considerably lower than the cost of baby sitters, nannies, day-care centers, and camps. Most baby sitters in the U.S. charge an average of $10 to $15 per hour, and are not required to go through specialized child care training, like AuPairCare’s au pairs. Au pairs provide individual attention to children, whereas a day-care center employee’s attention is divided among many children. The cost of AuPairCare’s au pairs remains the same regardless of how many children a host family has or what hours the au pair is providing child care. This makes it a great child care option for families with multiples or parents who work nontraditional hours, as day-care centers charge per child and increase the cost for child care during nontraditional hours.

How to choose a preschool for your child in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg

I know many working parents are looking into preschools right now. How do you pick the best one? Is it based on academics? Is it based on play? Is it based on location? Or, frankly, is it based on what is convenient with your schedule?

Figure Out What is Important to You
You know your child best, so you will know which school is best for your child--regadless of what your friends say or recommend.
There are so many different philosophy's. Sort through all the ones available where you live.
What to Look for No Matter What Type of School You Choose You'll want small class sizes and low child-teacher ratios.

These are three of the most important factors when considering a preschool. Unfortunately, most people decide on a preschool based on transportation and the work day. One alternative for working parents is having an au pair from who can drive the children to and from preschool. This alternative allows the younger kids an appropriate amount of time in school and an appropriate amount of time at home. While the children are at school, an au pair can be doing their laundry, cleaning their rooms and bathrooms, and getting dinner ready for the children.
A preschool aged child with an au pair can also foster friendships in school. An au pair can take your child to play dates and to social outings with children their own age from their school. This builds good social skills as your child matures.
Priority number one in choosing a preschool? Picking the place where your child will be most happy. Academics are important, but your child has a lifetime of formal learning ahead of them. Preschool should be a place where your child learns to love school and learns to love learning. By having an au pair during the preschool years, your child gets the best of both worlds. Time at school, time with friends, and time at home.
Contact http://www.aupaircare.com/ for more information about having an au pair help you during the preschool years or check out our local blog about au pairs in Hampton Roads at http://www.aupaircarehamptonroadsva.blogspot.com/

What are the benefits of an AuPairCare au pair in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg

A host family shares with ABC News why they chose an au pair for child care.

Is the cost of EVERYTHING on the rise in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg?

According to the U.S. Census, the cost of child care increased twice as fast as the median income of families with children in the year 2000, and continues to rise. In addition, a recent survey by Kelton Research indicated that Americans have noticed significant increases in their expenditures on gas, food, utilities, insurance, phone, Internet, and cable bills just in the past three months. The ever increasing cost of living in the U.S. often requires both parents to work outside of the home, making affordable child care a necessity.

Did you know that an AuPairCare au pair costs about $340/week ($7.50 an hour) regardless of the number of children in your family? No other childcare option maintains the original price as the number of children increases.

Take a look at one of the most affordable childcare options available at www.aupaircare.com.

The interview process at AuPairCare finds the perfect au pair for your family in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg

Every family is unique and every family needs the perfect au pair. Through the interview process at AuPairCare, each family can find the au pair for them. Here is an example of a special family and their bond with their au pair from Poland.

Visit http://www.aupaircare.com/ to find out about our interview process and how it will work for your family.

With an au pair, enjoy your mornings in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Are your mornings the most stressful time of day?

With an AuPairCare au pair, you can enjoy a relaxing morning enjoying the time with your children.

Or, your au pair can get the children ready for the day and you can get to work early. Then, you might be able to leave on time and enjoy dinner with your family.

That's how a flexible au pair schedule can help you manage your work day and your family time.

Au pairs provide pre-screened, experienced live-in childcare for about $340/week ($7.50 an hour) regardless of the number of children in your family.

In light of our own Virginia Beach Seal Team and their Efforts...

In light of the happenings in the world, security is on my mind. It started me thinking, about how wonderful it is to have an au pair in charge of your children. When parents are at work, an au pair is there as a dedicated adult in charge of your children at all times. An au pair is not distracted by other children. An au pair is simply here to look after your children. There is security in that dedication. Not only are there eyes on your children at all times, but if need be, there is one single adult who will make sure your children are safe at all times.

Think about it. Would you rather your child be in a group of children with one adult or would you rather your children have one adult dedicated to them?

Celebrate Mother's Day by making Your Family's Life Easier with an Au Pair in Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, & Williamsburg

Is it hard working full time, taking care of kids, fitting in a little exercise, trying to make dinner, driving the kids to their various activities, cleaning the house, and still staying sane?

This Mother's Day, AuPairCare has a solution for all of those "activities" that keep you busy. For just $39, apply to AuPairCare and in a few short weeks, welcome an au pair into your home. Did you know an au pair can drive your kids to their activities? Did you know an au pair can clean the parts of the house that the children use? Did you know an au pair can do the kid's laundry? The only thing listed that an au pair can't do for you is your exercise. You're on your own with that one. But, if you have an au pair, you'll find the time to take a walk outside and enjoy this wonderful weather!

So go ahead, and apply to AuPairCare at www.aupaircare.com and have a Happy Mother's Day! You and your family deserve it.