Au pair walks

[Anonymous]

Our au pair wants to go on walks with another au pair from the neighborhood. Given the Coronavirus, should we permit this?

[Anonymous]

Yes as long as they stay 6 feet apart.

[Anonymous]

I think its a good sign that she asked you, she easily could have just met her friend without telling you. I think you should let her do this - ask her to take whatever steps will make you feel safer (including the 6 feet, maybe a mask, bring some wipes or hand sanitizer and use before reentering the house etc).

[Anonymous]

You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

It sounds like it would be better and healthier to be with a more emotionally stable host family.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I want to be reasonable and understanding that it’s healthy to have someone else to walk with rather than spending all her time stuck with us at home. On the other hand, we are taking this seriously and don’t want anyone to get sick. So on the fence here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

It sounds like it would be better and healthier to be with a more emotionally stable host family.

Seriously.. have a little consideration for your au pair. You are staying in with your family. She is on lock-down with her employer and no family. This is a very hard time on au pairs and we need to encourage them to have some social interaction outside of the house. Make sure they understand the rules and have hand sanitizer with them but please allow them to have some small glimmer of a life in this difficult time.

Or draw your line in the sand and act shocked when you are without an au pair next month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

It sounds like it would be better and healthier to be with a more emotionally stable host family.

NP. Seriously? do you know the history of this family? It is easy to call people names in an anonymous forum because u have different opinion! I don't understand how people can go for a walk together while staying 6 feet apart. How are they going to chat? I will probably say no as well. It is almost better for the other AP to just come in the front of the house and they can chat while staying 6 feet apart (like many of our neighbors do), she can also go for a walk on her own or with any member of the family, but with someone else it is not feasible while been safe! Keep in mind, everyone has their risk tolerance.

Also of course she could do that without asking, she will be breaking the rule and opening herself to going into immediate rematch! Nobody should be pressured into doing something they are not comfortable with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

It sounds like it would be better and healthier to be with a more emotionally stable host family.

NP. Seriously? do you know the history of this family? It is easy to call people names in an anonymous forum because u have different opinion! I don't understand how people can go for a walk together while staying 6 feet apart. How are they going to chat? I will probably say no as well. It is almost better for the other AP to just come in the front of the house and they can chat while staying 6 feet apart (like many of our neighbors do), she can also go for a walk on her own or with any member of the family, but with someone else it is not feasible while been safe! Keep in mind, everyone has their risk tolerance.

Also of course she could do that without asking, she will be breaking the rule and opening herself to going into immediate rematch! Nobody should be pressured into doing something they are not comfortable with.

She is an adult woman. She needs access to sunlight and exercise and emotional support that she is not getting from her host family/jailers. Our LCC sent an email reminding families to allow their APs to exercise and have social interactions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You cannot bar her from taking a walk with a friend.

I disagree. We’re seriously social distancing meaning minimizing all non-essential contact with anyone other than household members. Our au pairs doesn’t get an exception. I’m fine with rematch if she decides she needs to go out and meet with others.

It sounds like it would be better and healthier to be with a more emotionally stable host family.

NP. Seriously? do you know the history of this family? It is easy to call people names in an anonymous forum because u have different opinion! I don't understand how people can go for a walk together while staying 6 feet apart. How are they going to chat? I will probably say no as well. It is almost better for the other AP to just come in the front of the house and they can chat while staying 6 feet apart (like many of our neighbors do), she can also go for a walk on her own or with any member of the family, but with someone else it is not feasible while been safe! Keep in mind, everyone has their risk tolerance.

Also of course she could do that without asking, she will be breaking the rule and opening herself to going into immediate rematch! Nobody should be pressured into doing something they are not comfortable with.

She is an adult woman. She needs access to sunlight and exercise and emotional support that she is not getting from her host family/jailers. Our LCC sent an email reminding families to allow their APs to exercise and have social interactions.

NP. an LCC encouraging "social interactions" in person right now is irresponsible. That's the opposite of what social DISTANCING means. Over Facetime or WhatsApp- fine. but out in person - no. Exercise, sure. But only with people from your 'immediate family' which right now means the host family.

Listen - this sucks. For everyone. But everywhere in the world this is happening. So we all need to grin and bear it, even our au pairs. Our very mature au pair totally gets it and is doing whatever needs to be done to help from a public health standpoint. She's been amazing.

[Anonymous]

Right now our state is telling us to stay at home and have no interactions outside of household members that aren’t NECESSARY. Socializing can happen via video chat, just like the rest of us. Walks can happen solo or with household members (or in our case, with dog if she just wants not to be alone but doesn’t want our family members with her).

It’s the issue of extending contacts beyond your limited and defined germ pool. If our AP walks with friend 1 who also walks with friend 2 who walks with friends 3-5, we now have exposure to five families and all of their interactions. This is how it works.

[Anonymous]

I would say it is fine as long as she is good about the 6 ft distancing. The VA order says you can go out for exercise. Is she responsible and taking this thing seriously?

[Anonymous]

I'd say sure, respect the 6' min. I walk with my neighbor often. We go in the street instead of the sidewalk and stay well apart while maintaining social distance guidelines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right now our state is telling us to stay at home and have no interactions outside of household members that aren’t NECESSARY. Socializing can happen via video chat, just like the rest of us. Walks can happen solo or with household members (or in our case, with dog if she just wants not to be alone but doesn’t want our family members with her).

It’s the issue of extending contacts beyond your limited and defined germ pool. If our AP walks with friend 1 who also walks with friend 2 who walks with friends 3-5, we now have exposure to five families and all of their interactions. This is how it works.

08:53 Here:
+1 and this is why we never going to get out of this mess. It sucks for everybody, so people should stop trying to be the exception because that will only prolong how long we are all stuck!