Reply to Au Pair for an infant?

Forum Index » Au Pair Discussion

Reply to "Au Pair for an infant?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I have been an Au Pair of infants, including twins, a few times (in different countries) and just about to go to California to care for a 3 months old baby.

I am much better and comfortable looking after babies and toddlers than I am older kids, but not every Au Pair is.

I would look at someone who has a lot of experience looking after babies. Ask a lot of questions about her experience and what she would do in potential scenarios, make sure she knows CPR and what to do in case the baby chock on food or other things he/she may find on the floor as I have been in the position where it was very much needed and I am so thankful I knew how to react in a quick and efficient manner.

There is no reason why an Au Pair can't look after a baby. I have so far looked after way more babies and toddlers and kids than most parents I actually join. It's about picking an Au Pair who has common sense and won't put the baby on the sofa and walk away to answer the door and who knows how to establish a routine for the baby and keep with it.

In my last family (who I have just left) I was looking after a 3 months old and a 3 yo (they are now 1 and 4yo) and it never was a problem. Your 5yo will be old enough that he can stay in a room  for a few minutes playing while she changes the baby or put him to bed (though you might want to give her the freedom to put him a short cartoon episode so you know he is focused on it and not left at his own devices to tear the house apart), he will also get 1-on-1 time with her when the baby sleeps etc... but you might want to suggest activities she can do with both and be more flexible in terms of what she is allowed to do with them when she has both as the age gap and the baby needing to follow a strict routine might make finding adequate activities difficults.

Make sure you have a week handover before she starts full-time so you can show her your routine and how you deal with a whole range of situations and deal with both kids at once and so you can be looking after one of the kids while she bonds with the other. 
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics