If you’re considering welcoming an au pair into your home to provide childcare assistance and cultural exchange, there are essential rules and etiquette to bear in mind to ensure a harmonious living arrangement. Here’s our guide to navigating the au pair experience in the UK.
1. Embrace Them as Family: While you’re the employer providing accommodation and pocket money, it’s crucial to view your au pair as part of the family. Beyond their duties, au pairs seek integration into English life and language. Involve them in family activities, share meals, and discuss any concerns respectfully, fostering a supportive environment.
2. Avoid Treating Them Like a Skivvy: Au pairs receive pocket money in exchange for light housework and childcare, not to act as full-time domestic help. Clearly outline their responsibilities, respecting agreed-upon boundaries, such as weekends off. Avoid tasking them with excessive duties or treating them as a ‘cinderella.’ Open communication ensures mutual understanding and respect.
3. Acknowledge Their Additional Responsibilities: Beyond childcare, au pairs are in the UK to immerse themselves in the culture and language. They’ll attend language classes and require study time. UK regulations permit au pairs to work up to 35 hours a week, with specific limits for Romanian and Bulgarian nationals. Ensure they have adequate downtime, including two days off weekly and one full weekend off monthly.
4. Foster a Culture of Mutual Respect: Expect a positive work ethic and demeanor from your au pair, but reciprocate with respect and appreciation. Clear communication, even if language barriers exist initially, is key to a successful partnership. Over time, as their English proficiency improves, communication will become smoother, enhancing the overall experience.
Welcome to our #9nifty series. We’re starting with 9 Easter activities for kids of all ages…
1. Eggs inside eggs
This was tricky for the 2 year old!
How to : Put little foil wrapped chocolate eggs into a ballon and blow it up, cover with the outside of the balloon with glue then wrap string/wool/embroidery thread around it (leaving enough space to take the balloon pieces out but not so much that the eggs can escape) and glue again. Hang them up to dry and when they’re ready pop the balloon and take the pieces out carefully ! Experiment with blowing the balloon up to different sizes or different types of string.
Focus on : Fine motor skills
2. Chocolate easter nests
How to : Melt chocolate, mix with shredded wheat, shape into nests and allow to cool!
Focus on : Numeracy/science – pouring and measuring, melting and solidifying
Simple yet effective...
3. Silhouette bunnies
How to : trace around the bunny, or make a stencil to paint over and make a fluffy cotton tail to stick on!
Focus on : Understanding the world/The World and Traditions in other countries. Talk about the Easter bunny who bring the eggs. Some other countries have the same tradition although in Sweden, Austria and Germany it’s a hare and in France it’s the bells who bring the chocolate ! What’s the tradition in their family ?
4. Easter egg scavenger hunt
How to : Hide your Easter eggs around the house or the garden and write clues. Read the clues together and find where the eggs have been hidden !
Focus on : Problem solving and memory skills
Upcycled junk mail makes a pretty egg!
5. Collage Easter egg cards
How to : Fold A4 paper/card into half and then half again. With a craft knife cut out a shape of an egg from one qurter, this will be the front of your card. Make a collage onto thenow exposed quarter (you might want to mark it while it’s folded) and wait for it to dry. Refold and admire the colourful egg !
Focus on : Colour recognition and decision making.
6. Hand and footprint bunny
How to : Make handprints and footprints in pink paint and cut them out, leaving a reasonable margin. Take 2 paper plates and cover them in cotton wool. Join them together to create the head and body of the bunny. Stick on some googly eyes, black pipe cleaner or strips of felt for whiskers , a pink heart for a nose, the hand prints for ears and the foot prints for feet.
Focus on : Talking about textures. This is a sensory rich activity with sloppy, sticky paint and fluffy cotton wool.
7. Easter bonnet
How to : Buy a cheap wide brimmed hat, or improvise ! Decorate the hat by painting it or covering it with fabric, cut egg cartons open and paint them to make flowers, attach ribbons and feathers, let your imagination run wild !
Focus on : Understanding the World/ People and communities.Talk about the tradition of Easter bonnets. In the past people put flowers on a hat to celebrate spring and wore new clothes at Easter. In America there were big Easter bonnet parades. In the past, people used to wear hats to church.
Peek-a-chick
8. Peekaboo chicks
How to : Cut a small egg shape out of card and then cut it in half horizontally (or if you’ve made collage cards just use your pre-cut egg shapes). Attach the two halves one side of a clothes peg, one at the top and one at the bottom. Draw a small chick and cut it out. Attach it to the other side of the clothes peg behind the egg top so when you pinch the peg together to the open it you’ll see the chick!
Focus on : Object permanence for babies and Knowledge of the World (eggs hatching)
9. Bunny whiskers mask
How to : Take some pipe cleaners and attach them to a lollipop stick (or two or three taped together for stability). Add a pompom for a nose and create some adorable bunny whiskers
Focus on : Role play – make bunny faces and hop like bunnies !
