Can au pairs provide child care over the holidays

The winter holiday seasons are an exciting time of the year to spend time with the family, however, for an au pair, the holidays can be a source of stress. The following information provides insight and tips to concerns commonly experienced with au pair programs during holiday season.

Working on the Holiday Season

Au pair programs do allow an au pair to work on holidays; however, it's vital to include your au pair in the festivities. Doing so will ensure they feel a part of the family and get to experience the holiday celebration.

Prepare for Homesickness

During the holiday season homesickness can occur, even if it hasn't happened during any other time of the year. Your au pair may miss their family, friends, familiar places, and their own traditions, especially during the holiday season. Be understanding of your au pair’s mixed feelings, and see what can be done to cheer them up!

Christmas

The holidays you and your family celebrate may be different than what your au pair is used to. Ensure that you explain this to your au pair so she knows what is expected, and is involved in the celebration.

Get The Most Out of Your Au Pair Program

If you want to get the most from an au pair program, let your au pair share some of her holiday traditions with your family. By doing this, it provides a unique opportunity for the au pair to educate the children on their customs and traditions. Ask the au pair to talk about their specific family traditions, such as in-home traditions, meals, visitors, etc.

Give Themed Activity Suggestions

One of the quintessential goals of au pair programs is to expose your children to different and exciting cultures and activities. One way to achieve this during the holidays is to provide your au pair with suggestions of themed holiday activities; this will give her ideas on fun and cool things she can do with the kids. If the au pair has different religious beliefs than your own, you can encourage her to share some of the traditions with the family.

For themed activities, games, decorations, and more, visit our Pinterest page today at https://www.pinterest.com/euraupair/.