Everybody needs a hand especially in the case of a busy family with two to five children running around the house. Children are the most cherished part of the family and parents want nothing but the best for their little ones which includes finding a support system that will love and care for them as much as they do. Therefore, getting help becomes a necessity these days and many families have been struggling with whether to get a childcarer or not.
Practicality and trust are two significant matters that must be dealt with when thinking of hiring a complete stranger to look after your children. To be exact, this article will walk you through about how international au pairs will be beneficial for families seeking nanny options.
Au Pairs, in definition, is a type of childcarer, usually under the age of 30. They are foreign nationals living abroad who provide nursery assistance and light housekeeping related to the children in exchange for weekly allowance and free accommodation. Au Pairs may bring different levels of experience to the role but they are technically not required to have any. Many families in different countries are puzzled by the au pair concept, click this link for the complete information about au pairs.
Getting an au pair may be a brand new idea for a family. Without further ado, here are the benefits parents may find useful when considering an au pair:
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
Host families may have different engagements and an au pair will be happy to comply according to their employer’s needs. Unlike in a daycare, au pairs will adjust their time to coordinate with the parents’ schedule giving them much time to do their work, attend meetings or personal appointments. An au pair will be there exactly when you need them and they will be available to take care of the children for as long as they require. Moreover, au pairs live with the family so they are never late and there will never be any “I can’t come today” scenarios which usually leads to disappointment and ruined schedules.
AFFORDABLE ASSISTANCE
An au pair’s salary is more like a weekly allowance given that the family will provide them with free food and lodging. In this sense, hiring an au pair will be the best and most affordable alternative to getting a full-time live-in nanny. The au pair program costs the same whether the family has one, two or more children so it is usually the best option for childcare that will fit the family’s budget. So instead of expensive one-on-one care from a full-time nanny, why not try finding someone who would supervise the children with much care and compassion but at a more practical price?
RICH CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
One of the best reasons to employ an au pair is the advantage of discovering a new culture from the au pair’s perspective. Au pairs could provide rich and unique cultural experiences that could impart heartwarming familiarity with the children. They will be exposed to the knowledge of another custom, arts, traditions, habits, and specific social group. Furthermore, the family will be able to try sample cuisine prepared by the au pair which could also serve as a way to bond together. What other measures could be done for your children to appreciate and love people for who they are if not by sharing life with a local?
FREE LANGUAGE LESSON
Of course, included in the cultural exchange is a free language lesson from the au pair. Spending time with the children especially after school is a good opportunity to share a few and common words such as greetings, basic expressions, and important phrases which will be useful whenever the family decides to visit their place.
Free language lessons are an upper hand when it comes to employing an au pair. Well-known research shows that bilingual people have the possibility to exhibit higher levels of cognitive abilities in comparison to singular language speakers. Their cultural knowledge and language expertise are amplified by their multitasking skills and focus — two extremely crucial qualifications for a childcarer.
GAINING YOUR CHILD’S BUDDY OR COMPANION
Au Pairs are people who love children as much as spending time with them. Since au pairs will primarily focus on attending the needs of the children and providing childcare support, they will know a lot of things about them — their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses, their fears, the things they enjoy and the ones that bore them out — which means the family is gaining more than just an employee but their children’s buddy or friend, companion, or better, new sister or brother.
The parents will be able to rely on their au pair with regards to showing concern, love and support to the children whilst they are away, or even when they are around. Children most naturally love people who commit a lot of focus for them, listening to their stories, rants, and especially their secrets. Au Pair can easily communicate with children when they know that they have somebody they can trust and willingly dedicate their time for them.
Having a person in your house for a good few months will enable them to get close to your children. As the parents depend on their au pair’s assistance, they will establish loyalty and friendship with them. This wonderful connection usually lasts long term, even after the au pairs left. Some families even had time to visit the au pair’s country as they are able to love their people and culture.
QUALITY CHILDCARE SUPPORT
Au Pairs might not have a formal or professional nanny experience, which in some cases may be essential for the family. However, they could give more than what they can gain. Assistance on simple nursery tasks and child-related chores such as the children’s laundry, getting them ready for school, driving them off to their playdates and accompanying them to their appointments will remove a huge load to the parent’s responsibilities. Au pair’s help may also let the parents have time for themselves occasionally, without having to worry about the children. Their genuine love for the children will allow them to do whatever it takes to keep them safe and comfortable.
OPEN FOR TRAINING AND CORRECTIONS
Having said that au pairs may not have certain nanny qualifications, they will be more than willing to learn and train for additional experience and skills. There are programs wherein they could learn proper procedures from online classes. They may also learn from the parent’s firsthand experience and coaching whilst on duty. There may be different approaches to childcare but families and au pairs will certainly have the same goal of providing responsible, engaging and competent type of childcare for the benefit of the little ones.
The above-mentioned benefits might not be enough and families could still be hesitant. What could be the factors that hold them from hiring an au pair then?
This could be a matter of safety or the fear of handing the children to complete strangers. This is why it is highly recommendable to hire someone with the help of a reliable agency who can find the perfect candidate and verify their application. Little Ones, for example, has a strict and thorough screening process which handpicks the most suitable candidate corresponding to the family’s preference.
Little Ones team of experienced recruitment consultants can search an au pair that would align with the family’s values and ethics. They also have a good intuition on the applicant’s character through their one-on-one interview and background checking. Employing an au pair using the help of an agency will not only ease your worry but it will also allow you to choose on their many available and willing applicants. Little Ones are well known for their excellent and professional recruitment process so families trust them in doing their job.
There may be other factors that the family consider but these can be resolved when you have a team to back you up. Little Ones, a leading au pair, nanny and housekeeper agency in the UK for more than 15 years is happy to assist every family who has doubts and fears of getting a new member of the household.
The company has an admirable reputation for delivering high standard and quality services. The au pair specialists of the company can offer a list of reliable, trustworthy and dynamic sets of candidates in just a matter of a call. Aside from au pairs, Little Ones also have nannies and domestic helpers in full-time or part-time, live-in or live-out, and temporary or permanent positions.
With the LIttle One’s commitment, the team pride themselves on being able to delicately align premium, luxury services to those who put their confidence in them. Would you like to talk to one of our expert consultants? You can call us on 02071830309 or send us an email to enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk
