Are you weighing au pairs vs. nannies to hire? It’s a good idea to get informed about both your options before you make your choice. Both types of childcare have pros and cons and it’s important to weigh your decision carefully to figure out what option works best for your family. Here are a few things to consider when you’re weighing an au pair vs. nanny.
What is a Au Pair? What is a Nanny?
An au pair is a foreign young person who comes to the United States to work in exchange for housing under a prescribed set of guidelines and weekly stipend.
A nanny is a broader term to refer to anyone a family employs to look after a child or children in the household.
Nannies are typically residents of the United States.
Nannies can be live-in or live-out, while all au pairs must be live-in childcare providers.
Au pairs may or may not have prior childcare experience, so it’s important to check with the agency if a candidate has worked with children before.
Nannies can provide full-time or part-time childcare for your family, depending on your needs.
Au pairs typically provide up to 45 hours of childcare a week.
Both au pairs and nannies can provide household upkeep services. If you’re working with an au pair agency, it’s important to find out exactly what services an au pair will provide. If you’re screening a nanny, you can discuss individual job duties with an applicant.
If you’re looking for an au pair, you must find one through one of the approved U.S. Department of State agencies.
If you’re hiring a nanny, you have a range of options. An online database, such as Nannies4Hire.com, word of mouth, nanny agencies, and job boards are all places you can find a nanny.
Au pairs may speak little English causing a language barrier.
"This is Cheryl White of Murrells Inlet from South Carolina. CNN said so far the baby seems OK. You know long term damage could be there. She KNEW what she was doing. And it's unforgivable. I hope they throw the book at her. You should never shake a baby, NEVER! And this LAZY, IGNORANT, HURTFUL, EVIL woman does it over and over again. Nobody forced her to babysit. Please if your going to lose your patience with kids any age...take a break, walk outside; never hurt a baby. Get help, call a friend."
For whatever reason this 60 year old thought it would be a good idea to beat up and shake around a 5 month old. It just ceases to amaze me how callus and ignorant people can actually be!.
1. Don't shake babies...they can and will break.
2. Don't shake a baby if the babies especially if the parents are attorneys.
3. Don't shake babies it will not make them 'be quiet.'
4. Shaking babies is bad for your health and the baby might not make it through it.
Coping with crying
By the fourth month of life, all babies, including colicky babies, cry a lot less. Long bouts of crying and crying that can't be soothed are rare by the time an infant is five months of age. In the meantime, here are some ideas about what you can do to soothe a baby: Changing Baby
Make baby as comfortable as possible, e.g., check temperature and diaper.
Provide gentle motion.
Provide soft music or other relaxing sounds, like a vacuum cleaner.
Feed baby slowly and burp often.
Things to keep in mind about infant crying:
Different ways of soothing may work at different times. A comforted baby doesn't always mean a quiet baby. Even if your attempts to soothe your baby don't stop your baby from crying, your baby is still benefiting from your attention. You are building your baby's trust in you. Keep in mind that sometimes a baby just has to cry—crying doesn't always mean that something is wrong.
When you have done everything you can to meet your baby's needs and your baby keeps crying, you may feel tired, alone, or frustrated. You might feel that you are not doing a good enough job or that your baby is purposely making things hard. It is normal to have strong feelings in response to inconsolable crying; however, you must never shake or otherwise harm a baby.
If at anytime you start feeling tense, frustrated or angry, remember:
* It is more important to stay calm than to stop the crying * It's OK to ask for help * Take a break, don't shake
It is more important to stay calm than to stop the crying
When you can't soothe your baby, remember that it is more important for you to stay calm than to stop the crying. Knowing how, and practicing ways, to keep yourself calm will help you through the challenging times now and in the future as your child or children grow up.
Different self-calming strategies work for different people. Here are some ideas that might work for you:
close your eyes and imagine you are somewhere relaxing and pleasant like a warm beach
read
listen to music
take a shower or bath
take a deep breath and slowly count to 10 or more. Don't think about the problem, just concentrate on your breathing, count and take the time to calm down.
do something that makes you laugh and/or smile
yell into a pillow
hit a punching bag or weight bag
It's OK to ask for help, in fact sometimes it is the best thing to do.
All parents and caregivers need help, and it is important for you to have a IT's OK To Ask for Helpsupport system in place. Have the phone numbers of people who can help when the crying is too much, such as:
* a neighbour, relative, or friend that can come over right away and help * the baby's doctor or public health nurse
Take a break, don't shake
"Take a break, don't shake" is a strategy to help you and other caregivers cope with crying. When the crying is too much:
* Put the baby in a safe place, like the crib. * Shut the door and take a 15 minute break in another area of your home. Use a timer to help you keep track of the time. Letting your baby cry for a few minutes will not hurt your baby. * When you are feeling calm, you can try again to soothe your baby. If you don't feel like you can handle things, ask for help. Call someone.
The most common reason given by perpetrators for shaking a baby is that the baby wouldn't stop crying or fussing.
For more information about the dangers of shaking and Shaken Baby Syndrome, click here. Parents, know you can trust your baby's other caregivers
Not only can crying be frustrating for parents, crying can be frustrating for the other people who look after your baby as well. So be sure your baby's caregiver knows:
* Babies cry for many reasons. * Tips for soothing your baby. * It is NEVER OK to shake a baby.
Ask other caregivers what they will do when the baby can't stop crying. Ask what they will do if they get frustrated or upset with the baby. Tell them that if something happens that they can't handle, it is OK to place the baby in the crib, leave the room and take a break.
Let them know who they can call for help, such as:
* the names of close-by neighbours * the number where you can be reached - assure them that you will return immediately if they feel they are unable to calmly care for the child * Health Link Alberta
Talk about crying and the dangers of shaking to every person who will look after your children. It can be hard to ask people if they might get frustrated with your baby, try using the When your BABY can't stop CRYING brochure and the Crying Plan as conversation starters. These will help you talk about infant crying and the importance of never shaking a baby with the other people who live with and/or look after your baby.
Try to remember that the period of increased crying will come to an end! As a baby grows he or she becomes more settled. By the fourth month of life, all babies, including colicky babies, cry a lot less.
As we have unfortunately seen all over television, the web, aol, yahoo, the radio, xm, Sirius, our family dinners there has been an unbelievable upswing in attention to the phenomenon known as the nanny cam. You use to not have to think about or use the word surveillance and your kids names in the same sentence...well its apparent now that you do. Just take a look at the following graph pulled this morning from Google Trends.
Really everywhere you look you either have a mom who clearly wasn't having a great day fire hosing a toddler or you have this Neanderthal Babysitter literally abusing children, It's upsetting and it's not just upsetting to parents its also upsetting to kids.
Its becoming larger and larger just keep watching and we'll keep posting. By the end of the week there will be another whacked out nanny caught on tape. I've got to say that although the number of nanny acts will simply continue to climb the number of idiot nannies will also. Unfortunately this wont change the behavior it will only deter it.
Ok, so its been a bit of complaining and trying to scare people into thinking they need a security system. Well this is a video that should get people to relax and laugh at themselves. That is if they...meaning you have an ip camera system already.
Note that in the video the Office star is viewing her 'baby' on a laptop...which I'm sure you already knew. That is the amazing thing about IP surveillance and home security! Although they are making fun of it in the Office Elevator spin off...its ture. What do they say about satires...If their making em and they're making em about you...you made it....welcome to the big time IP cameras.
