Demand for bi-lingual nannies and au pairs
Posted by: nannygps on: June 24, 2010
Over the recent weeks nannygps has an increased demand for bi-lingual nannies, especially native English speaking nannies. Families in Paris, Germany and as far away as India are actively looking for mother tongue English nannies to join their families.
The benefits of exposing children to second and third lanagues from an early age are some of the reasons families are looking for mother tongue English nannies. Many of the families on nannygps are expats currently living abroad and they want their children to have daily exposure to English.
So if you are a native English speaking nanny, then nannygps is the place for you to find your new nanny job. Simply create a candidate profile on nannygps and apply directly to families for their nanny job.
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Selecting the Right Au Pair or Nanny
Posted by: nannygps on: May 17, 2010
Finding the right au pair or nanny to look after your child/children is a major decision for any parent or guardian. It is extremely important that you find the best suitable match for your family and always check references before offering an Au Pair or a Nanny a position looking after your children.
During the interview process it is a good idea to have a list of questions and issues to discuss prepared beforehand. Talk with friends, and family, about their experiences to gather some important questions for you. This certainly helped us when we were hiring our first au pair.
During the selection process your aim is to find out as much as you can about the au pairs and nannies that have applied for your childcare job and determine if they would fit into your family lifestyle. This is extremely important if you are looking for an Au Pair or Nanny to live in with your family.
For example, assessing the Au Pairs language skills will be a key consideration as you will need to be able to communicate sufficiently with them. For the au pair or nanny, details around their room, living arrangements, hours of work, salary will be important for them. Essentially what is expected of them while in your employment.
Is it so important to always check at least two references personally, preferably from other families they have previously worked. If the Au Pair or Nanny has not worked as an Au Pair or Nanny before ask for references from their school or college, previous work experiences or even talk to their parents.
Never send an Au Pair or Nanny money. Unfortunately, while the vast majority of Au Pairs and Nannies on NannyGPS.com are genuinely looking for work, there are a small few out to scam you out of money. Use common sense when meeting people on the Internet and trust your judgment. Families can advertise au pair nanny jobs on NannyGPS.com and use the internal messaging system to communicate with au pairs and nannies. No personal contact details are ever displayed on NannyGPS.
Native English Speaking Nannies in Demand
Posted by: nannygps on: May 7, 2010
If you are a professional nanny, with English as your mother tongue, then you are certainly in demand. NannyGPS has many families, especially in France, actively looking for native English speaking nannies.
Various live in or live out nanny jobs available.
All you need to do is visit us at www.NannyGPS.com and create your nanny profile. Basically, tell the family a little about yourself and the type of nanny job you are looking for. Then apply directly to families looking for nannies by adding the family to your shortlist.
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Choosing an Au Pair: How do you select your au pair?
Posted by: nannygps on: April 30, 2010
Choosing an Au Pair: How much does the home country matter? Do you have a preference for candidates from certain countries? Is this perhaps based on language? or religion? or maybe past experiences with different nationalities?
We’d love to hear your views on whether a home country in important when you select your au pair? What stereotypes influence your decision on au pairs?
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Cultural Adjustment
Posted by: nannygps on: April 26, 2010
Cultural shock is a complex form of emotional stress that happens when someone moves from one culture to another. Among the obvious differences are languages, physical surroundings, and the different cultural standards or behavioral differences between countries. It’s important to remember that your new au pair or nanny may not be familiar with unspoken rules, niceties and normal behavior patterns in your country. When unspoken rules are broken, or behavioral patterns differ to our norm, we become uncomfortable, often feeling the offender is rude, ignorant or lacks ‘common’ sense. Your new au pair or nanny may experience frustration and irritation as she constantly finds her normal behavior is in conflict with the lifestyle within your home or her new surroundings. Also, continual uncertainty and ambiguity about how to act and react may cause a certain amount of uneasiness. She may experience a range of emotions as she tries to settle into her new environment.
If you are mindful of cultural shock you can then help you au pair nanny to settle in. Some signs might be;
• Changes in sleeping and eating habits
• Feelings of boredom, loneliness, homesickness, frustration, criticism, irritability, anger, social withdrawal. Some of our own au pairs have taken time to settle in and make new friends. I’ve found that once they have friends outside of the family, and a social life they settle in fairly quickly and the homesickness eases.
• Crying
• Concern for physical safety of family members or oneself.
Physical symptoms of cultural shock could appear as recurring illness, rashes, stomach aches and headaches. Such symptoms may indicate adjustment difficulties, and they should not be ignored.
Everyone is different and some au pairs and nannies may not experience any cultural shock and settle in with your family very quickly. Cultural adjustment is very much a personal experience and will vary from au pair, nanny and host family.
Generally speaking, the various phases of adjustment can broadly be grouped as follows.
Before the Au pair Nanny Arrives
For the au pair or nanny, this phase combines the pre-departure excitement and anxiety as she looks forward to a new adventure. The host family on the other hand is combining anticipation of the au pair’s arrival with the expectation of how much easier life will be with her, the anxiety about the au pairs or nannies role and how she will fit into the family. I remember being very anxious with our first au pair as we were bringing someone new to live with our family and I was unsure how my husband and I would adjust and how the children would accept her.
The First Days
The first few days are exciting for the au pair nanny. Everything is new and the host family generally go out of their way to help the au pair nanny settle in. Perhaps they show her around the local area and help out with the kids for the first few days. The host family is excited the au pair nanny has arrived and everyone is on their best behavior to help her feel welcome.
Reality Settles In
After the honey moon period is over, this is the period when communication problems and cultural differences become apparent, which may lead to frustration and doubt from either the au pair or nanny or the family. The reality of the job settles in for the au pair nanny and family and the everyday efforts may seem greater than the rewards. This is where cultural shock may manifest itself. Confronted with unfamiliar cultural situations the au pair nanny may withdraw themselves from the cause of discomfort and retreat to familiar habits. The au pair nanny may seek the comfort from fellow nationals. Or she may ignore new ways of doing things. This in turn may lead to the family responding critically and regretting taking on the new au pair nanny.
Another common reaction to culture shock is that maybe for the au pair nanny to resist and change the behavior aggressively. In this instance, the children may refuse to obey your new au pair nanny, or argue trying to upset them.
Some people respond to culture shock with hostility, aggressive or indeed want to leave. Your au pair may fight her new environment, trying to change the culture to which she has come rather than to try to understand it or respond to it.
Settling In
Once you all get over the initial culture shock period, the au pair nanny starts to settle in. The au pair nannies language ability is improving and she is able to communicate and respond and for her she is able to communicate ideas and humor without too much strain. She is generally more relaxed and confident, and the family is more trusting as dialog improves and most problems can be resolved successfully. The au pair is starting to analyze information in order to examine her environment more objectively. She starts to learn about new experiences and the relationship between the au pair and the family also strengthens. Confronting problems allows both the au pair nanny and family to deal with issues without overreacting to isolated incidents. Assessing problems and identifying the causes serve to lessen the differences. Everyone starts to see the benefits of adopting a flexible approach. Once everything settles down the children are very comfortable with the au pair nanny and start to build good relationships.
Recommendations for a successful au pair nanny experience
Regular communication and commitment to problem solving is important to building a good working relationship with your au pair nanny. An important aspect of creating a mutually beneficial relationship is balancing the many roles and responsibilities. To maintain this balance, you may want to consider some of the following suggestions;
• Alternate childcare and household duties between yourself and the au pair nanny
• Find ways for the au pair nanny to share her culture with you through stories, holiday preparations, cuisine, and celebrations, while you also teach your new au pair nanny some of your own family values
• It’s a good idea to spend some family time with your au pair nanny – perhaps organise a day trip, a picnic.
• Encourage the au pair nanny to make new friends and establish her own social network outside of the family.
• Establish a pattern of weekly meetings with the au pair nanny to discuss items such as shared responsibility of taking care of the children. Be sure to communicate future plans to her, for the weeks to come as well as any long-term plans that might impact her
Enjoy your new experiences
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Saying Goodbye
Posted by: nannygps on: April 24, 2010
Goodbyes are never easy. Saying goodbye to your au pair nanny who has shared your home and your life for many months, someone who has played an important role in your lives, is very hard. It is sometimes hard for the children to understand and cope as having grown used to your au pair they have also become attached to her.
You can prepare your children for your au pairs nannies departure in the same fashion you prepared for her arrival. One way is to openly discuss with your children her return home and look at photos of her own family and where she lives. Your children may be comforted by the understanding she is going home to her own family and friends, people who also care for her. Another way is to talk about future plans as you may wish to get another au pair and the children can help with the search for your new au pair. Your children can help you post your free family profile on www.NannyGPS.com to advertise your own au pair nanny job. My daughter enjoys looking through the au pair nanny candidate profiles with me, especially at the photos of au pairs and nannies.
Additionally, you may seek ways to maintain contact with your au pair either via email or skype. After the au pair has departed exchange letters, cards, photos or occasional phone calls. She is very likely to miss you all as much as you miss her.
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Families, use the Au Pair Nanny Finder to find your next au pair or professional nanny.
Stand out from the competition
Posted by: nannygps on: April 19, 2010
Families are faced with a stack of hundreds of CVs (or resumes) or au pair nanny profiles all competing for their au pair nanny jobs. To whittle down to a shortlist, a family will spend absolutely no more than 30 seconds looking at each individual profile in the first instance. You need to create an au pair nanny profile that grabs attention and stands out from the other au pairs nannies applying for the same job.
Writing a good CV takes experience and you may decide to take advantage of a CV service, especially if English isn’t your first language and you need a CV/ profile in English. A professional CV writer will know exactly what to put in, what not to put in, and what kind of an angle to put on your CV, to ensure your CVs will stand right out from your competition – to give you the very best possible chance of getting the job you want. There really is no substitute for taking advantage of in-depth professional advice, experience and expertise.
A service I’ve used myself is the The CV centre and would highly recommend. The CV Centre is currently offering completely free CV reviews to potential new customers until the end of April. To take advantage of this offer, simply visit The CV Centre’s website and click on the offer box you’ll find on their home page: http://www.cvcl.co.uk/ref/30170
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Create a great Au Pair Nanny profile
Posted by: nannygps on: March 5, 2010
Are you looking for an au pair or nanny job? Do you want to find a host family abroad? Perhaps you want to practice your language skills and experience a new culture. The Internet is a fantastic resource for finding au pair nanny jobs. The first step is to create your free profile on NannyGPS.com. Your profile, or more commonly called your CV (curriculm vitae) is your marketing tool to find your next au pair nanny job. With your profile on NannyGPS.com you will be able to promote yourself to prospective families 24 hours, seven days a week! A good approach is to imagine your profile as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time and skills! When writing your profile look at it from the families, or employers, point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other au pairs, nannies) and would the family want to talk to you for a possible job?
Networking is essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search. NannyGPS.com is the childcare networking site that will put you in touch with prospective employers or families. Your profile is your first contact with potential employers and this will open many doors for you if done well. A CV is an essential tool in your job search and it is important that you spend some time developing a good profile so that you can attract the maximum interest from families for your skill set.
Some top tips on creating your profile (CV).
1. Keep it short and clear
The NannyGPS candidate registration form lists a few key skills questions to ensure that your skills are easily identified to a family. Your NannyGPS au pair nanny profile shows at a glance your skills by using easy to recognise icons that are displayed with your profile so a family can tell if you can drive, have first aid training etc.
2. Make it look good
The NannyGPS clear, attractive presentation is important so that your profile stands out. When answering the free text questions, ensure that it’s uncluttered, with key points easy to spot. Use bullet points and keep the sentences relatively short. Use the free text area to your advantage. Tell families in your own words more about yourself, your experience and why you like working with children. Remember the more a family knows about you, the more likely they will want to interview you further. Separate yourself from the other candidates with well written text and don’t say anything in your profile you would not like your family and friends to know about you. Your profile is available for all to see.
3. Breath some life into it
Remember the family wants a sense of the kind of person you are, as well as what you can do. Are you punctual, conscientious, or motivated? Why do you like working with children? With each point you write, ask yourself “What does this say about me?”
4. Be accurate
Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you.
5. Be truthful
Although you obviously want to present yourself well, don’t go too far and embellish the truth. It can easily backfire on you.
Good luck with finding your au pair babysitting nanny job search.
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Preparing for your new Au Pair or Nanny
Posted by: nannygps on: February 28, 2010
Congratulations, you and your family are about to enter into an exciting period of your lives. The introduction of an au pair or nanny into your home offers lasting benefits and memories for many years to come. We are still in touch with our previous au pairs and the children still talk about the fun times they had together.
Before your au pair arrives it’s good to spend some time preparing for them, and most importantly to clearly define your expectations before they arrive.
Since the French word au pair means ‘on par’, this young person joins your household as a family member. Perhaps thinking of them as a young adult sibling living with you for the next few months in exchange for room, board and pocket money will help you to recognise some of their needs and goals and why they want to be an au pair. One of your goals might be to motivate them to go beyond performing basic duties so that they become fully active members in your family life. On the other hand perhaps the au pair might be just happy to perform basic duties and then spend their ‘free time’ how they please. It’s important to understand and agree both of your expectations up front so there is no confusion or disappointment. Do you want the au pair sitting with you every night watching TV?
When hosting an au pair, it’s important to remember that, although your lifestyle is understood by your own family, it will be new and different for your au pair. Bridging cultural differences requires clear understanding of basic values, family routines, rules, regulations and expectations.
At the start of your relationship, you should clarify many aspects of your daily living and how you will communicate them to your new au pair. Some points you may like to address are;
• How should your au pair discipline your children? What disciplinary measures do you allow or disallow?
• What are your family standards regarding basic things such as table manners, food and hygiene?
• What are the house rules concerning your au pairs guests, telephone calls, internet access, car usage, music, TV etc. What happens if the rules are broken by your au pair?
• What are your beliefs about expressing opinions, emotions, and disagreements?
• Do your family have any topics that are ‘off limits’?
It’s a good idea to involve your entire family in discussing and agreeing your values and behaviour. Find out what your family expectations are, and what concerns they have. Talking things over with your children and partner will help prepare them for the au pairs arrival.
Getting your children involved in preparing for the au pairs arrival can be great fun. They could help you with preparing the au pairs room, designing a welcome card or other little things to make their room homely and welcoming. You could prepare a little welcome back with information about your local area, language classes, and upcoming events. I’ve also included things like the Rules of the Road for driving and an English dictionary. We’ve also found that our au pairs like to put up family photos in their room so we provide them with a little bulletin board so they can personalise their room fairly quickly.
You might like to read some material about your au pair’s home country to your children and perhaps learn a few basic words in their language, such as thank you, please etc. I’ve found that having a phrase book and dictionary in the kitchen (link to our language learning tips page) really helps in the early days.
In helping to set realistic expectations, it’s worth remembering that nobody will care for your children or perform household chores in exactly the same way as you do. As your au pair becomes more familiar with your children, and your family ways, they will gradually be able to assist you around the house in many ways. It takes them time to settle in.
Your au pair can generally provide care and companionship for your children, perhaps even some new insights and traditions on their own culture and practices that will interest your children and give them some insights into the world around them.
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Orientation tips for your new Au Pair or Nanny
Posted by: nannygps on: February 22, 2010
The day you anticipated has finally arrived – your live in au pair nanny is finally here. It’s all very new for your au pair or live-in nanny and there are many areas they need to familiarize themselves with: child care, household duties, personal responsibilities, and your local area. One of your key roles in the initial days is to assist your au pair nanny with their orientation into your household.
Here are some suggestions to help you both settle into your new routine.
Childcare is probably your main focus initially as entrusting your children to another is a big step. Discussing your children and what works best for them is a good starting point to helping your au pair nanny understand your children. Some items you may like to discuss during the first days are;
• What works best for your children – what captures their attention? How do you normally encourage obedience? How do you discipline them?
• How do you motivate or reward your children?
• What are your rules for watching television or playing video games / Nintendo?
• What specific social behaviours do you encourage regarding treatment of other people – sharing toys? Visiting friends and play dates? Using good manners? Taking care of their toys, their room, pets etc?
• What are your established routines for getting ready in the mornings? Mealtimes, schoolwork, bath time, bedtime and what family responsibilities do the children have?
• Where and how long are the children permitted to play outdoors? What supervision is required? What play areas do you like to visit and which ones are off limits?
• Do you have any guidelines for in door play?
• Tell your au pair nanny about each of your children – what is their personality?
If your au pair nanny is a young adult, it’s important to recognise this and outline the acceptable adult behaviour you expect to see while they are a part of your family. This may include;
• Do you allow smoking or social drinking (is your au pair of legal drinking age?) at home by your au pair, and if so, under what circumstances?
• When and how can they use the family stereo, TV, Internet access during their time off? What are the appropriate noise levels. (we’ve always provided our au pairs with their own TV in their room with head phones to avoid any noise issues)
• What are your rules for entertaining guests at home? Discuss who, where and when, and if you expect advance notice.
• What are your recommendations for going out? Do you have any rules? It’s important to discuss curfews, calling when late, going out alone verus going out with others, general safety especially within your area/ city, and how they can be contacted.
• Are they allowed use the family car for personal use? What rules to you have for this?
Another main part of your orientation should be to include information about your local area: cultural and educational facilities, postal information, local shops and transportation would be some key areas to cover. It may be a worthwhile exercise to take them around your local community;
• Show them your local area in several small outings rather than in one grand tour. It’s a good idea to have a map and to point out the places on the map as you visit them.
• Introduce them to a few friends and neighbours at a time. The sooner they can venture out themselves and make new friends, the sooner they will adjust to their new surroundings.
• Gather some information on the local educational activities and institutions. Your local library may run free language exchanges the au pair nanny might be interested in.
• Provide suitable information on local public transport.
• Inform them of emergency telephone numbers, your work contact numbers, doctor’s office, poison centre, neighbours and relatives. It’s a good idea to have these numbers displayed in a prominent place in your home.
Of course there is also your family schedule the au pair nanny needs to be advised on. Even if your lifestyle is relaxed, it’s a good idea to provide daily and weekly schedules to ensure your priorities are understood and that your au pair nanny has clear guidelines on these.
• Weekly schedule – describe a typical week, including the hours and times you expect the au pair or nanny to be on duty and the specific tasks required of them.
• Daily schedule – you may wish to agree a daily schedule and activities for each child. You also need to indicate if you want to receive a report on each child, for example, meals, naps, playtime etc.
In the early days it’s also an excellent time to give your new au pair nanny an overview of the light house keeping duties for which they are responsible. These may include preparing meals for the children, doing their laundry, tidy up their room. It’s a good idea to avoid assigning too many duties immediately and give the new au pair nanny a little time to settle in and get used to the children.
A suggestion might be to;
• Show them how to operate the appliances they will use, such as microwave, dishwasher, washing machine etc and then have them repeat the process. By demonstrating and repeating you can help them learn the proper procedures.
• Gradually add new responsibilities in the same manner.
• Make a list of responsibilities and duties. Outline your priorities regarding the light housekeeping you need your au pair nanny to complete, and a preferred schedule for completion.
The first few days are a challenge for your new au pair nanny and if you can stay home for the first few days this will certainly help them settle in. Another option would be for your previous nanny or au pair to give them a handover for a few days. The extra support and back up during the initial few days could strengthen your new au pairs nannies ability and confidence levels early on. Also, by spending some time with them in the beginning, you enable them to become a part of the family before they are left in charge.
Taking time at the beginning to provide straightforward instructions cannot be over-emphasised. This leaves less room for error later and lays the groundwork for a successful relationship.
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