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When you are looking for an au pair, many companies will try to convince you hire a foreign au pair, instead of an English one.
Though there are several noted benefits to hiring a foreign au pair, these benefits don't necessarily outweigh the benefits you will receive if you hire an English au pair. In fact the mainly touted benefits that can come from hiring a foreign au pair tend to be that your child can learn another language, and that you will save money. Other than that, the benefits seem to trail off.
Of course you will be helping someone, and introducing them to a new country in a positive way. But aside from that, there are no other real benefits to having a foreign au pair. And the funny thing is that, the two mainly touted benefits can easily be obtained if you have an English au pair; and an English au pair can provide you with so much more on top of that. A lot of English au pairs are also childrens entertainers and not only look after your child but also provide entertainment for them.
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Though immersion is a great way for a child to learn a new language, there are many interactive software and DVD programs that are effective.
As long as you require your au pair to work on language learning with your child for say 30 - 60 minutes a day; any au pair that the child loves, will help to make the experience positive and memorable; and your child will still learn a second language.
Your child's imagination is broad and vast. Learning a foreign language through software packages, books and DVDs can be just as stimulating and fun as learning from an au pair that speaks the language; and many of these teaching tools create an immersion type of experience for children by using responsive interaction, engaging story lines and fascinating relatable characters. |
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When it comes to au pairs, references are exceedingly important. In addition to this, to employ an au pair without running a background check is not a wise idea. It might be a good idea to ask them to send photos by email so you get an idea of what they look like and how they seem.
When you hire a foreign au pair, you really have no idea who her references are, if they are located in another country. You might be able to contact them, but you really don't have the advantage of using your natural instincts to tell if this person is a verifiable reference or just a friend from high school. In addition, the laws in other countries are different, as are the standards of behavior.
Your chosen au pair could be an alcoholic, and she could be routinely mentally abusive to children. In the USA, her behavior might have landed her a DUI charge by now, or might have been easily picked up on by other childcare professionals.
Because of cultural differences, a background check might not have the gravity and significance that it does when it's run on an English au pair. In addition, cultural differences can dictate how your child will be treated in an emergency, or if he asks a sensitive question about race, gender, sex or crime. What will your au pair do, when she can't reach you, or if she thinks the issue is not something worth calling you about?
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