How to amuse your children
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One Au Pair’s experience
Susie’s experience of coming to the UK as an au pair from Germany (8 months). “After I finished school, I didn’t really know what to do next. Going straight to university wasn’t an option. So I decided to become an au pair. With the help of my agency I found the right family for me very quickly. You probably can imagine that it was very strange leaving my family and friends for such a long time, to work in another country with another language, but it all went very well. I really connected with the family who made lots of things very easy for me. I found some really nice new friends from all over the world and in my free-time I travelled to see lots of beautiful places. To summarise I have to say that it was a great experience, my English has improved so much and the most important thing for me is that I’m now so independent and more confident than ever before.”
Please contact us and we will put you in touch with an au pair agency in your country so that you can have an interview and complete the necessary forms. If you are already in the UK please give us a call on +44 (0)1235 851 090.
It’s a good idea to discuss with your host mum what’s planned for that week. Do you have to do the homework with the children? Also note any play-days on the calendar so the parents know what’s going on. If you want to go swimming perhaps or visit a zoo then ask your host mum either for the money in advance or you pay and get it back later when you present the receipt. Playing should be fun for the children and you! What they enjoy will vary by age and nature of each child, but here are some ideas:-
Indoor games
- Snap
- Dominoes
- Memory Game
- Dressing up
- Play Doh
- Simple cooking – rice crispie cakes, flapjacks or buy a packet from the supermarket to make muffins
- Treasure hunts
- Obstacle races
- What’s the time Mr Wolf?
- Chase and tag.
What to do on a long journey
It’s a good idea to take a snack and something to drink. And some tissues / wipes! Children’s tapes and music are useful. Some simple games you can play:-
- I spy with my little eye, something beginning with...
(to make it easier you can say a colour) - Counting objects e.g. motorbikes
- Twenty questions. Think of an animal and let the children try to guess the animal by asking no more than twenty questions to which you can only answer yes or no
- Name a category e.g. animal, fruit and choose a letter from the alphabet. The children have to give a name of something in that category beginning with the letter
- I went to the shops and I bought…. Each person adds something and the next person has to repeat the whole list in order with no mistakes or they’re out. When you’re on your tenth thing and you’re concentrating on driving it can get tough!