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What do you do when you need extra help taking care of your teenager but traditional childcare isn't really what you're looking for? They're still kids to you but they want to be treated like young adults and after the age of twelve they'll probably be opposed to the idea of having a babysitter, they may not be thrilled with a nanny either. So what do you do when you work full time and your kids need rides to soccer practice, dentist appointments, and trips to the mall, homework help, someone to be around in the afternoon when they get home from school? There's one option that you probably haven't considered: an au pair. Au pairs are great for older kids because they are young enough to be relatable and old enough to be responsible.
Relateability is key with teenagers. Most teens would much prefer the atmosphere of a young adult hanging out than an older adult figure taking care of them. Teen girls want someone they can talk to, confide in, and look up to. Au pairs have a unique opportunity to exist as both a responsible adult that teenagers abide by and an older sibling that they look up to. Especially for parents that have children with wide age ranges, au pairs offer a differentiated type of care. They are able to be a caregiver for young children and more of a supporter and go-to person for older ones. Being close to teenagers' age gives au pairs the ability to relate to teens while still providing dependable supervision.
Playing more of an older sibling role can enable au pairs to bond and have a relationship their teenage charges. For single parents, au pairs can be a role model that children of all ages look to. Especially for single parents with teens of the opposite sex, having a male au pair for single moms with sons or female au pairs for single dads with daughters, an au pair can be someone to offer advice and view points that parents may not have.
When you work full time but your kids have sports practices, appointments, friends' houses, and a myriad of other places to be, how do you orchestrate transportation? Au pairs can be an extra driver in the house, a safe and responsible person to get your children to and from commitments. In addition, having another person to help with homework and school projects may also be tremendously helpful. Especially if an au pair is a native speaker of the language that your teenager is studying in school. Having a native Spanish speaker in the house can have almost the same effect as an immersion program for your teen, like providing full time tutoring.
Parents often don't consider childcare alternatives as an option to help with their older children. But, au pairs may be able to provide all of the care that is needed with added benefits that parents may not even be aware of. Don't think of au pairs as caregivers for only young kids, they can provide your family with high quality care with advantages for the whole family.
For more information about hosting an au pair, please visit www.aupaircare.com or call the toll free number at (800) 428-7247.
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