Au Pairs and Host Families: The Cultural Tie that Binds

Young families looking to add a bit of culture to their life don’t always think about getting an au pair to fill the need, but in fact,hosting an au pair may be just the answer. The benefits are two-fold. You have reliable and affordable live-in childcare while immersing your children in a world of cultural benefits that can’t be realized from television or even books.  And, these are not fleeting moments that will soon be forgotten, it is a gift to children that will last a lifetime.

Host families provide room, board and a set stipend and the au pair provides childcare and a potentially life changing experience for your family.  While it’s true that au pairs are here to provide nurturing childcare, they are also here to become part of an American family.  Au pairs are proud of their heritage and embrace the opportunity to share their culture, traditions, and customs with their host families.

With the busy schedules and overcommitted lives of so many families today, it’s sometimes easy to forget that there is a much bigger picture to consider.  Children who are immersed in foreign cultures at a young age not only broaden their horizons but are set on a path to becoming a well rounded individual with a greater understanding and appreciation for cultural diversity.

It’s long been known that introducing children to other languages early in life tends to do wonders for a child’s intellectual growth.  They soak up foreign languages like a sponge.  What better way to introduce your child to another language than to have an extension of the family speaking it day in and day out? Children are exposed to a second language during play, during dinner, during bedtime stories and eventually it becomes second nature.  It’s a recipe for a child who will reap cognitive and creative benefits throughout life. Studies also show that the majority of bi-lingual people learned a foreign language at an early age.

From au pairs making traditional meals indigenous to their home countries, to teaching the children they care for their native language -sharing cultures is a vital part of the exchange program. Most host families will proudly say that even though their au pairs may have come and gone through the years, the impact on their family lasts a lifetime.  Au pairs often introduce their favorite family traditions to their host families which get carried on by the host family long after the au pair has left, in celebration of a special bond or tie they feel towards the au pair but also towards an entire culture they now feel a part of.

To participate in an afternoon of cultural exchange, join some of AuPairCare’s Brazilian au pairs at the (2478 Main Street, Bridgehampton) this Saturday, Feb. 18, at noon for a Brazilian style Carnival celebration for children and their families. Enjoy some Brazilian food while au pairs teach some popular Portuguese phrases and sayings. Try on a mask and then try your
hand at some Samba dancing!

To find out more about Carnival at the Hampton
Library go to http://hamptonlibrary.org/?q=node/761

To find out more about AuPairCare, contact local area director, Melanie Mader at 631-697-9074 or visit http://aupaircare.com