Au pairs can provide relief for parents of multiple children
July 7, 2011
Parents of twins, triplets and other multiples can sometimes feel overwhelmed and outnumbered by their children. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 145,000 births were multiples in 2008. Many parents in the U.S. are turning to international au pair services to help them raise their children, according to The San Francisco Gate.
It can be difficult to manage time and make sure that each child gets individual attention when they are the same age. Au pairs can help mothers and fathers by sharing the responsibilities, such as changing diapers, carrying and feeding children and reducing the stress of traveling, which can be hectic with one child, nevermind multiples.
The news source reports that au pairs usually have a flat-rate, regardless of the number of children they care for. Since they are traveling from foreign countries, many au pairs may bring international calling cards so they can communicate with their families and friends back home.
InterExchange, a nonprofit au pair matching service, suggests that international au pairs can be a positive influence on the children for whom they care by teaching them foreign languages and customs that can broaden their cultural understanding.