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My experience as an Au Pair: I have been an Au Pair for over 3 years now. In 2021 (until 2022) I cared for a baby girl of 2 and half years old. In addition to making sure she was safe, my duties included being responsible for her health, emotional well-being, development, proper nutrition, basic education, social and learning activities, driving her to certain activities, playing with her, keeping track of her schedule, and communicating with her parents. But most importantly, I was responsible for creating a safe environment for her to feel safe, and just be herself. I was a big sister; a safe haven.
I have done babysitting over weekends since the age of 16. The children that I looked after were between the ages of 7 months to 12 years old.
I spent the past year in America being both an Au pair (9 months) as well as a Camp Counsellor (4 months).
During my time as an Au Pair, I lived with a family in Dallas, Texas where I cared for their baby boy of 2 years old. My responsibilities consisted of the following: Morning routine - get breakfast, as well as lunch & snacks ready for school, wake him up, feed him breakfast, get him ready for school, and drop him off at school every morning. Evening routine – pick him up after school, take him to his swimming classes, play with him until dinner time, bathe him and get him ready for bed, then read to him, before putting him in bed. Weekend routine – look after him in the mornings and afternoons (some evenings as well), play with him, take him to the park, feed him, put him down for his nap, take him to weekend swimming lessons, and take him to haircut and/or Docter's appointments. Other responsibilities included cooking, doing laundry, grocery shopping and doing some admin work for the mother.
I spent 4 months at a summer camp in Connecticut, USA. After my interview I was offered the lead position of the youngest division at the camp. The camp referred to this division as the “Peanuts”. The Peanuts primarily consisted of the staff members’ children. The ages of the children ranged from 2 years to 15 years old. Some of the children were too young to attend the summer camp as a camper, but since their parents worked at camp, the camp formed a special division for them, aka the “Peanuts”. The children that were old enough to attend camp as a camper would leave my division when each session would start, and then join again after the session ended. Each session was about 3.5 weeks long. We had our own daily schedule to follow, full of all the activities camp had to offer. My duties included the following: early morning pick up, taking the children to breakfast, lunch and dinner, taking them to their daily activities (6 periods each day = 6 activities), taking part in the activities and helping were needed, and doing bed time shifts (depending on the age of the child/children, bed time shifts would normally consist of bathing them, doing a pre-bed activity, such as reading to them or taking them to a camp evening activity, putting them to bed, and then staying with them until their parents get home). Other responsibilities included taking note of what and how much they are eating through out the day, keeping them hydrated, being aware of any health concerns that arises, as well as any negative behavioural changes and taking care of it accordingly, discipline them in an appropriate manner, and if needed, talk to their parents or camp management when a situation calls for it. I was also trained as a Certified Lifeguard with CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, First Aid, Epi and Asthma Inhaler Training, Administering Emergency Oxygen, Waterfront and Waterpark Skills. I was the official lifeguard for my division and helped at Waterfront whenever needed.
Sport coach: I have been a netball coach for 3 years (twice a week) and a Rugby coach for 1 year (over weekends). My netball classes consist of 7 to 16 girls, and my rugby classes between 15 to 20 children. My duties included: Admin & Management, communication, fitness & conditioning, skill teaching & improvement, strategizing, game planning, safety, health, discipline, and so many more. Every child is different, and part of what I love about my job is that I get to help each one discover his/her own strengths and talents and nurture those traits through my teaching/coaching approach. |