Au Pair Manual Kindly Provided by Host Family to needu

Au Pair Manual Kindly Provided by Host Family to needu Version 3 July 2014 Family name Hours Your hours are approximately 35 hours per week on duty. Sometimes weeks will be busier than others. Pocket Money (Pay) We will pay you weekly every weekend in cash or into a bank account. Some au pairs have wanted to be paid every two weeks or every month. We re happy to discuss the best way for you. Bags Going out bag Before leaving the house, it s wise to take to the toilet, not just ask him if he needs to go. Always: Water bottles Towel/cloth (useful for drying slides or the boys!) Sunscreen/ Hats (if hot weather) Snack if out at 10am or in case you re late getting back and the boys are getting grizzly Nappy bag containing o At least three nappies o Wipes o Plastic bags o Tissues o Nappy cream o Change mat The dog likes eating nappies and snacks from the bottom of the pram or the floor. Please hang up the bag out of puppy s way to avoid this problem. Pram Rain Cover if it remotely looks like rain! To the park or outside play: Sun hats note in Winter not needed. Page 1

Sunscreen in winter not needed. The Australian sun is different to Europe. Kids can burn easily. Playgroup bag: Playgroup (9.30-11.30 Thursday and Friday) 1 Piece of fruit per child to give to playgroup people snack for 10am Playgroup o - (1 or 2 days a week, Monday or Thursday 10-11.30) ($$$$ per term, which I will give you to give to XXXX when she requests it just give me the receipt) 1 piece of fruit per child Snack for 10am Kinder bag: Water bottle 2 changes of clothes. (2 pairs socks, 2 tops, 1 pair shorts one pair long pants, 1 jumper, 1 pair undies) Gumboots in plastic bag if it s rainy or cold Jacket Snack for after kinder usually feet biscuits but we re having trouble finding these in the supermarket! We may have to find something else instead. Rice crackers and cheese, apple cut up, half a banana, some nuts. Food for and There are frozen meals in the freezer, which we would hope you help contribute to every few weeks. We make muffins, pasta sauce, risotto, banana bread, pancakes etc. is currently off gluten so can have gluten free bread or pasta but not normal bread or pasta. Try to always serve some kind of vegetable mashed potato and sweet potato mixed, - often found frozen in freezer. frozen peas, carrots, corn, beans in the freezer. place in a glass for 1 minute in the microwave. Shake and place in again for another 30 seconds or minute if needed. o Rinse in cold water so it s not too hot. Left over food in fridge Cooked chicken (you can buy half a cooked chicken from the supermarket), mashed potato/sweet potato and peas Baked beans Sushi Page 2

Rice and tuna (small tin) and peas Mini pizzas made on gluten free bases (for 4 year old) or normal bases for 2 year old with tomato paste (we put left over tomato paste in bags in the freezer), cheese, mushrooms, corn, ham or chicken Soup with some rice mixed in home made usually or there are some from Safeway you can get 4 fresh soups for $10. Usually lamb and vegetable with barley. Savoury Muffins or pizza swirls in the freezer. Fried rice cook peas, corn, bacon, diced onion, in frypan and mix with rice. Fried or scrambled egg with vegetables. Rice noodles with vegetables and meat Bolognaise sauce with rice and some cheese Sometimes but not always we have fruit afterwards. You can also have cooked fruit put in the microwave or steam in steamer. Half a banana Sliced apple half an apple. Please don t feed 2 year old grapes as he could choke. Check any food heated up in the microwave and stir thoroughly to avoid mouth burns. We ve done this in the past. It s horrible when it happens, so please be careful. Snacks Crusket with peanut butter or cheese or vegemite and cheese. 3 or 4 Rice crackers each brush off the salt please first or we try to get seaweed ones which seem to have less salt Banana bread Saltanas Cheese Fruit as above Mini muffins Dried fruit Nuts pecans, almonds, cashews Gluten free Pancakes in freezer SAFETY If riding a bike or scooter the year old must wear helmets Put the strap around your hand when using the pram Strap both boys into the pram Please be careful where you keep your products and medication even in your room Please leave any alcohol or medication out of sight and reach of the children Page 3

Please switch off the toaster and kettle as year old can reach the kitchen bench Please wash put knives back in the knife block immediately. Don t leave them on the bench to be washed or in the dish rack to dry. Too dangerous If you leave the kitchen be mindful of the chairs and be aware year old can quickly get to bench height. You can shut the door to help keep him out. Do a quick check of food or knives on the bench if you re going into the lounge to play. BE CAREFUL OF THE BACK DOOR!!! It can lock you out and did lock out one of our au pairs!! Spare key in the water heater. Push the lock in when you go out so it can t bolt the door. The stove is fiddly to turn off. NEVER blow out the flame (as our first au pair did!) and check and double check the stove is fully turned off when finished. Days Off Your Days Off are your own free time for you to do as you please. However you are always welcome to join us in whatever we are doing. We will usually invite you for anything special such as day trips, outings to the shops or visiting family and friends etc. Sometimes we ll need babysitting on an evening (though we try to avoid weekends as it s your main social time) Thursday evening is our date night so ask before organising cooking Thursday. If we go out you don t need to cook but it might be nice to use this time to add to the freezer or something. Sometimes we ll tell you on the day if we aren t organised. If you have plans then we don t expect you to change them, it s our bad luck! If you re away from the house overnight, please tell us so we don t worry. If you can t get home or are lost please call us and we will be happy to help you out, or come collect you if needed. Caring for the boys Please do not hesitate to be firm with them when needed. We do not want you to smack/ spank: bare handed or with any object. We also do not use hurtful language. If they do something that is dangerous you can lightly tap across 1 hand. This usually is a shock and is all they need. We will also remove them from the situation. If year old does something dangerous in the kitchen we will pick him up and take him away with a firm No, we don t have tantrums/do silly things in the kitchen. If year old does something dangerous you can try the holding technique http://www.saveoursleep.com/2010/02/04/the-holding-technique-for-no/ Page 4

Discipline For pushing, hitting, biting, kicking year old, not listening to instructions Thinking Chair One minute per age (4 minutes, 2 minutes). When time is over sit down and talk through what was wrong. Why did I put you on the thinking chair? Because I hit year old/you/the puppy etc. year old says sorry and gives a hug to you (or 2 year old!) No tantrums in the kitchen. Immediately take boy involved out if they have a tantrum and say No tantrums in the kitchen, it s too dangerous. If out and year old does not listen to you, strap him in the pram or say You must hold onto the pram or my hand for 4 minutes now. same process as thinking chair. Boys must hold your hand or the pram while crossing the road. Nappies Nappies are disposed of in plastic bags in the bathroom. Please put these straight in the rubbish bin when it gets full If year old has a particularly bad nappy he may need to be hosed off or wiped down with a cloth. There is nappy cream if his bottom is sore. Some nappies smell fairly sweet change these as a matter of urgency as they can burn his bottom and really hurt. * * * Please wash out any clothes, cloths or towels with poo on them immediately and put them straight into the washing machine. Don t leave them for someone to find later! * * * Manners It is very important to us that the boys grow up being thankful and polite. They must say please and thank you and put it in a sentence. MORE MILK is not acceptable! Mummy, can I please have some more milk is better! Please praise them when they are polite, especially when done without being asked: Wow,! You are so polite! I love it when you say thank you! You should never accept the boys being rude to you, you are NOT their servant! Encourage the boys to help you pack up their toys after using them. year old likes helping vacuum, doing the dishes and cooking. Giving him a job he can do will make your life easier and enjoyable. When the boys finish a meal they are expected to take their plate and spoon to the sink. They need to say Thank you for my lovely dinner, may I please leave the table? before leaving. Wet or Hot Day activities and other day activities There is a rain cover for the pram and you can use my rain jacket, which means you can go and play in some places indoors. Indoor play centre. We have a pass for entry kept. Let me know if you run out of passes and we can buy another card or I can give you money. Page 5

Baby chino at my brother s Café: address. Story Time at library 11am (not sure what day!) Visiting the Library is a good activity to do when the weather is too hot or raining too. National Gallery of Victoria (in the city) has a children s Corner. Catch a tram or train Explore the City take the free City Circle Tram or tourist bus Visit a park to play Meet up with boys friends or other au pairs and their kids Visit the Botanical Gardens. There s a children s Garden bring swimmers/spare clothes and towel as the kids WILL get wet! There s a stream and water play. o Encourage boys to go in the stream FIRST as they ll enjoy it more if they avoid the fountains first because they get very cold when this happens. Go to the fountains on the way out just before changing clothes and drying off. Go for a walk or take the dog for a walk. Ride bikes around the block Do arts or crafts Build a cubby house we have tents or blankets you can put up in the lounge room Puzzles from the toy library, painting with water or colouring in. If raining, put on rain coats and boots and jump in muddy puddles in the carpark. Daily Routine There may be changes, which we will discuss, but the boys daily routine will go something like this; 7.00am 7.30am (you start) 8.00-8.30am Boys wakes will need nappy changed and change into clothes for the day. Watch TV until 7.30 or 7.45, depending on how much you need to get done! Mum/Dad give them milk. AP help dress boys and prepare boys breakfast. Clear up bench for the day and check bags are ready to go. Socks on asap! Breakfast: Porridge usually made the night before and can be heated up in a brown bowl. toast or Gluten free toast, eggs and mushrooms or bacon or vegetables **Please brush teeth after breakfast.** 10am Snack 12 Lunch 1.30pm 2 year old nap (though this will change) Buggaroo and teddy. Change/check nappy, give a drink. Before 4 year old nap or while 2 year old asleep get him to help you clean up some toys and tidy up a bit. No TV during this time for 4 year old. You can do quiet activities with him like puzzles, reading books, drawing, colouring, trains. 3pm Wake 2 year old if still asleep and give some milk and snack 4.45pm 5pm If Mum/Dad not home, start preparing dinner for boys Dinner for boys (Mum and Dad usually home! You re DONE!!) 5.30 Sometimes bath Page 6

6pm Milk 1 Thomas cup ¾ full for 2 year old, 1 coloured sippy cup for 4 year old (50 seconds in microwave then shaken a little) 6.15pm 6.30pm Boys may watch TV for ½ hour until 6.15 Clean teeth and get ready for bed. Story, sing song. 2 year old teddy and buggaroo, 4 year old cow cup, teddy, pyjamas, Bed. Weekly Routine Monday Dad to work 7.30-7.45 7.30am start help put clothes on the boys, change nappies, prepare breakfast, check bag. 8am breakfast Mum to work 7am to 5pm Vacuum 9.30 leave for playgroup 10 11.30am Playgroup. 12 Lunch 1.30pm 2 year old nap until 3. Quiet time with 4 year old 3pm Snack/milk 4.45 prepare dinner for boys. 5pm Dinner we will usually be home by dinner time but if it gets to 5pm and we re not home, please make dinner for the boys. Monday is your cooking night. We usually eat around 7/7.30. Mum Goes to Aerobics (most Mondays when my neck isn t sore so save me food and I eat when I get back) Tuesday Mum to work until 5. Tutors until 6 Dad home at 5pm 7.30 start No playgroup. Stay at home or go out exploring. No fixed activity. Maybe find au pair to have play date? 5pm finish note, Mum has staff meeting and teaches from home from 5-6pm and if there is ever a day you need to help out with boys dinner, it may be Tuesday if Dad gets stuck at work. This happens rarely though. Mum teaches at 5-6pm. Wednesday Mum home But will put any doctor s appointments, lecturing, other appointments, book writing or meetings on Wednesday when needed. Sometimes I will just need your help with lunch, other times we will go out and you will be welcome to come. If you re at home, this is a good chance to get some housework done without the kids being in your way. Page 7

Thursday Mum to work 7am 7.30 start 8.30 leave to drop 4 year old at Kindergarten 2 year old play group (on the way back from Kinder) 10 11.30 Vacuum after lunch distract 2 year old with toys! Clean Bathroom while 2 year old is asleep. Friday Mum leave 10am, home by 2/3pm Thursday is your cooking day. Sometimes Dad and I will go out for Date Night Thursdays, if this is the case you don t need to cook. 4 year old Kinder. I will leave the house at 9.30 to take the boys to the toy Library every 3 weeks. Other times I ll leave and take the dog for a walk. This will give you some boy free time to do any housework. YOU START 9.30 meet Mum and 2 year old at playgroup. Until 11.30am Street Rubbish Collection We have 3 large bins. Each one is for a different purpose. Please put any full rubbish bags from the kitchen or the bathroom in the bins outside. WEDNESDAY night the bins are placed onto the street for rubbish collection on Thursday. EVERY week is Rubbish (green) Every other week is either Recycling (blue) and Garden (the other colour!). General Cleanliness and Order Please do what you can to keep the house mess from taking over! You will need to do the dishes about four times a day!! Please tidy up kids toys once a day and encourage them to tidy up before changing activities (eg. Pack up the trains before reading a book or playing with the blocks) Please tidy up kids room and check for dirty clothes which you can put in the laundry Housework Every now and then there will be one bigger job or rarer job that you may be asked to do. Some examples: Dusting surfaces in the kitchen, lounge (TV, shelve above fire place you ll need a chair to get up high - book shelves, DVD player etc.), piano Page 8

Clean under the kitchen and bathroom sink. While the boys are out take everything out and wipe out. Put back tidy. Mop kitchen and eating area Tidy up boys clothes in draws/cupboards (I m happy to help with this) Wipe clean the kitchen cupboard doors (4 year old loves helping with this) Cook a freezer meal for the boys could be a pasta sauce, muffins, whatever s needed. Vacuuming Please vacuum twice a week we have a dog with a lot of hair! A dustpan and broom can be found under the kitchen sink. When the vacuum bag is full it needs emptying, which I can do. I try to do this every few weeks, but let me know if the vacuum is not working well and I can clean it out. Mopping Please mop once every month or six weeks. The whole house doesn t really need mopping but the Kitchen and the eating area can get very grubby. Vacuum first, place chairs on table. Do this at a time when the boys are out of the house, or let 4 year old help you while 2 year old is asleep. If anything is spilt clean it up with a wet cloth and cleaner there are old cloth nappies in the bathroom immediately. This will make mopping needed less often. Mop and bucket is stored in the laundry. Mop liquid under the kitchen sink Laundry We will wash our own laundry. But hanging out or bringing in washing would be most helpful to us. Putting the boys clothes back in their cupboards would make me most grateful. You are responsible for washing your own clothes and linen. Please use the outside clothes line instead of the electric dryer, as the dryer uses a lot of electricity and is expensive to run. We use the drier when the weather is very wet for a long period of time. Bathroom Cleaned once a week. Rubber gloves and cleaning products in the cupboard under the sink Put the shower curtain up so it s out of your way Move away all bottles and items from under the mirror and near the bath Spray cleaner around bath and tiles and leave sit for a while 10 minutes Put toilet duck in the toilet and leave to sit for a while Wipe out basin and all surfaces of the sink area Page 9

Clean the mirror blue mirror cleaner Move all things from the shelf near the mirror and near the bath and clean surfaces Use an old toothbrush to clean the tiles and BETWEEN the tiles especially Use old toothbrush to clean around the taps Scrub the bath with a scrubbing brush there are stains that will not come off but try your best! Wipe all tiles and surfaces outside the bath Wipe the floor Wipe the change table thoroughly Wipe the toilet bowl on the outside and all outside areas of the toilet Scrub the inside of the toilet and wipe the toilet seat both wooden and white areas Scrub any bath toys that are looking dirty ** Remember the back toilet too in the laundry! We have water restriction most of the year, so please keep showers short. Please use the bath in your own time, when the kids are not your sole responsibility. * * Please do not use the bathroom between 7am-7.45am between 6pm-6.45pm * * * Kitchen Please keep clean and tidy. Kitchen bench tops, sinks and stovetops and floors must all be wiped clean. Any toys, clothes or things that don t belong on the bench, please put away. Clean up any of your dishes Wash the dishes four times a day. They may be left in the drier to dry but will need to be put away before doing the next lot of dishes. Deep clean once a week Wash dish rack top and bottom use old toothbrush and bicarb soda and vinegar Dishwasher: Scrub entire sink and taps (especially under the dish rack) Scrub bench top with bicarb and vinegar Clean stove o Take off elements and wipe o wipe down stove top o Take off black stove racks and wash o Wipe down splash back and side of oven o Wipe oven door Clean microwave o Take out plate and wash o Wipe out all sides of microwave inside and out o Wipe top of Fridge Wipe top of range hood Microwave cloths for 10 seconds to kill bacteria Page 10

We rarely use the dishwasher but if you have a big load, you can. Dishwasher tablets under the sink. DO NOT place in the dishwasher: Thin plastic cups, wooden spoons or boards, sharp knives or pots and pans. - Turn dishwasher on under sink *** Turn off after use as the boys will play with the buttons and put it on if it s not turned off*** - Scrape all chunky food bits off plates etc. before loading dishwasher - Dirty surfaces face down and not blocked by other things - Check everything is able to drain fully, i.e. upside down or angled so that no water can collect - Lightweight or small items are placed in the top - Check no object blocks the rotors - Enough space is allowed between each item for water flow and drainage, and - Clean out the filters about once every few uses Caring for Dog Dog can steal the kids food! Please keep him out of the eating area when they are eating. Your life will be easier if you keep dog out of the kitchen when you re cooking Dog can eat any poo that is left around on the grass. If you don t like this please pick it up using the plastic bags near the back door. If the kids are playing outside, you may want to pick up any poo before they run around so it doesn t get on their feet. Dog has one cup of dry food with water in the morning and at night. Dad does this most of the time. Dog has a walk twice a day. You re welcome to walk him with the kids in the pram but I would not walk the dog AND Have 4 year old on a bike! 4 year old would like to hold the leash while you walk don t let him. Dog can pull and we re concerned he would hurt 4 year old when this happens. Dog is our responsibility but we do ask that if we are away and have organised it with you, you feed him as per his schedule. Dog s Food is found in the plastic container near the back door. The cup to measure food is inside this box. Heating and Cooling Page 11

We have a fan and heater for your room. Please only use the heater when you are in your room. It is easy to forget and leave it on, and this uses a LOT of electricity, so please be mindful of this and check before leaving. Only use fan and heater when you are in the room. Please leave your window and curtains closed when it s hot. Leave the door to the kitchen closed in hot weather (to keep the cool air in) and cold weather (to keep the warm air in) as we don t heat or cool the kitchen area. On hot days, especially when we ve warned you it will be very hot, close up the house leave all doors closed and blinds down. Keep the kitchen door closed. The house will stay cool if we keep it closed up for about 3-4 days. After that it can get uncomfortable so keeping the cool air in is important for everyone s comfort. Page 12

Meals Your meals are provided when you are with us. Please be mindful that we are a family on a budget. Breakfast is self-serve, we usually have porridge. Lunchtimes when we are at work you may prepare lunch for yourself from whatever is available, or eat leftovers saved from a previous meal. If you have particular items, you can place them on the shopping list. Special things are ok sometimes but more expensive things become sometimes foods. Mum/Dad cook on Tuesday and Wednesday. Friday, we fend for ourselves, often having soup or eggs, something simple. Sometimes take away. The weekend meals are usually unplanned as most of our au pairs go out or are happy to cook for themselves. We also do our own thing. Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge or pantry but if you use the last of anything then please write it on the shopping list kept on top of the fridge. If you have something you have purchased for yourself, please put you name on it and put it in the pantry or refrigerator/ freezer. Please hide any chocolate from the boys (and me!) up high in the pantry out of sight. Don t eat things you don t want the kids to eat in front of them. Cooking Your nights to cook are Monday and Thursday. On Monday I often go to aerobics, so leave food for me when I come back. It is a good idea to cook a big meal so we have leftovers for the boys and the freezer and for lunches. When you cook, please do what dishes you can while you re cooking. Dad will wash any left over dishes at the end of the meal. 4 year old loves helping cook. He is allowed to do so. He can use a butter knife to chop most things. Be aware of safety with hot or sharp things. We are not an extravagant family when it comes to food. Please look for items that are on special (on sale or cheaper). Some vegetables can be very expensive at certain times of the year. Some meat can be very expensive. We rarely eat seafood. Dad does not like: Soup (for dinner), seafood, things with a lot of cream. Over summer we tend to eat lighter pasta salad, salads, grilled meats and salad, tacos or burritos, Over winter we can have roast meat, pasta, casseroles, chicken in sauce with rice If you have doubts please let us know. We have some good cookbooks and can help with ideas. Grocery Shopping You will need to put ingredients you need on the shopping list SUNDAY so we can buy what you need. If you forget anything you re welcome to shop and we will reimburse you. Please buy milk when you see we re running low. Also anything written on the shopping list. Leave shopping list on top of the stove. When things run low, write these on the list Page 13

Make sure there is enough milk for the next day. If not buy this. Keep receipts so we can reimburse you or keep track o We are happy to pay for any regular food. Any treats (chocolate, juice or soft drink etc) or extras are at your own expense. Au Pair Bedroom Your room is your own private space. We will not go in there unless we are putting clothes on your bed or putting linen in the linen cupboard. The kids are only allowed in with your permission. They will wander in if you leave the door open though. Please leave it shut if you don t want them to visit. We will knock 2 year old will say knock knock! - before entering and encourage the boys to respect your space. We don t mind you taking food and drink into your room, but please ensure there are no spills and no dirty dishes are to be left in your room. In Australia we have Ants and Cockroaches, which love to find food. If you wish to store personal food items please use a plastic container to help prevent unwanted visitors. If you are in your room and require privacy then close the door, but otherwise you are welcome to leave the door open so that you are not so isolated from the family. Illness If 4 year old is feeling unwell and has to stay home from Kindergarten then we will ask you to take care of him so we can go to work. If boys are seriously ill then Mum/Dad will stay home with him. If you get sick, we will make other arrangements to look after the boys so you can for rest and recover. We agree to pay your pocket money during any sick leave period (maximum 4 days paid). Personal and Medical Expenses Personal items such as toiletries, shampoo, toothpaste, medicines and any medical expenses are your responsibility. If you are concerned about incurring large medical expenses as a result of accident, injury or serious illness then you should consider taking out suitable health insurance for the duration of your time in Australia. Of course first aid items etc. are available for your use and they can be found in the big black box on the shelf near the back door. Guests Page 14

You can invite friends or other au pairs to visit for meals, etc. if you ask and let us know in advance. If you would like to have friends or relatives visit from your home country then they are welcome to visit and share meals and other activities with us but they should arrange their own overnight accommodation. In some limited circumstances we may allow visitors to stay in our home, so please discuss any such plans with us well in advance. You are welcome to have friends come over and stay. It is polite to let us know but if it is late and too far for them to go home, we would prefer they were safe staying the night than travelling home late. We do not want any male visitors for overnight stays please. Curfew There is none! Be out as late as you want provided this does not impact your alertness with the boys during working hours. However, it is asked to consider the remainder of the family for noise levels. If you intends to be away from the house for some time and especially overnight, please tell us you us so we don t worry. Please be mindful of the amount of energy needed to look after two young boys and be fit for work the next day. Alcohol, Drugs and Medications Please don t drink alcohol while on duty. If you drink while you are out socialising then it is not our business but we expect you to be fit for duty the following morning if you re working. All medications must be kept out of sight and out of the boys reach. Smoking Our home and car are SMOKE FREE. Dad has allergies so please be mindful that the smell of smoke on your clothes after going out and in your room can make him feel sick. Please don t smoke or have friends smoke in front of our children or other children. Do not allow the children see or reach any cigarettes, butts or lighter. Security You will be given keys to the house. Whenever you leave the house please ensure that all doors are properly closed and locked. Please return all keys on your departure. If you lose any keys please inform us as soon as possible. Replacement / Locksmith costs will be at your cost. Page 15

The back gate must be shut firmly so that the dog, does not escape. He will get out if he s able and it would be heartbreaking if something were to happen to him because of this. We are close to the city. We have all sorts of people passing. Your bedroom window is right next to a busy road and people can see you if you re in the room at night with curtains open. When you have your light on in your room at night it s best to leave the curtains shut. Socialising We encourage you to socialise with your friends and meet with other au pairs. You can meet them through Facebook groups. Once you have established a group of local friends, you will soon find you have a busy social life and plenty to do in your spare time. Other Employment If you wish to seek part time employment on some evenings or weekends, we will support this decision. The condition is that any part time employment will not interfere with our schedule as a family. Page 16

Leaving Thank you for your hard work and for looking after our beautiful boys. You have made our lives richer for being with us and part of our family! We are excited for you and your next adventure in Australia and we wish you all the very best. There are just a few things we would like you to do before you leave, because as you will recall, your room was spotless when you arrived, and we would appreciate it to be left like that when you leave. Bedroom Remove sheets from the bed Leave the quilt and pillows on the bed Vacuum the entire room, including under the bed (move the bed if necessary), under and behind other furniture wipe the table and lamp Empty the closet/wardrobe and return all hangers neatly to the closet rod Wash all sheets and fold them neatly and put them in the linen closet/wardrobe Remove any decorations from the walls, remove any adhesive tape / blu tack left behind Empty out the drawers, vacuum or wipe out the inside if they re dusty Wipe window sills and clean windows with window cleaner Please do not leave anything behind in your room for the next au pair (if there is one) unless you check with us first Bathroom Wash your towels and fold and put them away. Clear any of your toiletries and beauty products from the bathroom Other items: Mail, Telephone message on house phone, keys, alarms. library books, library card, videos, random stuff Please return your house keys Please leave us a street address where your mail can be forwarded or if anything is delivered here after you leave. If you have any outstanding library books, please return these to the library. Go to the post office and fill out a card there so that the post office can automatically forward your mail sent to our PO Box to your new street address. Be sure to let your bank know that your address is changed, you don t want to miss any important documents. Finishing up your au pair responsibilities (this can be done on the Friday) You should leave all of the kids things that you are responsible for in a neat and tidy order. The idea here is to leave everything ready for the next au pair when she arrives Kids bedrooms Put fresh sheets on the kids beds. Wash the old sheets, fold them neatly, and put them away in the linen cupboard Tidy up their bedroom Other areas Please leave these areas very neat. In all of the places around the house that the au pair is responsible for keeping tidy, gather all library books, laundry, shoes, etc., and put away wherever they go. Page 17

It may seem like an obvious thing to say but find time to talk to the boys especially 4 year old - about your leaving. Tell them a little bit about where you re going and that he will have a wonderful time with the new au pair. 4 year old is now at the age where he forms real attachments with our au pairs and he gets sad and confused if one day you re here and the next not. We do our best to prepare him but try and say a special goodbye. You have been a huge part of the boys lives for this time and they will miss you. Page 18