Comments on: What if my kids overwhelm her on her first day? http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/ Helping Host Parents and Au Pairs build great relationships. Wed, 23 May 2012 08:31:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: EUROaupair http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-13159 EUROaupair Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:38:18 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/#comment-13159 When I arrived and the kids were sooo excited to see me it made me feel at home right away. These kids treated me like they had known me their whole lives, which was really sweet. However, I was a little overwhelmed as the parents never really fended them off at all. I had a one 13 hour flight, 4 hour stopover, then a 10 hour flight to get there and I was exhausted. The kids were jumping on my bed at 6am the next morning and moving in all their toys to live in my room, going through my suitcase etc. I thought it was adorable, but it happened every day and I felt drained and overwhelmed and I wasn't giving them my fullest. I just wish the HM&HF had taken them out for an hour or so just so I could get my bearings, or have a nap, in those first few days! When I arrived and the kids were sooo excited to see me it made me feel at home right away. These kids treated me like they had known me their whole lives, which was really sweet.

However, I was a little overwhelmed as the parents never really fended them off at all. I had a one 13 hour flight, 4 hour stopover, then a 10 hour flight to get there and I was exhausted.

The kids were jumping on my bed at 6am the next morning and moving in all their toys to live in my room, going through my suitcase etc. I thought it was adorable, but it happened every day and I felt drained and overwhelmed and I wasn’t giving them my fullest. I just wish the HM&HF had taken them out for an hour or so just so I could get my bearings, or have a nap, in those first few days!

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]]> By: NoVA Host Mom http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-5870 NoVA Host Mom Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:29:04 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/#comment-5870 English AP, that's a great observation I would not have realized. I guess it is also a matter of asking the AP what she prefers. When our AP started, our daughter was an infant (2-1/2 mo when 1st arrived, 6mo when 2nd arrived), so this was not an issue. Now she is older and more demonstrative in her preferences. When we get a new AP, she will be 2-1/2 years old and the youngest will be almost a year. Certainly something to consider. English AP, that’s a great observation I would not have realized. I guess it is also a matter of asking the AP what she prefers. When our AP started, our daughter was an infant (2-1/2 mo when 1st arrived, 6mo when 2nd arrived), so this was not an issue. Now she is older and more demonstrative in her preferences. When we get a new AP, she will be 2-1/2 years old and the youngest will be almost a year. Certainly something to consider.

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]]> By: English AuPair http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-5868 English AuPair Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:12:05 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/#comment-5868 As an au pair i prefer the children to "overwhelm" me for the first few days. I'd rather that than them to be distant and uncomfortable with me as this would make me more uncomfortable... :) xx As an au pair i prefer the children to “overwhelm” me for the first few days. I’d rather that than them to be distant and uncomfortable with me as this would make me more uncomfortable… :) xx

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]]> By: Jeana http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2051 Jeana Sun, 17 May 2009 12:06:43 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/#comment-2051 I remind my girls that our aupair is still on "China time" when she arrives. I try to make sure our aupair has time to recover from the time difference, and explain this to my daughters, if I'm asking that they be considerate about being quiet if our aupair is sleeping later than they are, or going to sleep earlier than they are. They understand that, as they've traveled to and from China and understand the concept of time differences. I remind them that our bodies need one day for each hour of time difference. We also have a talk about how our aupair's first language is Mandarin, and listening to English makes her a little tired, until she's more comfortable with us. This tones them down just a little bit, but our aupairs are still showered with attention and love from my daughters from day one! I remind my girls that our aupair is still on “China time” when she arrives. I try to make sure our aupair has time to recover from the time difference, and explain this to my daughters, if I’m asking that they be considerate about being quiet if our aupair is sleeping later than they are, or going to sleep earlier than they are. They understand that, as they’ve traveled to and from China and understand the concept of time differences. I remind them that our bodies need one day for each hour of time difference.

We also have a talk about how our aupair’s first language is Mandarin, and listening to English makes her a little tired, until she’s more comfortable with us. This tones them down just a little bit, but our aupairs are still showered with attention and love from my daughters from day one!

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]]> By: Franzi http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2050 Franzi Sun, 17 May 2009 08:19:16 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/what-if-my-kids-overwhelm-her-on-her-first-day/2009/05/16/celiaharquail/#comment-2050 thanks CV for this post! this is exactly what a new AP wants to hear and experience! excited kids who are helping out, and at the same time host parents who let the AP know that there are rules for her privacy and that they are (more or less) followed so that it is up to the AP to decide how far the first day madness will go i.e. it either stops at her room or she can in some alone time tell the kids about her home and her room back home etc. thanks CV for this post! this is exactly what a new AP wants to hear and experience! excited kids who are helping out, and at the same time host parents who let the AP know that there are rules for her privacy and that they are (more or less) followed so that it is up to the AP to decide how far the first day madness will go i.e. it either stops at her room or she can in some alone time tell the kids about her home and her room back home etc.

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