Doea anyone have an au pair that assists with RB education?

Parenting and Education (Other) General Parenting
1

Hi all

I am in the unfortunate position of being a full time working mommy (sob sob).

I have to get an au pair, as my maid is no longer able to stimulate my baby sufficiently and I do not want her to lose out on her formative years of development.

Does anyone have an au pair who assista them with RB activities?

Any advice?

2

Hi there,

I also work full time (I have a 4 month old son), and we have been implementing Your Baby Can Read since day 1 (litterally). While it may be slightly different from the Little Reader (we will start on that when he is 7-8 month old and really starts making progress recognizing words), the principle is the same, as far as being diligent showing the multisensorial materials. I have a nanny, she has a schedule that she has to follow (we show the video twice a day - I do the first one early morning, she the next after lunch- , and during a 3rd session - about 4PM, she shows books and flashcards). As long as you trust someone to do it, it is not complicated. you just have to make sure that this is interactive (i.e. she doesn’t plop your child in front of the videos without adult participation), but it is less of a problem with the little reader because you have to be there to forward slides. The night before, I set out the exact material I want her to use for the next day. On the week-ends, we focus on books, so he gets a break from these.

In general, with the nanny, I limit the availability of implements that are more for baby-sitting (like bouncers, bumbo seats, etc) and that decrease the need for one on one attention and don’t do much for physical development.

I hope this helps… please don’t hesitate to recontact if you need more info :slight_smile:

3

Hi Rivka

Thanks, some great ideas! I feel terrible leaving her with an au pair, and I plan to involve her with making some of the materials when my baby is sleeping in the afternoon. HOpefully, that will make her feel more involved and engaged. It’s just difficult to KNOW what’s going on when you’re not there. I wish I could put in a nannycam, but I have heard they are expensive!

Thanks again for the advice!

4

What matters to me is interaction and proximity. Having the baby on your lap while singing songs and interacting, anything which creates a bond between 2 people.
I regret my daughter does not get this at childcare. Luckily she only goes there 2 afternoons a week, but it’s only supervised free play once they wake up from nap.