| For some of us, the end of the year didn't just mark a | | | | homework and house chores? |
| change of pace during the holidays, but also time for | | | | 5.) Would our school-aged child benefit from |
| planning the year ahead. With a difficult 2009 of high | | | | homework help in Spanish or German while our toddler |
| unemployment and devaluing stocks, 2010 is bringing | | | | started learning a few words of the language with no |
| new opportunities, new hiring and new hope to a lot of | | | | effort? |
| Americans. | | | | 6.) Would our family enjoy sharing our home and our |
| Maybe one of your challenges this year has been | | | | life with a young nanny eager to experience America |
| childcare... the nanny got married and moved away, or | | | | with us? Would our children learn more about what is |
| the daycare you wanted is maxed out and you ended | | | | so special in their own country as well as the nanny's? |
| up with a situation you are not happy with. Maybe a | | | | 7.) Would our extended family enjoy sharing holiday |
| more-demanding schedule from your job have made it | | | | traditions with our au pair and wouldn't our kids love to |
| difficult to be on time to pick up baby at daycare and | | | | make our au pair's home recipes? |
| toddler at pre-school, or you have had to move | | | | 8.) Would our children benefit from being able to spend |
| unexpectedly and your new hometown does not offer | | | | more time in the comfort of their home rather than |
| the level of childcare you were used to. Or you a | | | | after-school care? |
| simply a busy mom trying to juggle motherhood, a | | | | 9.) Would our children learn more new things and gain |
| home, a career and being a wife, a friend, a daughter. | | | | more confidence with personalized, one-on-one care |
| As you plan your career and family objectives for | | | | rather than having one childcare provider for four to |
| 2010, consider the following questions: | | | | six children? |
| 1.) How many hours of childcare do we actually require | | | | 10.) Would our family benefit from hosting an au pair in |
| each week? | | | | 2010? |
| 2.) Could our family have more time together if we had | | | | As an au pair program consultant, I enjoy discussing |
| a helper handling the driving or helping with the kids' | | | | the challenges and opportunities of hosting an au pair. I |
| laundry? | | | | help parents decide whether family hosting an au pair |
| 3.) Could our couple benefit from a baby-sitter already | | | | is the right childcare option for them and what a |
| used to the family's routine for a "date night" when we | | | | difference it would make in the year(s) to come! But |
| have some hours left for the week? | | | | the decision-making starts with asking the right |
| 4.) Would it help us to have someone take the kids to | | | | questions, and finding the right answers. |
| their extra-curricular activities and help plan games, | | | | |