Working as an au pair means that you need to have an extra sense of responsibility at all times as you need to be extra alert when it comes to the safety of the children you are looking after. As an au pair you are already dedicated to keeping your client’s / host family’s safe and as such, precautions must always be taken.
As time wears on, it’s easy to become complacent or slack off in terms of awareness. To help you keep on track, we would like to focus a bit on dropping off and picking up kids for school, extra mural activities and events. Here are a few tips:
- Put safety ahead of convenience. Don’t make the kids cross the road to reach the building just because it’s convenient for you. Rather drop them off on the correct side of the road. If the school allows it, escort them inside the gate and don’t leave until they are safely in the classroom or with a teacher.
- Use every pick up and drop off as an opportunity to teach the kids road safety rules. Teach them to look left and right and educate them on how to behave when on the road or next to it.
- Never slack on car booster seats and seat belts, even if it seems like a short trip. Accidents always happen at the most inopportune time! Before you even start the vehicle, ensure that everyone is buckled up and that the child safety locks are activated.
- Always follow the flow of traffic and traffic rules when picking up and dropping off the kids. Don’t make illegal U-turns or cut across traffic to save time, even if you think it seems safe to do so. Remember, children are impressionable and they won’t understand that what you are doing is illegal.
- If the children in your care are attending an event or party and you don’t know the people involved, you should introduce yourself and exchange contact details with the hosts.
These are just a few tips that can help make your pick up and drop off experiences with the kids safer and more rewarding for all involved. If you have any additional safety tips that you would like to share with us and other au pairs, please let us know!