An au pair and host family will feel like circus performers by the time everybody has finished jumping through myriad red-taped hoops. There are reams of paperwork involved, as well as personal involvement in physical exams, drivers tests, interviews and shots-to-be-endured. Aside from providing bureaucratic job security, the screening and regulatory process is designed to [...]

“It’s More Than a Job! It’s an Adventure” might be the slogan for an au pair employment agency. Enterprising youngsters (18-26 years-old) willing to earn their keep through hard work have been afforded travel opportunities that few others will ever receive. In exchange for child-care, housekeeping and other assorted services an au pair can live [...]

Spanking used to be a fairly common form of discipline for parents to use on their children, but is now frowned upon by many child rearing experts. On the other hand, most adults were spanked as children with little, if any, negative consequences. The corporal punishment issue is something all new parents must address. Are [...]