This Sunday, January 22, 2017, professional au pair Johanna Dittmar will perform with the Oakland Civic Orchestra, a community orchestra and established East Bay institution comprised of more than 50 adult musicians who gather to share in the joy and magic of music-making, offering free concerts to the local community. [...] Read More »

There is no quicker way to realize you don’t know much about a particular tradition or superstition than to have someone from another country – like your professional au pair – ask you to explain it to her. Case in point: Friday the 13th. [...] Read More »

Study after study shares the long-term benefits of exercise for both adults and children – treating everything from depression and low self esteem to back pain and stress. Over the last several years, a number of studies – focusing on everything from yoga to “cybercyling” – have shown the benefits that regular exercise has for children with special needs. [...] Read More »

For some American families, particularly those that are monolingual, hiring an au pair might seem daunting. All au pairs are foreign nationals, which means they will speak English as a second (or sometimes third) language. If you don’t speak another language, or if you’ve never communicated regularly with someone who isn’t a native English speaker, you might wonder if you’ll be able to understand your au pair and vice versa. [...] Read More »

Parenting is a full-time job – but unlike other full-time jobs, you will never be asked to sit down for an annual review or get a thoughtful assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Any parenting goals you set for yourself will be yours alone – so why not give it a try? We crowd sourced the Internet for some useful ideas. [...] Read More »