What about when the au pair gets sick?
When your host children get sick, you may as well. This surprises many au pairs who have never worked with children full-time. Be prepared. Something like a cold or a stomach bug is very common among children and could be passed to anyone that has close contact with them. Take care of yourself and follow the same steps to staying healthy that you teach your host children.
Whether a child is sick enough to stay home from school or activities can depend on a few things. If you are unsure, of course ask your host parents. But if speaking with your host parents is not possible, be prepared to make the decision. Having conversations with your host parents in advance will help you understand how to best care for their children.
Caring for a sick child is a time to be as flexible as possible. Just like we mentioned before, it could mean last minute changes or extra duties. The most important thing is that the children are well cared for. But no matter what, there should never be an instance where you are required to work longer than the required limit of 10 hours per day or 45 hours per week. Tell your LCC if this happens. But know that you can also speak to your host parents to remind them that you cannot work longer than 45 hours per week.