Here are some general questions to ask your host family about meal time:
At what times do the children normally eat?
Do the children have a favorite food?
Do the children have any food allergies?
Are there special diets or certain foods to avoid?
Are the children allowed to have treats or sweets after the meal? How much?
What about snacking, what is allowed and when?
How much should the children eat at each meal?
How do you prefer that I handle times when the children don’t want to eat?
What about other food related responsibilities?
Discuss general nutrition guidelines for the children
Review how to safely prepare the children’s food
To help you with these conversations, this list of questions is also available in your Au Pair Travel Kit.
Maria from Mexico
My host parents had a rule not to feed the kids with leftovers (actually not to keep leftovers). That was a very big surprise for me because in my country we think that is a waste of food and I would normally use leftovers to make a different dish. When we talked about it and my host parents understood my point, we made a deal that leftovers can be eaten if they were in the fridge for just one day, no more! It was good that we talked about it because it helped me be open to their concerns and accept their thoughts, too.