Au Pair and Social Media – Should there be rules?
Social Media is nowadays part of our lives. It is normal to want to share a cool picture in Instagram, keep in touch with friends through Facebook or capture the best moments of the day in Snapchat. However, this love for technology is not always seen as positive by host families. Occasionally, this can also lead to problems during the stay. Fortunately, we have some advice to help you deal with it and set rules regarding the Au Pair and Social Media use.
Au Pair and Social Media – The Rules
It is important to establish certain guidelines regarding the use of Facebook, Instagram, and other networks during the working hours. In general, the Au Pair should avoid using the smartphone while taking care of the children, especially, when driving them to the school or to any activities.
Taking and sharing pictures
To avoid any future problems and misunderstandings, the family needs to talk to the Au Pair about taking pictures of the children and sharing them on social media. Maybe, the Au Pair can share the pics where the kids are not recognizable, maybe they can add a filter or effect to hide their faces or maybe he/she cannot take pictures at all. This decision is entirely up to the family and the Au Pair should respect it.
Location
The family can also ask their Au Pair not to share his/her location when he/she is with the children. This is very important if they do not wish that strangers find out the school, parks and other places frequently visited by their children. Unfortunately, in some countries, this might make them a target for criminals.
Information about the Family
If you care a lot about your privacy, be sure to tell your Au Pair not to share any details about the family. Ask kindly not to use your full names, address, occupation or other details. Maybe you can agree on using nicknames or initials she/he when referring to you.
Don’t forget that you can always write all these rules on the Au Pair contract and make them more official. It is important that you talk to your Au Pair about them since the beginning of the stay.
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