Mobile phones when working
It is a common complaint from host families that au pairs are playing with their mobile phone when working, instead of playing with the children they are tending to.
Please put down your phone and concentrate on what you are doing.
5️ good reasons to put your mobile phone away when you are supposed to be working:
1st reason -> the child might do something stupid and break a bone.
Believe it or not, but young children are most likely to get hurt at home. According to statistics, 10% of children under 6 are injured when falling down from something like steps or other, elevated objects like chairs.
| 0-6 months | suffocating Falling down from something, especially when changing diapers |
| 7 months to 4 years | swallowing objects poisoning, heat and chemical burns falling down stairs electric shocks drowning |
| 5 years and older | accidents in traffic accidents during sports |
Can you imagine how terrible it would be having to call the ambulance because one of the children broke their leg or arm because you weren’t watching and they climbed on a chair to get something from higher up? Can you image the conversation with your host parents, having to tell them what happened?
2nd reason -> The child will feel that it is not as important as your mobile phone and resent ? you.
It isn’t always easy making friends with your host family’s children. Children quickly notice how much time and effort you are putting into the relationship with them.
How would you feel if your host mom is constantly staring at her phone or laptop while you are trying to talk to her about scheduling a German course or getting your visa prolonged? We seek the undivided attention of others when we have important issues to discuss or share. Children expect the same respectful behavior. If they notice you being distracted they will seek attention from you, typically by doing something stupid, or they will run off to seek attention from another grown up. Either way, you’re not going to look good.
Even though you might not always feel like you are actually doing a real-world job, being an au pair in a job! You are being paid for the hours you are putting into tending to the children and you should behave professionally. Being a great au pair is not only a sign of respect, it is a sign that you will always put your maximum effort into any task at hand. This personality trait is incredibly important in life, no matter where you are working.
3rd reason -> Studies have shown that people who spend a lot of time on their phone are more likely to be fat.
The American College of Cardiology just recently found that 5 or more hours of mobile phone usage a day leads to a 43% higher risk of becoming obese. Why? You’re not moving when you are staring at your mobile phone. Want to read more about it? Read all about the facts here:
From our experience, most au pairs which come to Germany put on 10 KG in those 12 months. That’s a lot!
Put down your phone and get moving to beat the statistics. Movement in general is also helpful when trying to beat winter blues and homesickness.
4th reason -> Spending time with human beings and actually enjoying the moment reduces stress.
A lot of studies show that constant interaction with your mobile phone increases the level of cortisol in your blood. Cortisol is the stress hormone which makes you age more quickly and is detrimental for your health in general.
? What increases stress is your host parents reminding you time and time again that you shouldn’t have your mobile around during work time.
5th reason -> You could be having real world fun ? actually interacting with human being.
Do you know how much you use your phone? There are cool apps these days which track your screen time. An app, which works on both Android and iPhones, which I really like is https://inthemoment.io/. The coolest new feature they have is the “moment mode”. You can share with others that you are taking a break from your mobile phone. Use this app to track your phone usage and realize just how much time you are spending in the digital world.
So… Are you up for a challenge? Leave your phone in your room during work hours for 5 consecutive days!
Looking for something fun to do with the kids? Check out this blog post.
