When a baby is to arrive, amidst all the excitement there is also the cost of logistics that come with raising a baby. The baby’s birth is a time of celebration, yet it is also a time when maximum comfort and safety is required for both mother and child. In such cases, the expenses can be sky high with the setting up a nursery and other major purchases like cribs, bathtubs, clothing and much more. Apart from this you really don’t know which products will suit the baby and it makes sense if you could try out a sample first before buying expensive products that your baby could be allergic to.
There are many malls and marts that offer free samples of different products. Here’re a few things that you could sample before buying.
Lotions and Other Toiletries: Toiletries like soaps, lotions, rash creams and so much more can take quite a toll on one’s pocket as these are things that the baby requires regularly. There are companies and malls like Baby Centre and others like Walmart which offer free samples. You can actually sign up and register before the birth of baby to receive a certain number of free samples of these products every month.
Additional Supplies: Additional supplies like wet wipes and diapers can also be availed through free samples if one saves coupons and registers on time. It would be best to try free samples of a few diaper brands before you settle on the one that your baby is most comfortable in. When you register with such brands, you are bound to receive a free sample with your first online purchase. So, you may want to email and sign up for the same. Also, there are many brands that would offer free wet wipes with bulk purchase of diapers.
Prenatal and Post natal Vitamins: Once you register with certain online portals for baby supplies and motherhood care, then you will also start to receive prenatal vitamin mix samples as well as post natal vitamin mix samples. These two kinds of mixes are extremely important because the nutrient and vitamin requirement of a mother during pregnancy and the same kind of requirement after pregnancy will be widely different. Usually, these are standard mixes that you should have during and after pregnancy so that your body gets all the correct nutrition for the growing fetus, and the right kind of health push and support when you are lactating and feeding the child. Both pregnancy and infant rearing can take quite a toll on the body, which is why these products are required. Before taking any free samples, you will need to speak with your doctor regarding the safety of the same, so that you know what you can and cannot have.
Add Ons: There are a number of companies and brands that offer add ons when you buy products like cribs and bassinets as well as baby strollers, bath tubs and much more. Starting from samples of a musical mobile, to mattress pads for the crib and additional hoods for the strollers with trays too, you can avail many free samples of such add ons. Look for recommendations online when you are buying products too so that you know which add ons would be best.
Getting an au pair for your baby is a major step. Unlike nannies, au pairs are like temporary family members who will be providing live-in childcare assistance. The most unnerving part of welcoming an au pair in your home is that you don’t know them well. Moreover, the biggest challenge is to make them comfortable to develop a harmonious relationship. Therefore, while seeking the services of an au pair childcare agency, ensure that you avoid the following mistakes:
Here are some popular au pair childcare agencies you can check.
Cost of the au pair exchange program
if you want to host an au pair, be mindful of the financial add-ons. These include non-refundable application and processing fees, program fees, a weekly stipend, language course fees and, an overall increase in your household expenses for a year. Usually, the program fees charged by the au pair childcare services come down to a minimum of $7,000 approximately. Furthermore, the minimum weekly stipend for an au pair is around $200 per week. Likewise, an English language course can cost $500 or above approximately.
An au pair is an adult or a young adult aged between 18 and 30 years, who belongs to a different country and provides live-in domestic childcare for approximately 10 to 12 months. An au pair can play a role of an elder sibling for your children. You can find these individuals via au pair childcare agencies that ensure protecting the rights and interests of the involved parties. By the means of this exchange program, parents get a lending hand and reliable companion for their kids. Moreover, the au pair gets an opportunity to experience the country’s culture and learn its language.
Au pairs are often compared to nannies. However, there are some major differences between the both such as:
The costs of au pair childcare services will vary across agencies. Typically, au pair childcare agencies charge a program fee, which can be between $7,000 and $9,000. These exclude the non-refundable application fees and minimum weekly stipend expenses.