Au pair - Learn baby's vocabulary with stories

Today I am writing this article, not only to talk about my wonderful experience being an au pair, but also to bring to you a useful daily vocabulary. You will use this vocabulary during your childcare experience with babies and toddlers. And by the way, we use toddlers to refer to children who are between infancy and early childhood.
Being part of a foreign family, taking care of children, encouraging them to have a fun time, helping them with their activities, and going out to a park are some of the au pair's responsibilities. Thinking about all these tasks, I decided to bring to you part of my experience in 2007 (please, don't remind me this happened almost twenty years ago and the funniest part of this is that sometimes when I am reminiscing I feel as if it happened yesterday!). Okay, but it's not exactly about this I’d like to talk about today, well when I arrived in the United States in 2007 (as I mentioned before) I started my real au pair experience.

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Firstly, don’t worry. You will get yourself ready for this experience, and it doesn't matter how much you do it, you will always feel it is not enough. When I started my first experience being an au pair (yeah, my first one, because I am lucky enough to say I had two wonderful opportunities to be an au pair, not in a row, believe it! But, I swear, I will talk about this another opportunity) I only could introduce myself to other people. Everything I know, I know because I learned during my au pair year.  
Every new task challenges me to memorize and increase my vocabulary. From a simple diaper change to nap time, snuggling time… Bath time could be a real adventure (mainly when you don't know what to use first…) lol… I'm kidding… don't worry! Start washing the baby's hair using a baby’s shampoo, then some conditioner and soap (which can be liquid or bar) to wash their body, and also I can't forget to tell you, please don’t forget to take the baby's towel with you, I had a lot of funny stories to share, not now, I know… next time, maybe… Well, a curious thing about American babies is some families don't bathe their babies every day. Not only babies, toddlers, and teens either. Every time I had a chance to take them to the bath, I did. This is important to ask your future host family, some families have some restrictions like this one. It's all about their culture, and you will be there to learn about it.

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Going to the park for a picnic required a great time preparing the baby's diaper bag.  Priscila, don't forget we need some extra diapers, wipes, and some diaper cream. How about we get more formula so we can prepare the baby bottle?  Said my host, adorable mom. I know I know … You’re wondering why I am not telling you about the meaning of these bunch of new words I’ve written, no worries, you will find them some lines later. Well, where was I? Ooh, I got it… see … it's not very easy to go to a picnic, right? Yes, I know. Let's prepare together the baby's diaper bag. Make sure you have the right amount of diapers, wipes, formula for feeding baby bottles, and maybe some extra clothes to help you in case of an accident.
Day-to-day living in this world of au pair (babysitting) I learned a lot, much more than I imagined I could. Every experience I had, every diaper change, every bath, every time that my host baby wasn't feeling very well, I was becoming more confident. Now I know this experience brought me more than foreign cultural knowledge, it brought immense growth and also a great personal transformation.
If you still have doubts about how transformed you will emerge from this exchange, don’t worry, I can guarantee you will truly emerge as a new person.

Vocabulary:

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Toddlers:

Children who are between infancy and early childhood, typically aged 1 to 3 years.

Diaper Changes:

The act of changing a baby's diaper involves removing the soiled diaper and replacing it with a clean one.

Nap Time:

A designated time for a child to sleep or take a nap during the day.

Snuggling Time:

Time spent cuddling or holding a baby closely for warmth, comfort, and bonding.

Baby's Shampoo:

Shampoo specifically formulated for babies, known for its mild and gentle ingredients.

Conditioner:

Hair product applied after shampooing to improve the texture and manageability of the hair.

Liquid Soap:

Soap in a liquid form, often used for washing hands or body.

Bar Soap:

Soap in solid, bar-shaped form, used for bathing and cleansing.

Baby's Diaper Bag:

A bag or tote used to carry essential items for a baby, such as diapers, wipes, and changing supplies.

Diapers:

Disposable or cloth absorbent undergarments worn by babies to catch and contain waste.

‍Wipes:

Disposable moistened tissues used for cleaning a baby's bottom during diaper changes.

Diaper Cream:

A cream applied to a baby's skin during diaper changes to prevent or alleviate diaper rash.

Formula:

Baby formula, a prepared food product for feeding infants who are not breastfed, usually made from powdered milk.

Baby Bottles:

Containers designed for feeding infants, typically with a nipple for sucking and a cap for sealing.