Mar Around The World

Life with four kids all under 9 is a daily adventure for the Behringer family of suburban New Jersey. Jaime and Simon Behringer are full time working parents that chose an au pair to help them with childcare. They really hit the jackpot with their selection of Mar. Originating from Spain, Mar cares for Juliana (8), Isabelle (6), Victoria (5) and Alexander (2). Her day to day presence with the kids was much appreciated by Jamie and Simon, but it was how Mar went above and beyond that made her part of the family.

Inspired by the au pair program, Mar came up with a super creative plan to expose the kids to several world cultures - she decided to take them on a "voyage" across the globe.

Each morning for a week Mar would dress up as a flight attendant and take Juliana, Isabelle, Victoria and Alexander on an imaginary flight to a new continent where they would learn about three to four countries. Together they would sample the local foods and experience the local culture through stories, videos, songs and dance. To help make it more fun, Mar even had an alarm on her phone, calling the kids to their flight so they wouldn't miss it!

Youngest child Alex was ecstatic to tell his parents about his African Safari! To create the feeling of excitement, Mar had arranged chairs in front of the TV like an authentic jeep and showed them an educational video about African wildlife.

Another favorite destination of all the children was their trip to the world famous beaches in Australia. That day consisted of lots of a terrific water games, giggles and sibling time.

To top things off, every day Mar coordinated lunch with the children's flight home. Every kid had their own dinner tray and had to stay put while they made their way on a 'flight' back to the USA. Mar, always thinking even integrated a bit of turbulence for the kids. Six-year-old Isabelle describes how she and her siblings 'were jumping and rolling', but eventually settled back down.

At the end of the week, the adventurers had visited six continents and their passports (prepared by Mar of course!) were full.

Mom and Dad loved listening to their kids tell them about the daily adventures. Like their children, they also enjoyed trying a few new foods! Host mom Jaime shared, 'My kids had the opportunity to taste plates that are not specifically from America, and some I really liked, like the Salpicão (Brazilian chicken salad) from Brazil.'

'My kids had the opportunity to taste plates that are not specifically from America, and some I really liked, like the Salpicão (Brazilian chicken salad) from Brazil.' - Host Mom Jamie

There are so many amazing au pairs that are part of the au pair program, it's truly childcare with a cultural twist.