Hiring an Au Pair Is Not a Simple Task

Hiring an Au Pair Is Not a Simple Task

By Anabell Rosas

How do parents find and choose a Nanny / Au Pair?

Over the years I've learned that there are three common methods of finding an Au Pair and that no one method is consistently better than the others. The most common and basic method is to call everyone you know and get the word out that you need a Nanny or Au Pair. Most often, parents go online, posting notices on electronic bulletin boards and responding to postings that catch their attention. They call friends, co-workers, neighbours; they attend mothers' groups, talk to other moms at local parenting agencies; they go to the park and talk to Nannies; and many simply stop and ask strangers pushing baby carriages - anyone who seems likely to offer a lead about a "Nanny seeking employment."

Armed with lists and names scratched on pieces of paper or neatly in a file on their PDA's they make calls and hope for the best.

Other parents use what I call the "building block" method of finding a Nanny / Au Pair. They make decisions about key issues before starting, such as experience required, proposed schedule, responsibilities, compensation and their legal responsibilities as an employer. They advertise and pre screen for experience and work history. They check references and go through an interview and trial period before signing a formal contract to hire their selected Nanny. Along the way they ensure she has health/ safety training and a clear criminal and driving record. Inevitably, there are frustrating ups and downs and worries but these building blocks provide stability in a market without stability and the information gathered over time can create a foundation ensuring a worried parent that their nanny / Au Pair is who she says she is and has a "no-harm" history of caring for children.

Then there's the professional search to find a Nanny. This is the method used by Nanny - Au pair placement agencies that screen candidates and send portfolios to parents to evaluate, interview and make decisions about. This method is most often used by parents who don't have time to go through the full process and who want reassurance that a candidate has cleared a basic screening regimen. This approach, however, is not as perfect as a parent would expect. Not all placement agencies scrutinise candidates thoroughly and mismatches between parents and Nannies/Au pairs often occur. Parents can receive information on numerous candidates to meet their expectations. Au pair Canada in an international Au pair program that allows au pairs to live with host families in exchange of accommodation and meals. Is an affordable option for parents who are seeking to hire an aupair for their childcare needs. We provide information to families to recruit candidates and working visas. We recruit carefully selected applicants and check their criminal records, childcare and medical references.

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Wireless Devices to Make Your Life Easier

Wireless Devices to Make Your Life Easier

By Khawar Akram

Now that digital lifestyle devices, tablets, wireless phones and other internet appliances are beginning to come of age, we need to worry about presenting our content to these devices so that it is optimized for their display capabilities.

Mike Davidson

Wireless devices have made the life easier by many ways. They can be moved easily anywhere and support more users at the same time. With easy installation facility and no cost for cabling infrastructure, you just open the pack of new wireless device and it's ready to boom.

I think it poses no significance if I write much about the rocking advantages of wireless devices in our lives because every one of us know and accept their worth.

There is vast variety of marvelous devices, but here are some which made our life easier the most.

1. Wireless Headphones

A nomadic person will certainly pick his headphones first of all when packing the luggage for traveling because a journey without any headphones is a bore to death. And if there is a wireless headphone, he will wish for the journey to last for many hours. They may cost more than the traditional headphones but the freedom from tangled cables proves the cost fair. Wireless headphones also have a feature of blocking out the noisy environment.

2. Universal Remote Control

Another smart wireless device that connects to the home Wi-Fi, the universal remote control system is controlled by the free app. It can be used for any device which works on infrared signal like turning on/off TV, air condition. It can automatically turn devices on/off at a certain time.

3.     Wireless ergonomic Mouse

A Bluetooth connected computer mouse having the capability of switching between more devices with left and right click swappable buttons, is another device making our life easier. Getting rid of the limited length cord is a striking experience.

4. MobileLite Wireless

No need to connect cables with mobile phones to transfer music, photos, videos and documents. MobileLite Wireless is a device which allows transferring data wirelessly from an SD memory card to a supported mobile device.

5. Wireless Speaker

If you love arranging parties with friends frequently, a good quality wireless speaker is the best choice for you to enjoy the freedom to move the speakers around without any cords. It has two parts, a receiver and a transmitter. The transmitter is connected to the audio output of audio device and the receiver boosts the audio. You can position the receiver where you want the sound to be without any long messy cables.

6. Remote Controlled Garage Door Opener

This motorized device that opens and closes remotely has made our life much easier. Like any other typical wireless device, it has a transmitter and a receiver. The owner transmits a signal of a specific frequency from remote control and the receiver activates the door opening mechanism.

7. Wireless Home Security

Another important benefit of wireless technology is the wireless home security system. You can keep an eye on what's going in and around your home with the help of a wireless camera. Without having the mess of cables, it can be mounted higher and further away as compared to the wired cameras easily.

8. Wireless Lights

Our homes can be illuminated with a smart way now with    wireless light. The variety of wireless light experience as the security lights, motion spotlights, under cabinet lights or the ceiling lights, let you control them remotely from anywhere in the home with adjustable brightness and colors.

9. Mobile Phones

If someone asks me about the most imperative and major contribution of wireless technology, I would say at once, "The Cell Phone". Used to communicate over long distances without wires, this magical device has made our lives the most trouble free and easy. Remember the time when we used to have a telephone set in our homes and offices, which cannot be carried with us while we were out of station, and when we were hit by a mishap or an immediate chore... We had to wait for a PCO to come by the way, and used to open a telephone diary for dialing the number. Ohh!... That hectic way to call someone. Thanks to the wireless technology that we have the telephone set, the telephone diary and many more in our pockets today. The tablets, the iPhones, the personal digital assistants (PDAs) all the wireless devices are the glory of wireless technology.

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Top 4 PCB Surface Finishes - Pros and Cons

Top 4 PCB Surface Finishes - Pros and Cons

By Jonathan Gregg

PCB Surface Finish Solutions Pros & Cons

PCB Surface finish form the critical interface between the board and the components. In recent years, their widespread availability has overwhelmed some electronic designers. This post hopes to shed some light on the pros and cons of the four most dominant PCB surface finish solutions on the market: Organic Solderability Preservative (OSP), Electrolysis Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG), Electroplated Nickel Gold and Immersion Tin or Silver. The following post applies to Rigid Printed Circuits Boards (PCB) and Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC).

Note: PCBs are generally made of rigid materials and will not bend during their application. FPCs are usually thin and made of materials capable of bending and/or movement during application. Processing and application requirements dictate whether the PCB surface finish is electroplated, electrolysis, immersion or deposited.

Conditions that influence PCB Surface Finish Selection:

Oxidation protection of PCBs metal traces (usually copper).

Surface solderability for electrical and mechanical component attachment.

Surface bondability for chip mounted components using gold and aluminum wire.

Any combinations of the above.

Mechanical applications (e.g. stress, strains etc.).

Environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, relative humidity etc.).

Mechanical contacts requiring abrasion resistance and oxidation protection.

General Discussion of Available Surface finishes

Organic Solderability Preservative (OSP)

OSP has a limited shelf life. Its most frequent use is soldering when the protectant is dissipated during the process, thus no additional removal processes are needed.

Caution: once removed, the bare copper is exposed and subject to oxidation. When multiple finishes are needed on the same PCB, OSP can be applied over other types of surface finish (e.g. wire bonding and soldering, mechanical contact surfaces and soldering, etc.).

Electrolysis Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG)

ENIG is a widely used surface finish for soldering, aluminum wire wedge bonding and mechanical contact points (connector pads, test points, etc.). The copper surface has an electrolysis nickel layer deposited (150 micro inches minimum) to seal the copper. A layer of gold is then deposited to protect the nickel from oxidation and provide a solderable surface to the nickel. The gold is absorbed and dispersed into the solder. The gold is an immersion process and the thickness is self-limiting (2 to 3 micro inches max).

The nickel layer is very brittle and cannot be subjected to stress or strains in the Z axis without cracking. Flexible PCBs are especially susceptible to this with all areas subject to potential bending supported with rigidizing materials.

Caution: Improperly controlled ENIG processing can result in weak solder connections which may not be visible and/or result in failure. A typical sign of failure is a flat black copper pad after the attached component has been forcibly removed.

Electroplated Nickel Gold

In today's complex circuits, this surface finish is very limited because it requires that all surfaces to be plated have to be electrically connected (i.e. an electrical charge must be present for plating). These interconnections must then be broken to make the circuit functional. The plated nickel is very solderable and not subject to the solderability issues of ENIG. The plated gold has no limits on thickness and can support wire-bonding processes like Thermo Compression Bonding (i.e. ball bonding).

Caution: Thicker gold can result in solder joints being too brittle when using lead based solders.

Immersion Tin and Immersion Silver

These processes provide solderable surfaces but tend to have oxidation and tarnish issues that impact solderability. They are not widely used or available.

For more information on flex pcb circuits & other interconnect solutions visit   https://picamfg.com

Article Source: Top 4 PCB Surface Finishes - Pros and Cons

My Favorite Hour of the Day

My Favorite Hour of the Day

By Gaurav Dua

My Favorite hour of the day? Like to guess? It's not my "me" time.

No, not my gym time. Give it a try again and go on. Keep trying. Not at all my sleeping time nor any party time. Try try try till you succeed. Give up?

Well, to all the beautiful parents, who would be able to relate to my sentiment as a parent. It is actually the morning time whereby I narrate previous night's dream to my daughter in the form of a story while on our way to her school. Though, it's a ten minute short drive from our place yet it's the most pleasant and energetic time of the day! Mind it. Just 10 minutes. Short and crisp.

It is that time period of the day which I really look forward to each day and wait for it from the time I wake up and sleep in anticipation of next day. It just makes me cheerful when my daughter smiles or gives some sweet expression while listening to these dreams. Surprisingly, she is extremely keen and quite inquisitive in knowing these dreams in detail. The moment, I start my car, she expects me to start sharing my dream with her. Sometimes, I feel these dreams become quite stagnant or boring but she always shares her quota of curiosity and interest followed by her display of affection during my narration. I get a pat on my shoulders or a peck on my checks as a reward if a dream really touches her heart, which more or less happens each passing day.

Further, what makes me feel quite special is when she asks numerous questions about the hero/ villain/ entity / situation described in the story of my dreams. It makes me rather proud when she learns something new from these dreams and asks me to narrate it again as she really liked it.

And believe me, it's all the more wonderful when she praises the dream or tries to relate to it in her own little way. Wow! What a feeling!

This feeling cannot be expressed in words. You need to be a parent to experience and cherish this moment each day. Better than even earning millions of rupees a day or the feeling of unexpected inheriting ancestral property!

Sometimes, it is a challenge to think of a dream as I either forget all my dreams the next morning before I wake up or there are nights when I don't dream at all or probably a disturbed sleep. So, most of the time, I have to invent a dream or concoct a story quickly. Sometimes, I do my homework diligently like an obedient student or being a far-sighted father and come prepared beforehand about the dream or to say the least, get prepared with the concept or the sequence of events.

While other times, I have to be spontaneous and make a story of the first thing perhaps that comes to my mind while conversing with her when she sits in the car or something I see in my vicinity at that point of time. Whatever, option it is, it feels nice that I was able to successfully translate the idea to a dream or conceive the concept in my surroundings and develop it into a full-fledged dream.

To put in the right perspective, I feel I have actually become creative now on this front. And I love my favorite pastime. God, I want to continue being in paradise and continue to feel quite special till I'm alive in this world.

Article Source: My Favorite Hour of the Day

Ditching the Old Scripts As the New Habit Sticks

Ditching the Old Scripts As the New Habit Sticks

By Steve Wickham

DAY 4 of any new regimen, and the initial grit begins to wear off as you begin to settle in on the 'drudgery' of what you're missing out on. Sacrifice bites. It costs. None of us really like the sort of change that involves loss - even those who normally thrive on change.

What is tucked in and underneath the drudgery are the re-emergence of those old scripts that have worn deep neurological grooves in our mind - the ruts of habit.

For me, it's 'Go on, you can get away with that,' and 'You'll make up for that later... '

Old scripts of bad habits are the snug language of our comfort zone - the habits that have served us destructively well, in that such habits are effective in sustaining us along the road to reaching wrong destinations in life. New habits stick when we ditch the old script.

We know the old script is winning us over when we begin to act in old ways. And then as we interrogate what precedes the action, we notice an unconscious thought or three that hatches a plan - to do the old action of the habit we wish to break.

Awareness of old scripts is one strategy we need to develop. Another is to replace that old script with a new one, and to do it proactively, which is something we need to practice with repetitiveness and regularity, to put the past behind us.

When we plan to make change that involves sacrifice we need to anticipate the moments when we feel loss bite.

Creating a new habit is a challenge,

to overcome the old habit as it grips,

one thing we must endeavour to do,

is ditch and replace the old scripts.

Steve Wickham holds Degrees in Science, Divinity, and Counselling. Steve writes at: http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com.au/ and http://tribework.blogspot.com.au/

Article Source: Ditching the Old Scripts As the New Habit Sticks