February 2009

Rematch. NOW.

by cv harquail February 14, 2009
cat behind post spying vibragiel

There are some times when we make a mistake and can be given a second chance. We may struggle to be forgiven, but we know that we can earn back someone’s trust in us. Then, there are those other times, when we make a mistake and that’s it. We hear stories about au pairs who’ve […]

17 comments Read the full article →

Your Valentine Reminder…

by cv harquail February 12, 2009
rules for your au pair au pair hosting

No matter how your choose to celebrate it, remember your Au Pair on Valentine’s Day.

6 comments Read the full article →

Share a page from your handbook …

by cv harquail February 10, 2009
Etsy WatermelonWishes

When I started au pair momming 11 years ago, there was no such thing as an Au Pair Handbook. My au pair agency never recommended that I create a family manual, and my LCC actually laughed when I told her that I’d put together a printed list of guidelines for our incoming au pair. My, […]

26 comments Read the full article →

Don’t take your Au Pair on vacation during her first 3 months!

by cv harquail February 8, 2009
Gnome Eiffel Tower

Okay host moms- I’m coming out with a pretty specific "Don’t": Don’t, I say DON’T, take your au pair on a vacation the first 3 months she is with you. Why? Because: 1. It sets up inaccurate expectations about how she will be treated (e.g., as a guest and tourist vs. as a ‘working’ member […]

44 comments Read the full article →

Matching: Share one great interview question

by cv harquail February 6, 2009
matching cards

Okay Moms, I give in. I will take a deep breath, and open the floodgates, because it’s time to address the topic that every host parent cares about: "How can we get the best match possible?" We have to take this one slowly, maybe even over a couple of months. There’s just too much to […]

46 comments Read the full article →

Would you recommend an Au Pair to…

by cv harquail February 5, 2009
Thumbnail image for Would you recommend an Au Pair to… advice for host families dad twins

… Dads with infant twins? I often get calls from people who are friends of friends of friends who want to learn more about au pairs as a child care option. Yesterday, I got an email from f-o-f-o-f who are expecting twins any day now. Beyond hiring a baby nurse for the first several weeks, […]

19 comments Read the full article →

It’s YOUR vacation, not hers. Okay?

by cv harquail February 2, 2009
vacation

I had a long listen at a neighborhood party last week…one of my host mom friends had just come back from a family vacation to Disneyworld. Three kids, three adults, two bedrooms, 5 days. And for my friend, not a vacation at all. What went wrong? I’ll tell you what went wrong. My friend forgot […]

20 comments Read the full article →