August 2012

What Happens After The Words “Dear AuPairMom”?

by cv harquail August 30, 2012

Mom@AuPairMom.com gets lots of interesting emails. Some are from crazy people who can’t spell. Some are from crazy people who don’t speak English. Some are from crazy people who want me to hook them up with an au pair, especially a tall, pretty one. And some are from you — host moms, host dads, au pairs, and […]

33 comments Read the full article →

When Matching with an Au Pair, Which Signals to Trust?

by cv harquail August 28, 2012
baby using skype, talking to au pair

Each matching cycle, au pair host families get more and more information about au pair candidates to use when we’re making decisions. Where once we had blurry photocopies of handwritten applications sent through the mail (yes, really!), we now have digital files, translated reference letters, online photo collages, au pair application videos, facebook searches, instant […]

24 comments Read the full article →

Should I let my Au Pair drive with her arm in a cast?

by cv harquail August 26, 2012

Quick Answer? No. More details? Here’s the specific situation: I have been a subscriber for years and have found your blog very helpful. Now I need some specific – and timely – advice. My au pair broke her right arm (she is right-handed). Should I let her drive? Can she drive the children? She has […]

20 comments Read the full article →

Is it the au pair’s schedule or is it her attitude?

by cv harquail August 25, 2012

(Sorry All-  I know the formatting is messed up. So much for trying to post from the Garden State Parkway.  Here it is, in odd form, until I can fix it tomorrow. ;-)  ) Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s driving the behavior of an au pair ( or anyone else for that matter, but […]

166 comments Read the full article →

6 Ways to Limit the Au Pair Car to Protect Your Au Pair

by cv harquail August 14, 2012
needlefelted owl ornament scratchcraft.jpg

Next to having safety rules for our children, the au pair’s personal driving is usually the activity that is most “regulated” by host parents. Whether this car is for the sole use of the au pair or whether it is shared with the host parents, most host parents put some kind of limitations on the […]

129 comments Read the full article →

Au Pair Asks: Can I make a quick trip home if there is a family emergency?

by cv harquail August 13, 2012
talk to me.jpg

Rm2028 writes: So I just found out that my only grandfather is very, very ill. He is almost 100 and has had declining health for a while, but apparently the past 5 days it has gotten much much worse. I am my mother’s only child, and she and her sister do not talk. Would it […]

3 comments Read the full article →

Au Pair Asks: What welcome gifts do Host Parents enjoy?

by cv harquail August 3, 2012

Dear AuPair Mom, I’m European and will soon be flying to the US to meet my Host Family. I’m truly excited. Here’s my question: Nearly all Au Pairs bring gifts from their home city for the new families. For the host kids it’s easy to find something fun, but I’m not sure about what to get my […]

35 comments Read the full article →

What do you look for in an Au Pair applicant’s video?

by cv harquail August 1, 2012
217562237_534be6cd56_b.jpg

Technology changes everything. Or not. When au pair applicants started doing their own YouTube application videos, and when au pair agencies started to host au pair applicants’ videos as part of their portfolios, it looked like host families would get a great additional tool for evaluating whether or not an applicant fit what they were looking for. […]

61 comments Read the full article →