Comments on: Au Pair Appreciation: Setting a high standard http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/ Helping Host Parents and Au Pairs build great relationships. Fri, 18 May 2012 03:14:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: NewAPMom http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-3079 NewAPMom Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:15:26 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-3079 Wow. That is wonderful to hear HulaGal (and gives me hope!) Wow. That is wonderful to hear HulaGal (and gives me hope!)

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]]> By: CV http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-3077 CV Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:46:56 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-3077 Hooray Hula Gal! So happy to hear that the new AP is better.... you and your family deserve a good experience! Hooray Hula Gal! So happy to hear that the new AP is better…. you and your family deserve a good experience!

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]]> By: HulaGal http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-3060 HulaGal Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:53:22 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-3060 Well, it is a whole new world in our house since our German au pair left and our new au pair from Thailand arrived. She is like a breath of fresh air. She is the au pair we've always wanted and wondered if it was possible to have. She is mature, responsible, enjoys being with our daughter, takes initiative, is interested in our lives as much as we are hers, she is very thoughtful, and even cooks! Her thoughtfulness is especially appreciated when instead of taking towels out of the dryer that I forgot about and shoving them into a pile she neatly folds them. She offers to make extra when she is cooking for herself. She is really fun to be around. And most important of all, our daughter is blossoming now that she is here and is attentive to her needs and interacts with her. All I can say is what did we do to deserve this? Well, we suffered through two bad au pairs to get to her and it was worth it! If you are unhappy with your au pair, please rematch. You will not regret it! Well, it is a whole new world in our house since our German au pair left and our new au pair from Thailand arrived. She is like a breath of fresh air. She is the au pair we’ve always wanted and wondered if it was possible to have. She is mature, responsible, enjoys being with our daughter, takes initiative, is interested in our lives as much as we are hers, she is very thoughtful, and even cooks! Her thoughtfulness is especially appreciated when instead of taking towels out of the dryer that I forgot about and shoving them into a pile she neatly folds them. She offers to make extra when she is cooking for herself. She is really fun to be around. And most important of all, our daughter is blossoming now that she is here and is attentive to her needs and interacts with her. All I can say is what did we do to deserve this? Well, we suffered through two bad au pairs to get to her and it was worth it! If you are unhappy with your au pair, please rematch. You will not regret it!

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]]> By: FL Mom http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2930 FL Mom Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:54:28 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-2930 Good luck, and let us know what happens. I have a good feeling about this one! Every Thai AP I've met has been kind and loving with children. We really enjoy their culture too. Good luck, and let us know what happens. I have a good feeling about this one! Every Thai AP I’ve met has been kind and loving with children. We really enjoy their culture too.

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]]> By: Calif Mom http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2921 Calif Mom Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:24:19 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-2921 It's one thing when a 2 or 5 year old, or even a 10 year old flips on a dime like that. Are you having a break before the new au pair arrives? You must both be exhausted. I hope this works out for you! An extension is a great idea for you. She knows the drill, but at the same time you are providing her a more comfortable climate, so she will be grateful for that! Candid appraisal is good; you know she's not trying to paper over things, so any big problems would be aired. Nothing in it for the host mom to not to be honest, since not a rematch when she's just dying to get her out the door. You must be glad no one picked up German girl. Not to be mean, but on behalf of those who need decent rematch candidates, thanks for not helping her get scooped back out of the pool! She needed to go home and grow up. I recommend a glass of wine, and nice long shower to wash that girl right out of your hair! Tomorrow's a new day. It’s one thing when a 2 or 5 year old, or even a 10 year old flips on a dime like that. Are you having a break before the new au pair arrives? You must both be exhausted.

I hope this works out for you! An extension is a great idea for you. She knows the drill, but at the same time you are providing her a more comfortable climate, so she will be grateful for that! Candid appraisal is good; you know she’s not trying to paper over things, so any big problems would be aired. Nothing in it for the host mom to not to be honest, since not a rematch when she’s just dying to get her out the door.

You must be glad no one picked up German girl. Not to be mean, but on behalf of those who need decent rematch candidates, thanks for not helping her get scooped back out of the pool! She needed to go home and grow up.

I recommend a glass of wine, and nice long shower to wash that girl right out of your hair! Tomorrow’s a new day.

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]]> By: Hula Gal http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2920 Hula Gal Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:28:04 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-2920 Well our au pair left today. Things had been going very smoothly for the last 3 weeks after we agreed to rematch. She never found another family so she is returning to Germany. We found a new au pair who is in-country and wanted to extend in a warmer climate. Her host mom gave her a positive review and the host mom seemed to be a reliable reference. She was very candid. The girl is from Thailand so someone had mentioned above that a Thai girl might be the right match for us. We are hopeful. Well as I said things had been very smooth for 3 weeks and then the au pair freaks out this evening because she closed her bank account before receiving our money transfer and the bank told her they'd have to refund the money to us. So she gets all upset with my husband over it because we have no cash at home, she is leaving in 30 minutes and refuses a check. So I get home and she is boiling mad, why she is mad at us I do not know. I tell her I can write a check to her friend to cash for her but she sharply tells me no, she wants cash. So I tell her she will have to wait till I put the baby to bed. She is sitting on the chair with her arms crossed and very curt. So I put the baby to bed. Come downstairs, drive to the bank, she meets me there and I give her the cash. She is all smiles and as sweet as can be like her mood an hour ago never happened. To sum this whole experience up....we will never again try to work it out with an au pair that is showing signs of immaturity. We've been through it twice now and we'll never do it again. If we continue to have these challenges with our au pairs in the future than we will consider other means of childcare. Life is too short to suffer the indignity of paying someone to treat you like crap. Well our au pair left today. Things had been going very smoothly for the last 3 weeks after we agreed to rematch. She never found another family so she is returning to Germany. We found a new au pair who is in-country and wanted to extend in a warmer climate. Her host mom gave her a positive review and the host mom seemed to be a reliable reference. She was very candid. The girl is from Thailand so someone had mentioned above that a Thai girl might be the right match for us. We are hopeful. Well as I said things had been very smooth for 3 weeks and then the au pair freaks out this evening because she closed her bank account before receiving our money transfer and the bank told her they’d have to refund the money to us. So she gets all upset with my husband over it because we have no cash at home, she is leaving in 30 minutes and refuses a check. So I get home and she is boiling mad, why she is mad at us I do not know. I tell her I can write a check to her friend to cash for her but she sharply tells me no, she wants cash. So I tell her she will have to wait till I put the baby to bed. She is sitting on the chair with her arms crossed and very curt. So I put the baby to bed. Come downstairs, drive to the bank, she meets me there and I give her the cash. She is all smiles and as sweet as can be like her mood an hour ago never happened. To sum this whole experience up….we will never again try to work it out with an au pair that is showing signs of immaturity. We’ve been through it twice now and we’ll never do it again. If we continue to have these challenges with our au pairs in the future than we will consider other means of childcare. Life is too short to suffer the indignity of paying someone to treat you like crap.

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]]> By: FL Mom http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2682 FL Mom Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:41:16 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-2682 Please do! And don't settle for Miss Goodenough, b/c your agency has plenty of wonderful AP's who are right for your family. I'll bet the current economy means there are plenty of great girls in rematch. Please do! And don’t settle for Miss Goodenough, b/c your agency has plenty of wonderful AP’s who are right for your family. I’ll bet the current economy means there are plenty of great girls in rematch.

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]]> By: Hula Gal http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-2677 Hula Gal Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:39:55 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-2677 Just thought I'd update you all again to say that we are in rematch. It is mutual and so far is amicable. Calif Mom called it on this one being that we are in month 4! Looking forward to starting fresh with someone new. Will keep you posted... Just thought I’d update you all again to say that we are in rematch. It is mutual and so far is amicable. Calif Mom called it on this one being that we are in month 4! Looking forward to starting fresh with someone new. Will keep you posted…

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]]> By: Sunshine http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-1993 Sunshine Wed, 13 May 2009 13:49:48 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-1993 what a lovely story! its always lovely to read someting so positive about the au pair experience. what a lovely story! its always lovely to read someting so positive about the au pair experience.

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]]> By: Calif Mom http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/comment-page-1/#comment-1992 Calif Mom Wed, 13 May 2009 13:28:48 +0000 http://AuPairMom.com/au-pair-appreciation-setting-a-high-standard/2009/05/06/celiaharquail/#comment-1992 I often remind myself that this is great training for when my daughters are teenagers! And evidence that the brain truly does not mature until 25 years old! : ) Hula Gal, I would caution not to let up on the communication. Weekly check-ins have really helped us help our AP. I often remind myself that this is great training for when my daughters are teenagers! And evidence that the brain truly does not mature until 25 years old! : )

Hula Gal, I would caution not to let up on the communication. Weekly check-ins have really helped us help our AP.

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