Personal Care

New Au Pair Has A Rash: Could it be the water?

by cv harquail August 1, 2017

Has this ever happened to you or your au pair? Our au pair has been with us for a little over 2 weeks. She has a rash that has spread over her arms, trunk, and neck. She’s certain this is from our water. This is our 8th au pair in as many years, and we’ve […]

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How Should an Au Pair Explain Visible Scars to Host Kids?

by cv harquail July 8, 2017

Each of us bears scars from life events that have challenged us. Some of these scars are hidden, and allow us to keep their origins private. Other scars are in plain sight, and their visibility raises the possibility that at some point, we won’t be able to keep their origins to ourselves. I have a […]

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Her Au Pair Takes Too Many Showers: Is this really the problem?

by cv harquail June 1, 2017

Too many showers? That’s so much better than the alternative. Really, who wants to tell their au pair that they need to wash more often? But we know, it’s these seemingly small things that can (1) be annoying and (2) tip us off to some deeper issues that should be addressed. SoggyHostMom’s problem? “How […]

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Water-Conserving Host Parents Challenge Au Pair Cleanliness Preferences

by cv harquail November 11, 2015

My host parents are very, very concerned about conserving water. We live in a part of the US (not California) where there has been a normal amount of rainfall– so a lack of actual water is not the reason. In the house, the bathroom sinks have no hot water. I have to wash my hands […]

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What are a Host Family’s Responsibilities for Au Pair Medical Claims?

by cv harquail June 13, 2015

Seems like it’s the season for medical and health concerns. Here’s another recent wrinkle of the question– what are a Host Family’s responsibilities for an Au Pair’s medical expenses? I am writing because I find myself in a tough spot and our former au pair in an even tougher spot. Our Au Pair ended her […]

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When Dental Drama Threatens Your Au Pair’s Extension

by cv harquail June 4, 2015

Dental insurance in the USA is pretty crummy. Or at least the insurance we have is — I swear that there’s never a procedure that’s completely covered or enough coverage to make it through the year. I supposed I should take this up with the HR department? But I guess I should be happy that we […]

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Welcome Your Au Pair With a Fully-Stocked Bathroom

by cv harquail May 24, 2015

When your au pair arrives in your home, the way that you’ve prepared for their arrival can say a lot about how excited you are to get to know them. We’re all away of the basic things we should have ready — a clean, happy bedroom, a freshly printed handbook, a personalized map, a training schedule, […]

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Night Owl Au Pairs: Should You Give Them a Bedtime?

by cv harquail May 19, 2015

Dear AuPair Mom, I am always delighted and relieved when my AP makes friends and starts spending time with them. I have never set a curfew since it seems to me that if I expect them to be responsible for my 4 children, I ought to reasonably expect them to be responsible for themselves; they […]

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What if an Au Pair Doesn’t Want To Take Antibiotics– and we’re all sick!

by cv harquail February 23, 2015

HostMomX raised this concern in the comments on the post about Dr. Host Dad and his Vitamin B injections: This situation brings up a related issue that HD and I have wondered about. We have had several APs tell us that they are very anti antibiotic, and won’t take them. I understand that attitude – I […]

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Au Pair’s Dr. Host Dad insisting she receive Vitamin B shots? No. No. No.

by cv harquail February 19, 2015

This particular pair of host parents wins the prize for “Most Invasive Expectations”. I received an email from an au pair currently working in Europe. She writes: Hi AuPairMom– I don’t know any other au pairs and so I’m hoping to get some advice from you on this difficult situation. I have been living with […]

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