Vacations

Au Pair Vacation Requests: Too Much, Too Soon

by cv harquail April 17, 2018
7081787249_48532b0d7d_m

Hey, I get it. A big part of the appeal of an Au Pair year in the USA is the chance to travel around and see the place. It’s part of the cultural exchange, and a big part of the adventure. But, vacationing shouldn’t be the #1 priority of the Au Pair. When it seems […]

22 comments Read the full article →

Taking Your Au Pair “On Vacation”: How can you make sure you’re fair to your Au Pair?

by cv harquail August 8, 2017

Today I got emails from two different au pairs, both asking for advice about going on vacations with their Host Families. In both situations, it seems that the Host Parents aren’t really following the rules around the 10 hours per day/ 45 hrs per week limits. Scanning back through the archives, I realized that nearly […]

37 comments Read the full article →

Counting On-Duty Au Pair Hours When You’re In A Car or Plane

by cv harquail March 15, 2017
342704965_cd13b82918_m

How does your family handle the Au Pair’s time spent with the family over a long car or plane trip? Formally and officially, we are supposed to count all of this time as “on duty” hours.   But, if you have a long haul to get to your vacation destination, you can use up a […]

19 comments Read the full article →

Any New Advice About International Travel During an Au Pair’s Extension Year?

by cv harquail March 2, 2017
19190121422_e25c2f7a68_m

There are some things I would never test. —  Whether the rope bridge across the gorge could hold me. — Whether that snake was was harmless. Or whether I could get my extension Au Pair back into the US after taking her with us on an international trip. With Federal Agents inspecting documents of passengers […]

27 comments Read the full article →

What Are Au Pairs’ Favorite American Trips?

by cv harquail September 18, 2016
Pile of suitcases from your au pair

Hi AuPairMom! I would love to hear from au pairs about their favorite places in the U.S. to take weekend trips. We always seem to end up with au pairs planning weekend trips around our kitchen table, and I’m struck by the places au pairs really want to visit. Vegas and Niagara Falls seem to […]

29 comments Read the full article →

Your Home is Not an Airbnb – Say no to too many Au Pair guests

by cv harquail September 14, 2016
9304655898_d22162d4e7_m

Oh good lord, this Host Mom’s got a problem — Her au pair wants to have six people — Six people — SIX PEOPLE — come to visit and stay in the Host Family’s home.  For TWO WEEKS. The answer is obviously, “No, that’s simply not possible”. The Host Mom doesn’t even have to go […]

23 comments Read the full article →

When & Why Do You Really Need an Au Pair Who Can Swim?

by cv harquail June 25, 2016
7181614291_038595db8a_m

A new host mom sent a long email about several challenges she’s experiencing with her Au Pair (and we’ll get to them in the next week or two). Her concern about her new Au Pair’s swimming skills stood out to me, maybe because my neighbors down the street — with a new au pair– have […]

22 comments Read the full article →

How Soon To Schedule Au Pair’s First Day Off?

by cv harquail April 24, 2016
5590750750_7fc145fd3d_m

Venturing into the grey areas of Au Pair regulations and scheduling, a First Time Host Mom asks– how many days might a brand new au pair work before she must be given a day off?   (I phrased it differently in the headline of this post, but essentially it’s the same question).  She’s thinking about […]

11 comments Read the full article →

How To Count Au Pair Vacation Days

by cv harquail December 6, 2015
jon mitchell

Please note: Check your Agency’s contract for their interpretation of vacation policies. These may vary from one Au Pair Agency to another. Here’s AuPairMom’s best shot at explaining the logic of vacation days… I’m being sensible, but not necessarily following the specifics of your Agency’s contract. There’s often confusion about how to count the number […]

66 comments Read the full article →

Should You Tell Another Host Mom That Her Au Pair Is Planning To Bail?

by cv harquail October 12, 2015
21413999786_e4c0e9ecbf_m

“It takes a village.” That’s what my mom friends and I say when we talk about seeing each other’s kids do naughty things. In my bookclub we have a actual pact– if we see something, we say something. There’s a way that this agreement can feel kindof nosy. How can you tell Violet’s mom that […]

43 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries