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Language issues

Struggling to Communicate With Host Dad

by cv harquail August 5, 2011

Every host parent has his or her own approach to interacting with their au pair. Our personalities affect some of this, but even more important is who has taken which role in the host parents – au pair relationship. When adults team up to become parents, homemakers and breadwinners, they divvy up these roles so [...]

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Will a Host Family Take Me if I Struggle with English?

by cv harquail December 3, 2010

We got this question from a potential au pair – Aupair mom, It is nice to find a place like these, at the moment im I am in the early stages of my application as Aupair in America. i have been reading a lot of posts, and it have been very interesting and helpful. To [...]

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Using Cultural Differences to Come Together, Guest Post by Shana Medah

by Shana Medah September 15, 2010

We think of cultural differences as the things that separate us and view cultural differences as obstacles we must overcome – and indeed, they do often present themselves in the form of a problem that must be solved. However, the problem-solving process also gives us an opportunity to know each other (and ourselves) better. When [...]

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Driving, Comprehending and Bonding: Can this Au Pair relationship be saved?

by cv harquail August 30, 2010

Here’s a request for advice– and it is a long one… read through and offer your wisdom! Hi All,  We are a first time host family of a lovely Au Pair from China. She has been here almost two weeks. She is neat, helpful, and eager; she is willing to learn how to work appliances, [...]

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Do Au Pairs need a ‘bill of rights’?

by cv harquail April 30, 2010

A reader sent me a link to an article in Slate, about a proposed ‘Bill of Rights” for domestic workers in New York State. (You can read the article in detail, here.) The proposed legislation would guarantee New York’s 200,000 domestic workers sick days, overtime, a day of rest, protection under discrimination laws, and notice [...]

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Choosing an Au Pair: How much does the home country matter?

by cv harquail April 29, 2010

Host parents are often asked why they’ve chosen an au pair from a particular country, and whether an au pair’s home country matters. How do you answer that question, without sounding like you’re stereotyping too much? When it comes to having preferences for countries, we feel very comfortable prioritizing home countries based on language– if [...]

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Crazy MisCommunication with your Au Pair

by cv harquail November 28, 2009

Ah, the fun of mis-communicating– it adds a special zing to the parent-au pair-child relationship, no? Whether or not it’s due to a language barrier, there are some times when you discover what you think your au pair thought you said isn’t actually anything near what you think you thought you said, or vice versa. [...]

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Choosing an Au Pair: Language as a Selection Criterion (Poll)

by cv harquail November 2, 2009

What do you think of the idea of choosing an au pair based on her native language? Note: Choosing on language is not the same as choosing an au pair based on culture. Just think of the range of cultures where French is spoken!  Cameroon, Haiti, Montreal and Tuscany are  very different  cultures. Is there [...]

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Her Language or Yours? Balancing different goals

by cv harquail November 1, 2009

One of the oft-cited opportunities of au pair childcare is the idea that your children can learn another language from your au pair. Sometimes people choose au pairs to help them reinforce a second language that is already spoken in the household (perhaps, by one of the parents or by a child adopted from another [...]

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Not Listening? Not Understanding? Not working out… help!

by cv harquail June 27, 2009

This mom has an interesting twist on a common challenge: the language barrier. In this case, her AP speaks clearly…she just doesn’t seem to understand…or listen.. or care. it’s not clear. Can you offer her any advice? Our new au pair, from Brazil, arrived two weeks ago after our Swedish au pair decided our family [...]

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