Health & Medical concerns

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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What Happens When Your Au Pair Arrives — Unable to Work?

by cv harquail May 19, 2017

This mom’s Au Pair has a very specific injury that is preventing the Au Pair from doing the job she’s needed to do. Sure, it’s an injury from which the Au Pair will recover — eventually. But until then? While few Au Pairs arrive in the USA wearing a cast or a sling, many […]

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When You Give and Give, and Your Au Pair is Oblivious

by cv harquail May 13, 2017

Dear Au Pair Host Parents– I need advice/support …. Our awesome au pair went in to an emergency medical situation a couple of weeks ago, where she came down with a stomach pain, which turned into appendicitis, and later a ruptured appendix. All told it was 5 nights in the hospital, and 10 days off the […]

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When to Disclose Host Parent Illness During Au Pair Match

by cv harquail July 18, 2016

Recently we’ve discusses Au Pair illnesses, when an Au Pair ought to share this information with Host Parents, and how / when Host Parents can best respond. Now, the shoe’s on the other foot, with this email from HostMomWithGoodPrognosis. Should this information be shared before matching with an au pair? Or later, once the au pair […]

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When Au Pairs Get Gravely Ill — Kindof Open Thread /Topic

by cv harquail May 23, 2016

Over the past two weeks there’s been a whirlwind of conversation and consternation in the Au Pairing community, over a situation with an Au Pair at Au Pair Care who’s been diagnosed with cancer. I can’t even begin to recap the steps and the facts, but they include that she was accepted into an experimental treatment […]

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New Au Pair Has Whooping Cough and Will Be Infectious for Up to 12 Weeks!

by cv harquail May 9, 2016

Seriously Host Parents — can’t you send me emails about dilemmas that can be announced with catchy headlines??? Very rarely am I able to say — “I never heard of a problem like this before.” While I like novelty as much as the next American, I’m not happy to see this problem now. This is a […]

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Au Pairs With Manageable Health Issues – Would you match with them?

by cv harquail February 17, 2016

Two different young women — potential au pairs — write with the same question: How do Host Parents feel about matching with Au Pairs who have manageable health issues? By “manageable”, we mean — well understood, medicated or controlled successfully for a long time, not likely to interfere with caregiving, and not likely to flare up […]

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Au Pair with Broken Ankle: Battling the Au Pair Agency AND the Insurance Company

by cv harquail January 22, 2016

A Host Mom needs advice on how to advocate for an Au Pair who needs surgery. We are a host family to our second au pair midway through her first year. Our current Au Pair is impressively independent and strong. She’s had a run of bad luck since arriving in the US culminating in her […]

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Au Pair with Eating Disorder – Should She Leave Early?

by cv harquail November 14, 2015

We’re a little sensitive here at AuPairMom about the subject of eating disorders among young women. Some of us Moms have struggled with them, and some of us have children who have had or are currently working through eating disorders. So, as we go forward with this conversation, please be especially thoughtful. A brand new […]

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