being generous with your au pair

Don’t take your Au Pair on vacation during her first 3 months!

by cv harquail February 8, 2009
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Okay host moms- I’m coming out with a pretty specific "Don’t": Don’t, I say DON’T, take your au pair on a vacation the first 3 months she is with you. Why? Because: 1. It sets up inaccurate expectations about how she will be treated (e.g., as a guest and tourist vs. as a ‘working’ member […]

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Gift, Bonus or Tip: Call it what you want, but keep in mind….

by cv harquail December 17, 2008
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I’m intrigued by the comments in the previous post about a Christmas/ Holiday tip for your au pair… it seems that some readers are taken aback by the idea that one would tip ones au pair. As a trained social scientist, I see these reactions as "data" — but what is the data telling me? […]

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Advice wanted: How to Keep Track of Au Pair’s personal car use?

by cv harquail December 17, 2008
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How do you and your au pair keep track of her personal use of your shared car, so that she pays for her own gas while you pay for the gas used when she’s on duty? I must admit, I’ve had the luxury of (most times) having a third car that was pretty much only […]

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