Au Pair Appreciation

Male Au Pairs, Revolutionaries and Change Agents

by cv harquail May 30, 2013

Can male au pairs change the world? The Wall Street Journal would like you to think so. Belatedly, I’ve come across this WSJ article: No, Girls Are Not Natural Baby Sitters, by Charlotte Alter, that suggests that ‘normalizing’ male au pairs would hasten the demise of sexism. Yea for that, I say. I love the […]

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Mother’s Day Musings, from Au Pairs to Host Moms

by cv harquail May 12, 2013

What do our au pairs really think of us Host Moms? Every now and then I wonder about this. Au Pairs see us at our very worst mommyness (e.g., wet hair, no makeup, screeching about laundry) and at our very best (snuggling our kids, solving problems, singing in the car). Au Pairs also see what […]

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Pinning Your Hopes on a Happy Holiday: Gift Ideas from APIA’s Christine Connally

by cv harquail December 22, 2012

There are several concessions that I have to make regarding online tools so that I can actually get my behind and my attention out from in front of my computer. With work that requires reading, writing, editing and analyzing data, and hobbies that invite reading, writing, surfing and rabbit holes, there are things to which […]

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The Five Actions of Gratitude

by cv harquail September 27, 2012

Nothing takes the sting out of tough interaction with your au pair than a moment of gratitude for all that s/he does for your and your family. Studies show that regularly reflecting on things that are good and that you can be grateful for help to keep you in a more positive place, no matter […]

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Do you celebrate your Au Pair on Mother’s Day? (poll)

by cv harquail May 11, 2012

Searching through the racks of Mother’s Day cards looking for something just right for my step-mom and mother-in-law, I noticed just how many Mother’s Day cards there are these days for people who aren’t mothers: “You’re like a Mother to Me” “To a special person on Mother’s Day” “Celebrating you for all you do” It […]

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How has being an au pair Host Parent changed you?

by cv harquail December 15, 2011

Last week I met a woman who’s editing two books on parenting. She was intrigued by the AuPairMom community and the kinds of conversations we have here, and she peppered me with questions. One of the questions she asked was a tough one– I could answer it for myself, certainly, but I was unable to […]

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Holiday Gift Idea: The Gratitude Jar

by cv harquail December 14, 2011

Another favorite, handmade memory gift is a Gratitude Jar. A Gratitude Jar is just a decorated jar, with slips of paper and a pen attached. Parents, au pairs and kids can use the jar to remind them to write down funny or sweet things that happen, and then put the slip in the jar, to […]

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Christmas Gift Ideas: From Au Pair to Host Family

by cv harquail December 1, 2011

It’s time for little elves to get busy, making things to capture memories. Writes an LCC — I’m a counselor for a small group of au pairs and at our last meeting the question about Christmas gifts for host parents came up. They all want to give something meaningful, they understand that in most cases […]

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All the little things … that add up to a BIG help

by cv harquail March 5, 2011

Annonamomma has suggested that we take some time to talk about “all the little things” that keep a house, a home, and a host parent happy. She writes: Could we do a post on the little things?? you know the little things that keep a house happy, i.e. send the no milk text, empty the […]

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