Can this relationship be saved?

Is our Au Pair committed?: Verify, but trust.

by cv harquail September 17, 2010

Dear AuPairMom, I’m hoping to get some input from your readers on a problem I have about trust and commitment to our family: Our AP (our second) has been with us for a few weeks. Last weekend, she traveled outside the country to see a male friend. (He’s in a country nearer to the US […]

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First Day, First Problem, First Opportunity: The $48 phone call

by cv harquail September 4, 2010

Dear AuPairMom, Our au pair has been with us for less than 24 hours and we already have a problem. We have our au pair use a phone card attached to our phone to make long distance calls. Since she’d just arrived, when she wanted to call home I dialed her dad’s number for her. […]

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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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Don’t Abuse A Cluster Taxi

by cv harquail August 26, 2010

Within an au pair cluster, there are always some host families with relaxed car guidelines and even some families that don’t care at all what gets done with their au pair’s car. And, there are always some au pairs with significant constraints– their driving is bad, their host parents have only one car — and […]

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Cultural Exchange: Let’s ramp up our learning

by cv harquail August 20, 2010

The world of au pairing makes some pretty big promises. Au Pairs are promised a year of hard work and adventure, the chance to live in the USofA, and the opportunity to learn first hand about American culture. Families are promised an energetic adventurous young adult who will partly assimilate into their families and partly […]

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Sharing Your Hosting History with a new Au Pair

by cv harquail July 29, 2010

With each au pair and au pair relationship, a host family develops experience and– if we’re lucky– also a bit of wisdom about the challenges of hosting an au pair successfully. Even when we have a so-so au pair, or a flameout au pair, we can learn something useful for the next time. And, when […]

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When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately?

by cv harquail July 22, 2010

When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately? When this question popped up over the weekend, I shuddered. It brought me back instantly to our flame-out au pair, the one who announced on the last day of school that she wanted a rematch because she didn’t want to work weekends […]

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Can I revise my promise to sponsor my au pair?

by cv harquail July 21, 2010

I’ve got a problem regarding my au pair that might actually be my fault. Our au pair is personally wonderful, lovely to have in the house, very helpful. She’s been with us 19 months. She is 23 and from Bosnia. She has a great relationship with my 6 yr old and 4 yr old. She […]

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Help Your New Au Pair Pack: 5 things to bring, 5 things to leave behind

by cv harquail July 9, 2010

West Coast Mom suggests that we pool our collective wisdom to generate a packing list for our incoming au pairs. This list would not include the basics (they’ll all think to pack underwear). Instead, this list would cover wht an au pair needs to bring to support her or his adventure. What we pack reflects […]

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