Can this relationship be saved?

Food and Your Au Pair

by cv harquail July 7, 2009

Boy, that post on Groceries triggered a lot of issues! Rather than try to keep track of them in the comments to that one post, let’s pull them out into posts of their own. So, coming up over the next several days, we’ll have posts about: Our AP’s appetite is so big, I can’t afford […]

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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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Feeling Squished by Our Au Pair

by cv harquail June 23, 2009

What do you do when your au pair wants so much to be with you and your family that you never get any personal space? And, what happens when, in your efforts to be kind and generous, you continue to cede important personal space, events, and rituals to incorporate her, making your personal space smaller […]

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Helping a Shy Au Pair

by cv harquail June 18, 2009

Have you ever had an au pair who was so painfully shy that she was no fun to be around? Host mom Talliecat is struggling with this issue: Our au pair ( 20 yrs old) arrived from Finland around the middle of April. She has great childcare experience, however she is painfully shy. My husband […]

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Extending– without the Agency. Yes or no?

by cv harquail June 17, 2009

We are in month 8 with our first au pair (she’s frmo Thailand), who has been great. We would like to extend, and she would like to stay for at least six months more, but she would like to do so outside of the agency. Apparently a friend of hers, at the end of her […]

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Almost-done Au Pair Refuses to Work Weekends!

by cv harquail June 8, 2009

I heard this one ‘thru the grapevine’ over the picnic table tonight– and just so you know, I got irked on the host mom’s behalf, even though I don’t know her!! Here’s the situation: This family’s au pair has a little bit more than a month left before she leaves (for home or for a […]

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What a little bird said about Au Pairs

by cv harquail June 7, 2009

Now that I see a bunch of au pair mom advisors on Twitter, guess I must double up with accounts. my alterego? @cvharquail # Check out this interesting interview about The Daddy Identity Crisis http://bit.ly/102trV # Just found this comparison of au pair programs. Great if you read German (or understand “ja”) http://bit.ly/BlCxe # A […]

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It’s not you, it’s her. Let her go, move on.

by cv harquail June 5, 2009

Hi AuPair Mom and other other host moms (and dads), Our situation is confounding us! Please help us understand… We have had an absolutely bright, lovely, and energetic 20-year-old Swedish au pair for two months. We had a great first month with her and couldn’t imagine getting along better with anyone! We had a great […]

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A Little Something for/about Host Dads…

by cv harquail June 3, 2009

Okay Host Dads, it being June and all, here’s a little info treat about– you guessed it– being a dad. Maybe the rest of us moms need to read it too so that we can be more sympathetic. ;-) The Daddy Brain Moms aren’t the only ones whose bodies change after having a baby. Jeremy […]

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All real, all the time

by cv harquail May 26, 2009

A regular reader and commenter sent me an email this morning asking whether the story posted with the poll is real, or whether I made it up. Dear readers, may I just say, you can’t make this s%*# up. I am as surprised as you are at what people are willing to put up with, […]

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