Choosing an Au Pair

Poll: Have you ever switched Au Pair agencies? If so, why?

by cv harquail April 25, 2009
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As a believer in the “path of least resistance’” and a fan of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, I’ve been with the same agency since we started with au pairs. I chose the agency because it was one of the only two in my town at the time, it had a much larger […]

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How to choose between two good candidates? Offer your opinion…

by cv harquail April 24, 2009
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When folks ask for advice about their au pair, don’t you just wish sometimes you could go back with them to the very beginning, back when they were deciding what kind of au pair to choose? And you could tell them just what you think they should do? It could be just like in a […]

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Extension Candidates: How to interview, what to look for

by cv harquail April 20, 2009
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Extension candidates are a tough bunch. These au pairs already know the score… they know what it takes to be an au pair, they have already improved their English a bit, they know how hard it can be to take care of children, and they know the wide range of material situations that host families […]

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How to find a great host family: Part 1

by cv harquail April 16, 2009
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Although this isn’t a blog for au pairs to get advice on being an au pair, sometimes it’s just nice to have the opportunity to share advice, especially when it comes to helping an au pair clarify her needs and expectations before she begins her host family search. Hello! My name is Casey, I’m from […]

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Myths about Au Pairs: The Fox in Your Henhouse

by cv harquail April 7, 2009
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Close behind the myth that every Au Pair is a "Hottie" is the myth that au pairs are out to steal your Host Dad. I guess this is one of those where the exceptions are so salient that you end up believing that it happens a lot. I haven’t ever met a host mom or […]

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Advice wanted… best medium & process for communicating expectations?

by cv harquail April 5, 2009
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Calif Mom needs some ideas for upgrading her communication system with her au pair. My AP joined us last summer and is going to extend (yay!). I have been wanting to fine tune some expectations ahead of signing those papers, and have been taking notes on specific things I would like her to start doing […]

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Terms of Endearment and Moms’ Deepest Fears. Also, Childcare Myths.

by cv harquail March 12, 2009
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Over in the Skribit feature, as a suggested topic, an anonymous person asked “How to deal with the fact that the child calls the Au Pair ‘mom’.” When I first saw this topic suggestion, I planned to ignore it. I wasn’t sure it was from a real host mom. Honestly, how many times have you […]

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Matching: Share one great interview question

by cv harquail February 6, 2009
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Okay Moms, I give in. I will take a deep breath, and open the floodgates, because it’s time to address the topic that every host parent cares about: "How can we get the best match possible?" We have to take this one slowly, maybe even over a couple of months. There’s just too much to […]

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