Choosing an Au Pair

Would You Match With A “Returning” Au Pair?

by cv harquail June 26, 2015

You can’t step into the same river twice. So says Plato, quoting Heraclitus. Ancient wisdom suggests that, even if that candidate loved being an Au Pair two years ago, the experience might not feel the same the second time around. We might hope that someone with previous experience as an Au Pair would have a realistic sense of […]

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Texas Host Mom’s 12 Step Au Pair Matching Process (guest post)

by Texas HM June 6, 2015

Here’s TexasHM’s step-by-step matching process: 1. Send email template #1 (open ended AP questions) Review email #1 answers and decide go/no go Send email template #2 and area links/info email (our explanations and area) Review email #2 answers and decide go/no go Skype session #1, review AP application and ask Skype questions list, mutually decide […]

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Have Au Pairs Come to Expect Too Much? (Poll)

by cv harquail May 29, 2015

A few weeks ago I raised the question: How Have Au Pair Host Parents -As A Group- Changed Over Time? BeachTown HostMom wrote to pose the other side of the question — (How) Have Au Pair expectations changed over time? She writes: I’ve started to noticed some changes in the au pair community and […]

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Reading the Tea Leaves to Find Your Perfect Au Pair

by cv harquail March 26, 2015

I am driving myself crazy with thinking through this matching process, but this current fabulous AP kind of messes with all my algorithms and criteria. Maybe it’s just a one-time thing to get someone like this. … Maybe we are all just reading tea leaves and astrological forecasts. I wish I knew that were the […]

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When Your Au Pair Complains About A Fair Schedule

by cv harquail March 9, 2015

File this under: “Grrrrrr.” You are a lovely family with an adorable child. You offer a reasonably cushy schedule to your au pair. Most days it’s 2 hours in the morning and 4- 4 1/2 in the afternoon/evening. You go out some weeks nights here and there, to book club or (gasp) to the gym. And […]

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Everything I know about DISC for Selecting Au Pairs — guest post by Should Be Working

by Shouldbeworking March 4, 2015

The always-helpful ShouldBeWorking has offered us her practical wisdom on so many occasions — and now she’s up to it again. This time, she’s put together ALL her advice about how to use the DISC profile tool for understanding potential au pair candidates. Not every Au Pair Agency uses the DISC profile, but for host […]

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Want to find a fabulous Au Pair Host Family? Reply to our emails promptly

by cv harquail February 16, 2015

Dear Au Pair Candidates, Do you know how frustrating it is when you don’t reply promptly to Host Families’ emails? We read your letters, watch your videos, and pour over your applications to get a sense of whether you might fit well with our families. We’re nervous about getting in touch, but we write the […]

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Au Pair Extraordinaires: How Different Are They?

by cv harquail February 13, 2015

The Au Pair Extraordinaire program offers host families the chance to match with an au pair who has additional documented childcare qualifications by paying somewhat more per week. This option seems particularly attractive to families with infants and toddlers who seem to need a more experienced hand (e.g., a colicky child). The idea here is that someone […]

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Which Au Pair Rules Feel Flexible?

by cv harquail February 4, 2015

This is a companion post to “Which Host Family Rules Feel Flexible to Au Pairs?” Au Pair Program Rules are Great. One of the strongest elements of the US Au Pair Program is the framework created by the State Department rules. These clear and specific boundaries around work hours and work responsibilities help US Host Parents and […]

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Awkward Arrival Time But We Like This Au Pair — Should We Match or Move On?

by cv harquail January 15, 2015

We’re new to the AP process, currently interviewing for our first AP ever. I’m in academia, and was hoping for someone to start in July or August, so that they can get comfortable with my son (will be 3 years old in the Fall) before school starts back up in September. One issue is that […]

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