Choosing an Au Pair

How do you assess an Au Pair candidate who has suffered from depression?

by cv harquail September 24, 2012

Dear Au Pair Mom, We are currently looking for a new aupair and I am concerned about an application that the agency has sent to me. We have hosted girls for ten years from all over the world. Our kids are 11, 10, and 7 years old. One candidate looks especially good, except for few things. […]

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What do you look for in an Au Pair applicant’s video?

by cv harquail August 1, 2012

Technology changes everything. Or not. When au pair applicants started doing their own YouTube application videos, and when au pair agencies started to host au pair applicants’ videos as part of their portfolios, it looked like host families would get a great additional tool for evaluating whether or not an applicant fit what they were looking for. […]

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Choosing the Right Au Pair, Expert Advice from CalifMom

by cv harquail June 23, 2012

CalifMom has been a key part of the AuPairMom community since Fall of 2008. She was one of the first au pair host moms to contribute wise advice, regularly and generously, on many of the toughest situations. Every now and then CalifMom leaves a treat in my inbox — a guest post. Here’s her latest… […]

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5 Secrets of Good Au Pair Host Parents

by cv harquail June 10, 2012

I was tidying up my desk this morning, preparing to get back in the saddle with AuPairMom posts, and I found this post-it note to myself: Did I ever write this post? I can’t tell, so here it is! What makes for a Good Au Pair Host Parent? In my experience talking with […]

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What to do when your Au Pair’s job performance starts to slide

by cv harquail March 31, 2012

In the seasons of the Au Pair year, there often comes a time after The Honeymoon and All Systems Go, but before On the Way Out, when some au pairs hit The Minimum Viable Performance. (Sometimes, though not always, this is paired with The Slough of Not Giving a Shit Not Caring Anymore.) During The […]

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Would you choose an “older” Au Pair? (Poll)

by cv harquail March 25, 2012

Is there an age past which an Au Pair candidate is just “too old” for you to consider? We got a note from OlderAP asking: Would Host Families consider accepting an older au pair? I am 26 years old. I graduated from university with MSc, extremely good grades, and have childcare experience with children aged […]

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Would you Pre-Match with your Au Pair’s Sister?

by cv harquail March 6, 2012

Dear Au Pair Mom – We have just extended with a great au pair. It was hard for us to find someone from my own home country so that my 2 children could be exposed to the the language and culture. We were lucky enough to have found someone who is responsible and caring. She […]

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First Time Host Mom Asks: Extension Au Pair or Brand New One? (Poll)

by cv harquail March 4, 2012

Can you remember back to when you were a first time host parent, still trying to figure out how you could make this au pair thing work for you? We have a family friend, MD, who’s wading into this for the first time, and she asked me to ask you: If you were a First […]

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Choosing An Au Pair For Teenage Host Children

by cv harquail March 1, 2012

Host parents have been wondering about continuing with Au Pair caregivers as their children become teenagers. While we discussed this question a while ago, the children of many of the regular and newer members of the community have gotten older, and so the topic is newly hot. [See the earlier posts: Beyond the Chauffeur: Benefits of […]

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Revealing Your “Special Needs” During the Matching Process

by cv harquail February 17, 2012

When is the best time to discuss with a prospective au pair candidate that a host child has special needs? When your child has special needs, you need to be sure in advance that your au pair is up for the challenge. Many au pair candidates will indicate on their applications that they are open […]

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