Cultural Exchange Challenges

What to Wear? asks the Au Pair

by cv harquail November 2, 2010

I know we had a conversation a while back when a host mom’s au pair was dressing link a tramp a little “inappropriately”, but I thought we could revisit that conversion from a more positive direction, thinking about what we’d recommend. We received this email from a soon-to-be au pair: I am a 20 year […]

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Halloween Party Safety Concerns for my Au Pair

by cv harquail October 28, 2010

Halloween is a favorite holiday of… just about everyone. I think it has become a quintessential American experience that every Au Pair should get involved in. But how should they get involved? Handing out candy at the house? Taking your kids out to trick or treat? Helping to make costumes? Or getting involved in the […]

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Using Cultural Differences to Come Together, Guest Post by Shana Medah

by Shana Medah September 15, 2010

We think of cultural differences as the things that separate us and view cultural differences as obstacles we must overcome – and indeed, they do often present themselves in the form of a problem that must be solved. However, the problem-solving process also gives us an opportunity to know each other (and ourselves) better. When […]

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Au Pair Extensions: How do they work if her visa isn’t extended?

by cv harquail September 9, 2010

Hi AuPairMom, I am a new au pair mom this year. I love my au pair, we have a lot in common and she loves the kids. I was very happy to hear that she is interested in extending for 6 months, maybe even a year. But there ‘s a little bit of a glitch: […]

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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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Top 5 Tips for Cross-Cultural Success, by Shana Medah

by Shana Medah August 24, 2010

Hosting an au pair offers a chance like no other to learn about other cultures and build enduring intercultural relationships. However, is certainly isn’t always easy. In some ways it’s like a marriage – all parties have to be committed to success in order to make it work. Here are a few tips to help […]

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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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Is it Cultural, Generational, or just Me?

by cv harquail August 19, 2010

When I notice au pairs doing things differently from the way(s) that I’d do them, it’s often unclear to me here the difference comes from. Where the difference comes from matters to me, because it guides the way that I respond to the difference. If I think it’s a question of knowledge or experience, I’ll […]

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After the Honeymoon: Seasons of the Au Pair Year

by cv harquail August 13, 2010

A host mom who prefers to remain anonymous shares her reflections, and helpful questions, about that delicate stage in your Au Pair- Host Family relationships…. those days when it only begins to dawn on you that, with this terrific au pair as well as any other, there will always be challenges… After the Honeymoon… The […]

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How has your own international experience influenced your Host Parent Approach?

by cv harquail August 10, 2010

Aupairgal asked a few weeks about how many host parents have lived abroad or were raised outside the USA. She’s wondering how our own international experiences have influenced how we approach being host parents. So let’s take some polls: How has living abroad affected how you interact with or understand your Au Pair?

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