Phases of AuPair’s Year

Unhappy Au Pairs Can Start “Reset” Conversations Too

by cv harquail March 13, 2015

You don’t have to be a host parent to notice a problem in your Host Family-Au Pair relationship. Obviously, Au Pairs notice problems too. That’s why Au Pairs should try some using some of the very same tools we recommend to host parents, tools like weekly meetings, written schedules, and the always-useful reset conversation. One […]

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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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New Year, New Expectations: Having A ‘Reset’ Conversation

by cv harquail January 28, 2015

[ Here’s one from the archives — We’ve been using the term “reset conversation” a lot this past year… here’s where it comes from, and how to execute one. ] There are several times each year, and several times in each AuPair year, when it makes sense to reset your expectations with your au pair. The […]

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Is It Too Late To Extend? Any J-1 Workarounds?

by cv harquail January 18, 2015

Imagine it — you have an au pair you love. She didn’t want to extend. Now she’s changed her mind, but the agency says it’s too late. Is it really too late? Dear Au Pair Mom– We just ended the year with the world’s best au pair. She is a part of our family. The […]

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Lost Passport Delays Au Pair’s Arrival. Should we match or move on?

by cv harquail January 17, 2015

Dear Au Pair Moms– We’ve got a crazy delay in our Au Pair’s arrival that messes up my carefully made plans. Specifically, we are looking at a 3-5 week gap, maybe longer, to figure out childcare and wait for our au pair who lost her visa. Can you advise me what to do? Our old au […]

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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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Evaluating Progress As Your Au Pair Aims to Improve

by cv harquail January 8, 2015

au pair performance, au pair rematch, host parent advice

How much improvement is ‘enough’ to shift an au pair out of “on the way to rematch”? When there are performance issues with an Au Pair and we ask for an improvement, we expect that: (1) The au pair’s performance will improve, (2) Performance will improve enough to satisfy the Host Parent’s original concerns, (3) The […]

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Should She Ask Her Host Mom To Read AuPairMom?

by cv harquail September 8, 2014

Dear AuPairMom – I have been reading AuPairMom while I was deciding to become an au pair and I was expecting that what you have on this blog explains what an au pair should expect. My host mom seems to be having some struggles with having an au pair. I’m my family’s first au pair. My family is […]

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Improve Your AuPair’s Driving With an Online Driving Class

by cv harquail September 5, 2014

An online driving course is an easy, inexpensive way to get both you and your AuPair feeling confident about her/his driving– before your au pair even arrives in the USA! Here’s a tip from TexasHostMom— Our first AP was 26 when she arrived and had been driving for some time, so I never thought we’d have […]

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