Phases of AuPair’s Year

Au Pair Asks: What welcome gifts do Host Parents enjoy?

by cv harquail August 3, 2012

Dear AuPair Mom, I’m European and will soon be flying to the US to meet my Host Family. I’m truly excited. Here’s my question: Nearly all Au Pairs bring gifts from their home city for the new families. For the host kids it’s easy to find something fun, but I’m not sure about what to get my […]

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Paying Stipends When Au Pairs Overlap

by cv harquail May 29, 2012
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When your departing au pair has finished training your new au pair, and they are both in your house but only one of them is working, do you (still) need to pay your departing au pair? If your outgoing au pair still has a week or two on her contract, you must still pay her, […]

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

by cv harquail March 31, 2012
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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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How can we tell our Au Pair we don’t want to extend?

by cv harquail March 13, 2012
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Probably the biggest downside to the extension option is the possibility for a mismatch between the family’s interest in extending and the au pair’s interest in extending. When both sides don’t clearly share the same expectation, someone is bound to get disappointed. And, when people are disappointed, they often withdraw from a relationship and leave the […]

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When Your Former Au Pair Comes Back to Visit

by cv harquail February 21, 2012
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It can be kindof amazing when a former au pair comes back to visit.  You remember her when, and she remembers you, and now everyone has grown and changed (usually for the better!). Depending on how things were when your au pair departed, and where you are as a family and as a parent, your […]

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Can Au Pairs shorten their Extension, once begun?

by cv harquail February 5, 2012
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Do you know the official answer to this au pair’s query? And, if you were her LCC, what would you advise? Dear Au Pair Mom, I’m an extension Au Pair, living here in the USA since January of 2011 (13 months now). I wanted to know if there is a possibility to change the length […]

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F.A.Q.: Must we use an Au Pair Agency to engage an Au Pair?

by cv harquail January 14, 2012
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Must we use an Au Pair Agency to engage an Au Pair? Yes. Sure, you can go it alone, but then you would not be operating within US Law. We emphatically recommend that you use an approved agency to find and retain your au pair. Following the laws and regulations protects both your family and […]

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New Year Review: Reset Au Pair Expectations for 2012

by cv harquail January 7, 2012
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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 start and end of school, the start and end of summer, when there is a big change in your family’s routine (like the end of maternity leave), or when […]

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Au Pair Extension Fees: Why so high?

by cv harquail December 15, 2011
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Why is it so expensive to extend an Au Pair for an additional year? A reader emailed to raise the concern that it costs almost as much the second year as the first, because there are fewer special discounts. (For one agency, that’s about $5,600). Not only that, but the au pair herself or himself […]

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Damage to the Au Pair Room: Should we have a security deposit?

by cv harquail November 2, 2011
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We’ve had some funny and not so funny stories about damage to our homes by au pairs who were clueless (at best), careless (most often) and intentionally destructive (nightmare). Everything from soaked ceilings under the au pair bathroom, to hair dye on the bathroom walls, to nail polish on the fancy sheets. We have a decent handle on what to expect […]

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