Tips

Myths about Au Pairs: Au Pair = “Hottie”

by cv harquail April 6, 2009
magazine photo as mask hiding identity.jpg

What is it about the term “au pair” that triggers salacious comments from people who should know better? What do you do when someone says something rude about au pairs as a concept? This question popped up a few weeks ago for HostMomToBe: … There is this one very annoying situation that I really could […]

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Getting her stuff back home: Is there a cheap way to ship things?

by cv harquail March 27, 2009
mollypop flicr.jpg

The amount of money your au pair has saved and the amount of stuff she needs to get back home are inversely proportional. That’s a problem, because if she wants to take that stuff home, it’s gonna cost some money. How can your au pair get that extra stuff home as inexpensively as possible? One […]

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Don’t take your Au Pair on vacation during her first 3 months!

by cv harquail February 8, 2009
Gnome Eiffel Tower

Okay host moms- I’m coming out with a pretty specific "Don’t": Don’t, I say DON’T, take your au pair on a vacation the first 3 months she is with you. Why? Because: 1. It sets up inaccurate expectations about how she will be treated (e.g., as a guest and tourist vs. as a ‘working’ member […]

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Matching: Share one great interview question

by cv harquail February 6, 2009
matching cards

Okay Moms, I give in. I will take a deep breath, and open the floodgates, because it’s time to address the topic that every host parent cares about: "How can we get the best match possible?" We have to take this one slowly, maybe even over a couple of months. There’s just too much to […]

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Tip: Save those Ice Skates!

by cv harquail January 18, 2009
edgemont pond

At the park across the street, the pond has frozen. (This is actually what it looks like!) Every time the pond freezes, I congratulate myself for saving my old ice skates. About five years ago, when my little ones were taking skating lessons , I bought myself skates that actually fit me so that I […]

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How much should you tip your Au Pair at Christmas?

by cv harquail December 12, 2008
peace house

If you celebrate Christmas and if you don’t, the quote-unquote Holidays are a time of year when many people think about giving, some people think about getting, and most of us think about both. If you were to search for information about Christmas Tips for au pairs, you’d discover that the commonly-advised amount is "one […]

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Christmas Tip: Tell your Au Pair what your family believes about Santa

by cv harquail December 12, 2008
Three Wise Monkeys (Oops, I Mean Three Silly Reindeer) by Pink Sherbet Photography.

Don’t put your au pair in that awful situation of being the person who blows Santa’s secret. Explain to your au pair how your family talks about the man in the red suit, what he does, and what he means. Help her understand your way of discussing the Santa phenomenon, so that she can coordinate […]

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Tip: It is Probably Better NOT to Talk About Daniel Craig …

by cv harquail November 18, 2008
daniel craig, sex appeal, James Bond, 007, Moms, au pair advice

… with your Au Pair, or for that matter, when your Au Pair is nearby. Can you see why? And yes, Kathy, Jamie, Margot and Sarah, I’m talking to you.  :-)

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Tip: Teach your Au Pair about Vampires

by cv harquail October 31, 2008
vampire bill compton au pair aupair advice

Special Halloween Edition Every Host Mom should teach her au pair about vampires. No, I don’t mean the Bill Compton kind of vampire, I mean the bill ELECTRIC kind of vampire. [If you want to know more about Bill Compton, check these vids: "I’m Too Sexy…" (almost NSFW) or "Talking in Your Sleep." Apparently, these […]

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Homesickness and your Au Pair: How you might help

by cv harquail October 15, 2008
homesick au pair needs help

Being an Au Pair’s host mom occasionally calls for you to help your au pair take care of herself, both physically and emotionally. You will find yourself needing to offer her ideas about how to distinguish between a cold and an allergy, how to find new friends, and almost certainly how to deal with homesickness. […]

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