Random Advice

This Time Last Year: January 2009

by cv harquail December 31, 2009

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No one is more surprised than me to see how much we’ve covered here on AuPairMom! I can’t believe the number of topics, posts, comments, concerns and wisdom that have appeared here so far– and we’re still going strong! Sometimes it’s hard to remember what we’ve discussed, so here’s a new feature: This Time Last […]

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Share One Bit of Advice for a New Host Parent

by cv harquail December 30, 2009

By popular demand, here’s a challenge to all you host parents: Your challenge: Offer ONE, just one, thing you wish you knew when you became a host parent. If someone else has already offered your #1 bit of advice, go on to share your #2 bit of advice. Let’s rack ’em up, parents. (Au pairs, […]

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A Holiday Wish

by cv harquail December 20, 2009

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Moms, Dads, LCCs and Au Pairs, As things here at home get wild for the holiday, they sometimes get quiet online. I know that I have a lot of things I should be doing (and want to be doing) away from the computer. Yet, at the same time, I know I’ll be stealing back to […]

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Host Parents: Be my päkapikud this holiday?

by cv harquail December 18, 2009

Would you make one of my own Christmas wishes come true? Would you be my päkapikud? A päkapikud is a little Estonian elf. Our very first Au Pair, Margit, used päkapikud as a nickname for my daughter. I would love to get a few more päkapikud involved in AuPairMom. How can you be a päkapikud? […]

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Mixing Grandparents and Au Pairs at the Holidays

by cv harquail December 12, 2009

Who’d have thought this would be a topic? As I neatened up the spare room to welcome my mother-in-law, I was remembering some of the well-intentioned tensions we had our first Christmas with our au pair and Grandparents together, and how we tried to manage them. My parents-in-law, like most grandparents, were over the moon […]

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Advice Wanted: Damage Control for Possible Escape Artist

by cv harquail December 10, 2009

Au Pair Host Mom “Not Smiling in Seattle” writes: I am hoping you readers have some honest input for us. My Au Pair last night announced her mother was ill and needs an operation. My first impression was “oh my gosh, is your mom ok?” When I asked for more information, our au pair could […]

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Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs

by cv harquail December 10, 2009

It’s time to start thinking of gift ideas for your au pair, if you haven’t already! In previous posts we’ve talked about gifts that we like to give our au pairs, either for holidays or birthdays. These ideas have included scrapbooks, photo albums, scented bath treats, and of course, the ever-popular gift set from Sephora […]

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AuPairMom: Proudly Independent

by cv harquail December 7, 2009

We interrupt our conversation to discuss the status of AuPairMom. In case you were wondering, AuPairMom is not affiliated with any au pair agency. I, CV (aka mom@aupairmom), am not a host mom affiliated with or currently using any au pair agency. I feel compelled to remind you of the independence of the blog, because […]

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We are making a difference

by cv harquail December 5, 2009

We got this email, below, earlier this week, from a mom who’s been reading and participating on the blog for a while now. I’m sharing it with you because it’s a happy story, and because you all know that my main role here is to create a space for all of us to share ideas. […]

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Leftover Thanksgiving Tips for your Au Pair Relationship

by cv harquail December 2, 2009

Do you have any Thanksgiving Leftovers leftover? We got cleaned out by my sister, who took several tubs of Gladware back to her house, leaving us with just one day of warmed turkey and too much cranberry sauce. Luckily, she overlooked Enid’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. DH and I polished that off all by ourselves. But […]

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