We’re moving, and must rematch. How soon do we tell our au pair?

by cv harquail September 23, 2010
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We have a wonderful au pair who has been living with us for 2 months. Unfortunately, due to a family medical emergency, we need to relocate to the other coast within the next 6 weeks. We will not be able to take our au pair with us so she will need to rematch. We want […]

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“Mama Needs Her Space”

by cv harquail September 22, 2010
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BLJHostMom needs to vent– “Space” has been a pretty hot topic with us (here on AuPairMom) these last few weeks, and I’d love some advice. With our first AP, our biggest worry was that she would be around and it would be awkward when we just wanted to relax and watch TV in the evenings. […]

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When fault is contested, who pays for damage to the car?

by cv harquail September 21, 2010
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Host Mom Ginger sent us a request for advice, that I’ll share with you in two pieces. The first piece has to do with a disagreement over how to pay for damage to the car the au pair uses: A host family has accused their au pair of having an accident with the car. She […]

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Can a single parent be an Au Pair?

by cv harquail September 21, 2010

This question is from the UK, where au pair programs and expectations are a bit different– but maybe some of you parents and au pairs have information that might be helpful. Niki writes: I’m interested in becoming an au pair, however I do have a child of my own. I have read a few websites […]

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Is our Au Pair committed?: Verify, but trust.

by cv harquail September 17, 2010
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Dear AuPairMom, I’m hoping to get some input from your readers on a problem I have about trust and commitment to our family: Our AP (our second) has been with us for a few weeks. Last weekend, she traveled outside the country to see a male friend. (He’s in a country nearer to the US […]

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Someone Else in Your House: Getting comfortable with the idea of an Au Pair

by cv harquail September 16, 2010
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Probably the most common obstacle for any family considering an au pair vs. other kinds of childcare is the idea of having some other adult live in your house with you. People imagine that they’ll lose their privacy, feel crowded, feel constantly observed, never have time to themselves, and grow weary from no time ‘off’. […]

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

by Shana Medah September 15, 2010
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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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My Potential Host Parents Might Be Divorcing. Should I ‘unmatch’?

by cv harquail September 14, 2010
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Dear Au Pair Mom, For the past couple of months, I had been looking for an Au Pair job in Europe (I am American), and finally found a great family via Aupair.com. I used your advice and evaluated the match by shared values, lifestyle, and mutual expectations. We seemed like a perfect fit, and everything […]

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Should we match with a friend of our current Au Pair?

by cv harquail September 13, 2010
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Birds of a feather flock together, and often great au pairs have wonderful people as friends. When you have a terrific au pair whom you wish you could replicate, sometimes matching with his or her friend seems like the next best thing. Or is it? Host Mom Sandy D. asks: We are finishing up our […]

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