How to stay happy as a Lame Duck host parent

by cv harquail December 28, 2009
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There comes a time in your relationship with your au pair where your ability to influence her behavior vanishes- just vanishes. This usually happens as she is getting ready to leave, either to go back home or to go on to an extension with another family. [When this happens during rematch, it’s an entirely different […]

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Out Overnight: Okay, or Not? (Poll)

by cv harquail December 28, 2009
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On New Year’s Eve, we can expect that our off-duty au pairs may want to be out all night celebrating. And for one night a year (especially, when everyone else seems go be out celebrating) you might not have a problem with your au pair being gone overnight, even if she has to be on-duty […]

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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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Holiday Bonus, Tip, or End of Year Cash Gift? (Poll)

by cv harquail December 18, 2009
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I’ve been reluctant to bring this topic up again because last year the idea of giving your Au Pair a holiday cash gift or top really seemed to freak people out. Check the earlier posts before you go wild: Gift, Bonus or Tip: Call it what you want, but keep in mind…. How much should […]

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Host Parents: Be my päkapikud this holiday?

by cv harquail December 18, 2009
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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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Temporary Eviction: Would you make your Au Pair stay somewhere else while you are on vacation?

by cv harquail December 17, 2009
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Host parents, we got a request for advice from an au pair who is facing temporary eviction while her host parents are on vacation. The situation is a bit of an emergency, since the family is slated to leave within the week. Your ideas? Here’s the situation: Dear Au Pair Mom readers, I am an […]

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If you have a housecleaner, does s/he clean your Au Pair’s room?

by cv harquail December 14, 2009
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I admit, I was a little surprised to learn that some of us who pay to have our houses cleaned include the au pair’s room in the housecleaner’s duties. Probably it’s because I’m always trying to save money and have needed to have the housecleaner’s energy all on the main parts of the house, but […]

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Your Au Pair’s Room: How much mess can you take?

by cv harquail December 14, 2009
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A host mom sent me a few photos of her au pair’s bedroom (taken with the au pair’s permission). The host mom was agonizing, because the room was a freaking mess. This family’s au pair was following the two most important bedroom-related rules: No dirty dishes and no candles/incense. But otherwise the place was a […]

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Mixing Grandparents and Au Pairs at the Holidays

by cv harquail December 12, 2009
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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
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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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