Your Au Pair’s Friends: Key to Her/His Happiness?

by cv harquail August 6, 2010
201008051454.jpg

It’s so important for your au pair to develop friendships here in the US. Your au pair needs friends to create a social life and to strike out beyond your home and family for some of her or his own adventures.  Once our au pairs have foud a friend or two (or three) they have […]

50 comments Read the full article →

A Different Perspective on Cultural Exchange

by cv harquail August 4, 2010
dahlias.jpg

For each of us the ‘cultural exchange’ part of the au pair program has a different meaning and importance. Are there many cases where the cultural exchange part feels irrelevant? Or, to put it bluntly, If the same sort of service existed to match American au pairs with other American families for the same overall […]

11 comments Read the full article →

What counts as “cultural exchange”?

by cv harquail August 3, 2010
Free Pink Flower pick sherbert.jpeg

Host Mom KMW writes with this thoughtful question: Most families seem to include the cultural aspect of having an au pair as an important reason for going the au pair route. I have been thinking a lot about the pluses and minuses of Au Pairs vs. a US based nanny… and I’m wondering how much […]

71 comments Read the full article →

Sharing Your Hosting History with a new Au Pair

by cv harquail July 29, 2010
by madison etsy janellneuharth.jpg

With each au pair and au pair relationship, a host family develops experience and– if we’re lucky– also a bit of wisdom about the challenges of hosting an au pair successfully. Even when we have a so-so au pair, or a flameout au pair, we can learn something useful for the next time. And, when […]

34 comments Read the full article →

Choosing an Au Pair Agency: Two questions that might make a difference

by cv harquail July 28, 2010
201007261920.jpg

We haven’t talked in much detail about how to choose an agency — I’ve steered clear of that topic because I haven’t wanted anyone to think that I’m some kind of au pair agency secret agent, sent out to lure unsuspecting host families onto the rosters of agencies for an unspecified but generous kickback. Also, […]

72 comments Read the full article →

Birthday Gifts for Host Kids: Yes and No

by cv harquail July 26, 2010
_il_fullxfull.160021136.jpg

YES Any au pair with any sensitivity to the host child under her or his care should get that host child something to mark the child’s birthday. NO It doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be something as simple as a specially-selected yet store bought card with a photo insider. But, no, you Au […]

60 comments Read the full article →

Birthday Parties for Host Kids: Should Au Pairs Be Expected to Attend?

by cv harquail July 26, 2010
_il_fullxfull.88855128.jpg

It took me several years to figure out the whole birthday party thing. By the time I realized that most parents expected to stay for the party– and that I had to feed them — the kids were old enough to be dropped off. That was when I learned that you have to have room […]

18 comments Read the full article →

When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately?

by cv harquail July 22, 2010
201007211217.jpg

When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately? When this question popped up over the weekend, I shuddered. It brought me back instantly to our flame-out au pair, the one who announced on the last day of school that she wanted a rematch because she didn’t want to work weekends […]

114 comments Read the full article →

Can I revise my promise to sponsor my au pair?

by cv harquail July 21, 2010
jek i the box mini bench.jpg

I’ve got a problem regarding my au pair that might actually be my fault. Our au pair is personally wonderful, lovely to have in the house, very helpful. She’s been with us 19 months. She is 23 and from Bosnia. She has a great relationship with my 6 yr old and 4 yr old. She […]

52 comments Read the full article →

What if there were Nanny Cams for Host Parents?

by cv harquail July 15, 2010
201007150741.jpg

I’m not thinking about Nanny Cams that host parents can use to watch their au pairs during the day, but hidden cameras that watched us host parents when our au pairs weren’t around. What behavior of yours would a nanny cam catch? What things would you be proud of, and what things might embarrass you? […]

51 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →