Getting an Au Pair: What really motivated you?

by cv harquail May 10, 2010
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Let’s cut through the b.s. of the lovely agency brochures, the glowing endorsements on agency blogs, and the romanticized picture of a delightful young person shepherding our kids across the park to the playground. Why do we really have au pairs as child caregivers? Why are we opening up our homes, and sometimes even our […]

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Au Pair Mom’s Mothers’ Day Challenge

by cv harquail May 8, 2010
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The annual celebration of Mothers’ Day offers us moms a chance to have breakfast in bed, or experience some other kind of treat from our family. It’s one particular day that we get a bit of positive feedback for the work that we do as moms, and it’s one day that we get to be […]

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Posting Frequency: How often would like like a new post? (Poll)

by cv harquail May 7, 2010
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Hi Readers, In anticipation of this blog’s second birthday (I know, they grow up So Fast!), I’m starting a little bit of spring blog-keeping… just general blog admin, much of it behind the scenes. I want to update the blog in ways that matter to you, so there are a few elements of blog-keeping where […]

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Au Pair Asks: Tips for Getting Money Back Home

by cv harquail May 6, 2010
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I was impressed to discover that some au pairs actually save money, either for themselves or to send back home to their parents. Many of the au pairs I’ve known have spent their money here in the USA, either on shoes or on traveling (and occasionally on both. What do mannies spend their money on?) […]

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Choosing an Au Pair: Sexual Orientation as a consideration

by cv harquail May 5, 2010
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When we are looking for au pair candidates who might be a good fit with our family, we have criteria (e.g., must drive, can’t smoke, likes dogs) that are non-negotiable. We have preferences that direct us to candidates with characteristics we think we’d like in an au pair (e.g., is musically talented, family-oriented, German). And […]

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Quick Update about Comments

by cv harquail May 4, 2010

Hi Readers- I want to let you know that I’ve made a small change in the Comments process. Folks who want to comment will now be asked to enter an email address.  You can still stay anonymous to the blog readership by using a pseudonym, a ‘nom de mom/dad’, or a nickname.

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What can an Au Pair expect from a Host Family?

by cv harquail May 3, 2010
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In the mirror post to this one, we’re generating a list of ways that families interpret and execute the rules, but with the effect of having the au pair feel mistreated. Here on this page is our chance to list what an au pair can expect from a family when both the family and the […]

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Locking the Refrigerator, and other ways to mistreat an Au Pair

by cv harquail May 3, 2010
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Riffing on the post Do Au Pairs need a bill of rights? about Au Pairs and a domestic workers bill of rights, Dawn mentioned that A clear listing as to what kind of treatment is reasonable to expect would be very helpful in such circumstances. As one example, in a program where the AP expects […]

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Announcing… 2nd Annual Au Pair Appreciation Week!

by cv harquail May 3, 2010
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The 2nd Annual International Au Pair Appreciation Week May 17 – 21, 2010!

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