Can you guess what prompted this Host Parent tip?

by cv harquail January 5, 2009
bleach cleaner au pairs system

My husband laughs at me — in a kind way, he insists — every time he sees me do something like this. I try to explain that there is indeed a method to my madness, and that behind every quirky tactic in our household is an accident that’s now easier to avoid. But he still […]

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15 Tips from 15 Host Moms

by cv harquail January 5, 2009
brungrrl s chistmas mosaic

Cruising through the comments and wincing at the many that I haven’t answered adequately, I was reminded how many little tidbits you all have been sharing on the blog. It can be overwhelming to provide advice for a knotty problem, or for a first timer, because there really is so much to share. Funny thing […]

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More Au Pairs than Ever, according to the Wall St. Journal

by cv harquail January 4, 2009
Louis

An interesting, short article on the Wall Street Journal’s online site appeared over the holidays, when I was so crazy I barely had time to turn on my computer, much less post. But, even 2 weeks later, the article Foreign Exchange: Au Pair Care On the Rise is worth a quick read. Apparently, the number […]

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9 Host Mom Questions for 2009: Reflect before you resolve

by cv harquail December 31, 2008
lepapierdesigns on etsy calendar

How did we get here already? I was just testing the polling feature to see how many au pairs were on duty on Christmas, and — bam– it’s already December 31st. Maybe the holidays have been like this for you too? Just more family, more fun, (more work!), and overall less blogging time than I’d […]

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Poll: Will your AP be on-duty on Christmas?

by cv harquail December 18, 2008

Hi Moms- I’m testing out a new feature  — polls! I’d love to get a sense of what everyone is planning for their au pair on Christmas day…. Given the percent of American families that celebrate Christmas  —  (according to the Associated Press , Gallup polls from 1994 to 2005 consistently show that more than […]

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Gift, Bonus or Tip: Call it what you want, but keep in mind….

by cv harquail December 17, 2008
20060729230720__dsc7703 copy

I’m intrigued by the comments in the previous post about a Christmas/ Holiday tip for your au pair… it seems that some readers are taken aback by the idea that one would tip ones au pair. As a trained social scientist, I see these reactions as "data" — but what is the data telling me? […]

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Advice wanted: How to Keep Track of Au Pair’s personal car use?

by cv harquail December 17, 2008
SuperStock_1597-36851

How do you and your au pair keep track of her personal use of your shared car, so that she pays for her own gas while you pay for the gas used when she’s on duty? I must admit, I’ve had the luxury of (most times) having a third car that was pretty much only […]

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Au Pair Moms: Be my päkapikud?

by cv harquail December 15, 2008
elves

I have a little Christmas wish, prompted by a few comments from you readers over the last 2 weeks or so. I’m wondering, would you be my holiday päkapikud? What’s a päkapikud? A päkapikud is a little Estonian elf. Our very first Au Pair, Margit, used päkapikud as a nickname for my daughter. How can […]

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How much should you tip your Au Pair at Christmas?

by cv harquail December 12, 2008
peace house

If you celebrate Christmas and if you don’t, the quote-unquote Holidays are a time of year when many people think about giving, some people think about getting, and most of us think about both. If you were to search for information about Christmas Tips for au pairs, you’d discover that the commonly-advised amount is "one […]

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Christmas Tip: Tell your Au Pair what your family believes about Santa

by cv harquail December 12, 2008
Three Wise Monkeys (Oops, I Mean Three Silly Reindeer) by Pink Sherbet Photography.

Don’t put your au pair in that awful situation of being the person who blows Santa’s secret. Explain to your au pair how your family talks about the man in the red suit, what he does, and what he means. Help her understand your way of discussing the Santa phenomenon, so that she can coordinate […]

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