Advice Wanted: How to set the right tone from Week 1

by cv harquail May 13, 2009
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OK experienced host moms (and dads), I need some of your advice. Although I have had three Au Pairs, they have all ended in transition so I feel like a new host mother. Since this is the first time I am going into the AP relationship with the aid of other mothers as mentors, I […]

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You’re on YouTube! Is that okay?

by cv harquail May 13, 2009

In the post Help: My Au Pair is Blogging about My Family!, we’ve addressed the question of how folks feel about their au pairs blogging about the family and/or posting information about the family on Facebook or MySpace. Lots of host parents weighed in with their opinions. We agreed that your family should have a […]

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The Magic Wand Question

by cv harquail May 12, 2009
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We all know that having frank, candid talks between Host Parents and Au Pairs can be difficult. It can be hard to share tough feedback or to ask for a change in behavior. We recognize that often, not only the au pair but also the host parents and/or kids have to make changes in order […]

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Going “Off the Board” to find an Au Pair

by cv harquail May 12, 2009
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I’ve only ever used an agency to find an au pair. I’m a little harried, and I need someone else to do all the administration. Plus, I’ve always counted on the security of an agency and LCC behind me if something went wrong. I hear, though, that many host families find their au pairs without […]

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Advice Wanted: Young marriage, young mommy, in Hawaii

by cv harquail May 11, 2009
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I am thinking of hiring an au pair for my baby (I am actually pregnant, but I will need help from Jan 2010). Unfortunately, we cannot afford a local nanny, and I find it hard to trust a high school kid to be with my little one…is having an au pair a good idea? The […]

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My Au Pair is ruining my life…

by cv harquail May 10, 2009
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Saving this post until after APAW— it’s too much of a misfit after all that appreciation! … I am counting the days until she is gone. She refuses to do anything except be a lukewarm body. She claims nothing is her responsibility. I provide written instruction each day. She ignores them. She isn’t suppose to […]

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Au Pair Appreciation: Brazilian Manny wins “Au Pair of the Year”

by cv harquail May 9, 2009

From a press release issued by Cultural Care: CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 10 /PRNewswire/ A young journalism student from Natal, Brazil who has shown compassion and dedication in his daily care for a special needs boy, has earned the distinction of being named the"International Au Pair of the Year". [Check out the YouTube video, which is […]

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Au Pair Appreciation: Hooray for all of you!

by cv harquail May 8, 2009
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Well, we’ve come to the end of the very first annual International Au Pair Appreciation Week! Thank you to  the host moms and dads who sent in the stories for the Au Pair Appreciation posts this week. Thank you to all of you who commented on the stories, offered snippets of your own stories, and […]

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Au Pair Appreciation: Popsicle sticks and masking tape

by cv harquail May 8, 2009
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International Au Pair Appreciation Week As shared by a Host Mom for her family Why do we appreciate our au pair so much?   Our AP is beloved by both my kids. They are five years apart and so have very different world views and needs, yet she is able to have a great time on […]

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Advice Wanted: Should I intervene in another Au Pair-Host Family situation?

by cv harquail May 7, 2009
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What, if anything, do you do if you become aware of a situation where another host family is taking advantage of their Au Pair? Here are the specifics, as shared by our Host Mom: … A friend that my Au Pair met at the Au Pair "school" in NY just recently moved to our state […]

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