Is Having Our First Au Pair Supposed To Be This Hard?

by cv harquail October 16, 2015
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A brand new Host Mom writes to share her distress.   Her Au Pair has been with them a whole two weeks now, and things haven’t fallen into place. Her toddler’s unsure about his new caregiver. The Host Mom’s unsure about how to coach the new Au Pair. The Au Pair’s unsure about how to […]

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Should You Tell Another Host Mom That Her Au Pair Is Planning To Bail?

by cv harquail October 12, 2015
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“It takes a village.” That’s what my mom friends and I say when we talk about seeing each other’s kids do naughty things. In my bookclub we have a actual pact– if we see something, we say something. There’s a way that this agreement can feel kindof nosy. How can you tell Violet’s mom that […]

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5 Reasons to Take Your Au Pair to See “He Named Me Malala”

by cv harquail October 9, 2015
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For a cultural exchange that will bring you and your au pair closer, take her (or him) to see the documentary film “He Named Me Malala”. He Named Me Malala opens nationwide this Friday, October 9.  Here’s the link to find showings near you: http://theaters.henamedmemalalamovie.com/ 5 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Au Pair to […]

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Toddler “Hates” New Au Pair. What to do?

by cv harquail October 8, 2015
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Our third Au Pair just arrived and has been here for almost three weeks. She is very sweet, is trying hard, and while she may be too meek for our family, we are hoping she will come out of her shell with time.  We may have made a mistake by overlapping her with our last […]

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When Your Au Pair Eats “Too Much”

by cv harquail October 2, 2015
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When you sign up for an Au Pair, you imagine your grocery bills to get about 20% larger. What’s incremental — beyond what you’re already buying — is another adult size portion of the main foods — another 8 oz of meat for each entree, 7 more bowls of cereal, another 3/4 of a gallon […]

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Au Pairs and Modesty: A Challenge of Cultural Fit

by cv harquail September 29, 2015
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I had just come back from dropping my kid off at school. As I climbed out of my car, my neighbor walked by on the way to the park with my favorite golden retriever. I was compelled to run down the driveway and get a cuddle from that darn dog. It was only when I […]

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When is the Best Time to Discuss Extending with an Au Pair?

by cv harquail September 22, 2015
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When your family has found an au pair who really fits, and when an au pair has found a situation where s/he’s flourishing, the obvious question is — should we extend? Extensions can be a gift to both the family and the au pair. The Au Pair gets a few more months on the USS […]

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If Host Parents Can’t Respect Au Pair Contract Rules, Nothing Else Matters

by cv harquail September 16, 2015
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For international Au Pairs/ Host Families Outside the USA There’s a hierarchy of requirements for a good Au Pair & Host Parent relationship. Much like Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs, you can’t achieve the higher levels of a good relationship without the basics being there first. Au Pairs and Host Parents ultimately have different hierarchies, […]

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Dear Au Pair: Yes, You Should Feel Guilty

by cv harquail September 11, 2015
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Of the five types of emails we get most often from Au Pairs, the most annoying type is when an Au Pair writes hoping we’ll resolve him or her of any guilt they feel over quitting. There are times when it’s absolutely okay to quit. To ask for rematch. To throw in the towel and just go […]

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5 Ways for Au Pairs to Find Other Au Pairs

by cv harquail September 9, 2015
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It’s the season to Welcome New Au Pairs! A time for orienting, driving lessons, checklist making, getting lost, and — sometimes for new Au Pairs — feeling lonely. When a new Au Pair arrives, it’s critical that s/he make a few Au Pair friends right away. Only another Au Pair can understand the unique situation of […]

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