Post by Email– not working? Test…

by cv harquail September 16, 2016

Hi Folks- A mom reported that she did not get the most recent post via email. Mailchimp recently upgraded, so I’m wondering if this has created a problem for everyone or if it’s just this one subscriber… so this is a test post.   Soon, back to our regular programming.   cvh Welcome to Au […]

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Your Home is Not an Airbnb – Say no to too many Au Pair guests

by cv harquail September 14, 2016
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Oh good lord, this Host Mom’s got a problem — Her au pair wants to have six people — Six people — SIX PEOPLE — come to visit and stay in the Host Family’s home.  For TWO WEEKS. The answer is obviously, “No, that’s simply not possible”. The Host Mom doesn’t even have to go […]

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Recommend Your Favorite Parenting Books

by cv harquail September 11, 2016
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My neighbor is having her first baby, and I wanted to give her my favorite parenting book — “Becoming The Parent You Want To Be”. But when I went to Amazon to order a copy I was shocked — shocked — to discover that the book is now ten years old. Not that the advice […]

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Visa Questions for Extension Au Pair Who Wants to Travel Home

by cv harquail September 8, 2016
au pair visa questions

Readers, here’s a topic where I’m in the dark. Have any of you experienced this issue and found a solution? We have a fabulous au pair and are looking to extend her for another year. Her visa expires in October. We are essentially getting no help from our agency about how to extend her.   

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Matching With An Au Pair: What Kinds Of Photos Really Help an Application?

by cv harquail September 7, 2016
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As I’ve been writing the forthcoming ebook of AuPairMom’s Secrets for Interviewing Au Pairs I’ve been thinking a lot about the many small details in applications that seem to make a big difference to Host Families. The CameraReadyAuPair, below, must have been reading my mind, because she’s asking some of the same questions I’ve been […]

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Alas, One Au Pair Can’t Cover Your “40 Hour” Work Week

by cv harquail September 5, 2016
au pair advice, au pair problems

It’s a horrible reality:  Even if you have your au pair work a full 45 hours a week, if you work 40 hours a week yourself, your au pair is not going to be able to cover all your childcare needs. Every one of us full time working parents knows– that job is supposedly “40 […]

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6 Things To Know When You Email AuPairMom for Advice

by cv harquail September 4, 2016

Folks, I’m reposting this to keep everyone up to date. This is the very same information available under the tab “When you email for advice”. Here are some things you should know when you send an email for advice: 1. I may take your email text, in part or in full, to use within a […]

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Awkward: My Au Pair Seems To Be Dating My StepSon

by cv harquail September 2, 2016
au pair problems, au pair advice

It’s not “wrong”, necessarily. But it sure is awkward. This Host Mom’s 22 year old au pair seems to be “dating” the 20 year old step son. It’s awkward not just because the Host Mom’s pretty sure they’re intimate, but also because their relationship messes with the idea of the au pair being “part of […]

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When a Host Family Doesn’t Keep Their Word, Get Ready To Rematch

by cv harquail September 1, 2016
au pair problems, au pair advice, choosing an au pair

When Au Pairs or Host Families have unique situations, it’s smart to negotiate ahead of time to be very, very, clear about what you need. Being specific about scheduled hours, transportation, unique food/nutrition needs, kid care tasks, and so on helps both parties make sure that they are finding the right match. This MastersStudentAuPair (whose […]

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Should An Au Pair’s Unpredictable Moods Send Us To Rematch?

by cv harquail August 31, 2016
angry au pair, au pair advice

Having an Au Pair join your family is always emotionally challenging.   Even with the best and most lovely au pairs, it takes effort to get in sync with each other. We not only have to mesh with each other’s ways of doing things, sharing work, managing cars, and caring for kids, but also Host […]

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