Don’t Fret Over the One That Got Away

by cv harquail July 14, 2015
missedconnections2

It’s easy to obsess about the candidate or host family that seems perfect for you.  We each have an idea of the ‘perfect’ au pair, the ‘perfect’ family, that we conjure up from our imaginations. Sometimes these images are based on previous experience “She’d be just like Elrina, tall, outgoing, fun, thoughtful…” or from a […]

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How to improve your Au Pair relationship in just one minute

by cv harquail July 11, 2015
cat in hat saying WORD

If I told you that you could improve your relationship with your au pair in just one minute, would you try it? Sure you would. You’re a busy host mom (or dad), juggling many demands and competing priorities. And, you’re a busy host mom who wants her au pair to know when she is doing […]

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Au Pairs, How Did Your AP Year Improve Your Job Prospects?

by cv harquail July 9, 2015
great au pair, perfect au pair

Inquiring moms and dads want to know– How did your Au Pair year help you find a job when you got back to your home country? How did what you learned and experienced as an Au Pair influence your outlook about what was possible for you? We Host Parents would love to believe that being an […]

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Time for a Reset Conversation – with the Whole Family

by cv harquail July 7, 2015
au pair problems, reset conversation

Things were going to hell in a hand basket. Dishes clean but still in the dishwasher. Laundry folded and never put away. Children announcing that they needed to be driven here and picked up there, at the last minute. Spouse “having dinner with a client. I told you about it yesterday” but nothing written on […]

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Would You Recommend An Au Pair to This Family?

by cv harquail July 5, 2015
should we get an au pair?

We have a new and unconventional need for childcare.   Would an Au Pair be the right choice for us?  How would we know? My husband and I have had an awesome nanny (who does not live with us) for the last year since our son was born. However, my husband has to leave the […]

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How To Resolve Middle-School “Drama” with Your Au Pair and Host Kids

by cv harquail July 1, 2015
au pair problems

I laughed with recognition of the dynamics in this Host Mom’s comment– who hasn’t seen their Au Pair and their kid(s)-of-a-certain-age get into  squabbles just like 7th graders fighting over who gets to sit where in the cafeteria? FubolHostMom writes: … I’ve got a concern regarding the “attitude” issue. Over summer vacation, issues that were […]

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How to Fix It When Your Au Pair Starts Out On The Wrong Foot

by cv harquail June 29, 2015
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Four weeks in, and your Au Pair still isn’t doing what you’d expected. Worse, s/he’s not doing what you need.   You’ve finished up her formal orientation and in-home training, but your Au Pair hasn’t stepped up to fill the role. Is there anything you can do? There are two kinds of early performance problems. The first […]

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Would You Match With A “Returning” Au Pair?

by cv harquail June 26, 2015
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You can’t step into the same river twice. So says Plato, quoting Heraclitus. Ancient wisdom suggests that, even if that candidate loved being an Au Pair two years ago, the experience might not feel the same the second time around. We might hope that someone with previous experience as an Au Pair would have a realistic sense of […]

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Things Your LCC Wish Host Families Knew (guest post)

by Julie Dye June 23, 2015
J.Dye

Many thanks to Julie Dye, an LCC with Cultural Care, for putting together this comprehensive overview from the Counselor’s point of view. We’re all in this together. When we understand the perspectives of folks who hold different roles in the AuPairing Community, we’re more able to learn from them and appreciate their wisdom. ~ cvh […]

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My Brother is Dating My Au Pair – Against My Wishes

by cv harquail June 15, 2015
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Usually it helps to think about your Au Pair as ‘part of the family’. S/he lives with you, sees what’s behind the scenes, and knows some of your family drama.  Because we do integrate our Au Pairs into our family lives, situations come up that– were s/he a live-out nanny or part time babysitter — would […]

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