Which Au Pair Rules Feel Flexible?

by cv harquail February 4, 2015
breaking au pair rules

This is a companion post to “Which Host Family Rules Feel Flexible to Au Pairs?” Au Pair Program Rules are Great. One of the strongest elements of the US Au Pair Program is the framework created by the State Department rules.   These clear and specific boundaries around work hours and work responsibilities help US Host Parents and […]

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Which Host Family Rules Feel Flexible to Au Pairs?

by cv harquail February 4, 2015
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Okay, Au Pairs — It’s your turn to tell us which Host Family rules you feel it’s okay to be “flexible” with every now and then. [This is a companion post to “Which Au Pair Rules Feel Flexible?”] Since there is no set group of Host Family rules, I can’t create polls for specific ones. Instead, […]

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Eating On Duty: Managing Au Pair Meals

by cv harquail February 3, 2015
snack time au pair

Au Pairs often need to make meals for themselves (as well as for host children) while they are on duty.   We can’t (and shouldn’t) expect any caregiver to go for hours and hours without a proper meal. But when an au pair is ‘on duty’ with a primary responsibility for children, an au pair […]

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Teach Your Kids To Treat Your Au Pair With Respect

by cv harquail January 30, 2015
children rude to au pair

Here’s a host mom after my own heart. Why? Because her first thought after describing the problem is to ask what she might be doing to contribute to it. Not that I want host parents (or au pairs) to always shoulder the blame, but with all things social it’s the *relationship, the *context, and the […]

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New Year, New Expectations: Having A ‘Reset’ Conversation

by cv harquail January 28, 2015
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[ Here’s one from the archives — We’ve been using the term “reset conversation” a lot this past year… here’s where it comes from, and how to execute one. ] There are several times each year, and several times in each AuPair year, when it makes sense to reset your expectations with your au pair. The […]

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Does Your Au Pair Get Paid A Stipend When S/he’s Sick?

by cv harquail January 26, 2015
soo zzzz

 When your au pair gets sick for more than a few days, questions about substitute childcare, sick days, and additional costs can put pressure on the balancing act between “part of the family” and “employee”. Every family needs a backup plan for the occasional day or two (or three) when an Au Pair is laid […]

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Open Thread: Introducing a New Comments Tool

by cv harquail January 25, 2015
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Time for an open thread– and an upgrade in our commenting practices! I’d like to introduce a new tool, a tool that I’ve been using ‘behind the scenes’ — on about 20% of the comments — to help keep our commenting easy to read and easy to respond to. You might know it by sight or […]

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When Your Au Pair Repeatedly Loses Things

by cv harquail January 23, 2015
glenn euloth lost nemo

I’m known for losing things. Sunglasses, cell phone, car keys, arguments, emergency chocolate, the Costco card… . I try hard to hold on to things, but the absent-minded part of being a professor is really strong with this one. My own sensitivity to losing things has led me to compensate for potential losses in two […]

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When your Au Pair hires a babysitter so s/he can go to the gym. Really?

by cv harquail January 21, 2015
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Whoa there Nellie.  Get down off that exercise equipment. Host Mom Mimi dropped an aside that felt like a bomb. In her comments on Slush Funds vs. Petty Cash jars, Mimi mentions:  “If our AP takes the kids to the gym while she is on the clock, she is responsible for babysitting room fees.” What? HRHM asks in […]

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Help Your Au Pair Take Snow Days In Stride

by cv harquail January 19, 2015
Au Pairs enjoy their first snowfall au pair advice low cost childcare

Few events clarify the gap between how working parents and their school age kids respond to changes than the announcement of a snow day. When I was little, I thought snow days were magical. An overwhelming amount of snow combined with a day off from school seemed like a gift from the heavens — to […]

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