Effective Ways to Socialize with Your Au Pair?

by cv harquail May 21, 2018

When parents welcome an au pair into their home, it’s important for everyone to get to know each other. A few conversations around the dinner table and an occasional one-on-one trip to Starbucks were the ways that my DH and I made time to get to know our au pairs. I don’t know if we […]

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Au Pair Vacation Requests: Too Much, Too Soon

by cv harquail April 17, 2018
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Hey, I get it. A big part of the appeal of an Au Pair year in the USA is the chance to travel around and see the place. It’s part of the cultural exchange, and a big part of the adventure. But, vacationing shouldn’t be the #1 priority of the Au Pair. When it seems […]

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How Should Host Families Respond to the Au Pair Lawsuit?

by cv harquail April 4, 2018
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Most Host Families know about the ongoing lawsuit wherein the US Au Pair Agencies are being targeted in a class action lawsuit brought by a law firm “on behalf of” au pairs.  This lawsuit has been wending its way through the system with occasional flareups of media attention. Most of us have been assuming that […]

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Counting Au Pair Hours at the Gym, with Kids in Gym Childcare

by cv harquail March 28, 2018
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I’ve always thought it was a wonderful perk for an au pair, to have a gym membership and to be able to go during the day when she was normally on duty but was able to leave the kids at the gym’s childcare. Several of my own Au Pairs had this option — I was […]

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When a Host Mom Starts Dating Again …

by cv harquail March 19, 2018
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Hi Everyone —  SO MUCH going on, all good, but it took this email, below, to get me back on the blog. It’s from a long-time reader and commenter who will remain nameless.  When I first read it, all I could say was I am SO PROUD of her for going to the gym! Moving […]

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What Do Au Pair Host Moms Want for Christmas?

by cv harquail December 10, 2017
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For Au Pairs in Host Families who celebrate Christmas… “What do you want for Christmas?” I’m never able to answer that question. Some years I remember to keep a running list of things I want (e.g.,  sports headbands, a black-ish pair of outdoor running shoes, a pair of Uggs to replace the ones with holes in them, […]

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When A Host Parent Crosses the Line, Au Pairs MUST rematch

by cv harquail December 4, 2017
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There are very few problematic situations in Au Pair-Host Family relationships that are completely black or white, where it’s clear that the next step is rematch. For Host Families, black and white situations include when an Au Pair endangers a child in any way, and when an Au Pair has lied or stolen. For Au Pairs, black […]

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Too much connection, then too little: Rematch Again, Au Pair Asks?

by cv harquail November 20, 2017
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Dear AuPairMom, I am an Au Pair in the U.S and in my 3rd month right know. About 2 weeks ago I came from one state to a new one through rematch. My first situation wasn’t horrible. I just had a hard time connecting with the kids (7, 9, 12) and the host mom openly […]

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Screening Questionnaire to Improve Your Luck In Matching with an Au Pair

by cv harquail November 18, 2017
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We can’t interview our way to a “perfect” Au Pair. It’s the sad truth.   BUT…  we CAN interview well and screen out all the ‘known no’s”… which makes it a bit easier to find an Au Pair candidate with a lot of YES! LongIslandHostMom challenged herself to summarize a lot of our community wisdom to […]

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Could an Au Pair Bring Her Boyfriend With Her?

by cv harquail November 17, 2017
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Dear AuPairMom — I’m interested in being an Au Pair. I love children, I love traveling, I don’t mind going on journeys by myself and discovering new places, Au Pair seems like the perfect position for me to apply for. But (there is always a but), I am currently in a very serious relationship. We […]

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