New Au Pair Has Already Invited Her Mom to Visit. For Two Weeks. In Our House.

by cv harquail October 22, 2017
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The situation below features an Au Pair who’s been quite presumptuous– inviting her mom to stay WITHOUT asking her Host Parents. I can’t even figure out how to set this post up nicely because this situation would have me fuming. As much as I want to be generous, and welcoming, I’ve found that having other […]

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Au Pair’s Attitude is a Downer: Can we get her to change?

by cv harquail October 18, 2017
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“A wet blanket” “Debbie Downer” “Sad Sack” “Uninspiring” What a drag to imagine these words characterizing your Au Pair. When an Au Pair has a “not optimistic” attitude towards the every day, it’s hard to imagine them adding to the family spirit rather than subtracting from it. Is it possible to get an Au Pair […]

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Inexpensive Ways for Au Pairs to Ship Boxes Back Home

by cv harquail October 11, 2017
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I knew we’d had a few posts about sending Au Pairs’ stuff back home when they leave — but I didn’t realize it had been seven years ago! Let’s update our info on best rates and options:  What does your family do? Our au pair is leaving in April after spending two years with our […]

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Support Gun Safety Legislation

by cv harquail October 4, 2017
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Dear Readers — A girlfriend reminded me this morning that, as a person who runs a website that reaches 16,000 people a month, I have a responsibility to use this platform wisely.  To promote community, to promote growth, to promote learning, to promote cross cultural understanding, and to promote safety. One of the most horrifying […]

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My Au Pair Is Selling Products on Facebook: Should I care?

by cv harquail September 29, 2017
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Au Pairs who want to make extra money, beyond their stipend and in violation of the State Department rules, usually stick to a few basic strategies — working a few extra hours for their family, walking a dog or two, or taking the rare emergency babysitting job down the street. None of these jobs are legal […]

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Do you know what your Au Pair *needs* from you?

by cv harquail September 15, 2017
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A former babysitter and family friend got engaged last week, and to help her celebrate I bought her a few books on how to have a great marriage. (I know, kindof weird, but I am a BIG BELIEVER in trying to learn intentionally, especially when you can anticipate how your life will be changing.) Flipping […]

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When Au Pair Host Parents Are Too Harsh With Their Kids

by cv harquail September 13, 2017
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It can be truly disheartening to see how some people treat their children. There have been times (in the grocery store especially) when I’ve heard people say such mean things to their kids that I almost want to speak up and correct them myself. It’s hard to stay out of the fray when I see […]

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Digital Tools for Scheduling Au Pairs: Share your faves

by cv harquail September 12, 2017
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It’s rather pitiful, but I’m still (and perhaps always) a fan of the paper calendar.   While I *do* use the Tiny Calendar app on my iPhone, I always was printing out — and adding up by hand — on duty hours. Surely, someone else has a better way? Because Calendaring Host Mom has asked for […]

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Act NOW to Defend the Au Pair Program!

by cv harquail August 30, 2017
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We knew it was coming.   Trump campaigned on promises to “crack down” on “illegals” and to restrict all forms of entry into the US by persons who are not current citizens. We knew that the J-1 visas were in trouble — programs supporting summer camp counselors, summer hotel staff, and — yes — au […]

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Taking Your Au Pair “On Vacation”: How can you make sure you’re fair to your Au Pair?

by cv harquail August 8, 2017

Today I got emails from two different au pairs, both asking for advice about going on vacations with their Host Families. In both situations, it seems that the Host Parents aren’t really following the rules around the 10 hours per day/ 45 hrs per week limits. Scanning back through the archives, I realized that nearly […]

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