Countdown to One Thousand Posts on AuPairMom

by cv harquail July 26, 2015
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Some numbers are big. Some numbers are significant. Some numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. And some numbers are just around the corner. For me here behind AuPairMom, one number– One Thousand — is rapidly approaching. One Thoushand is big, significant, and just the tip of the iceberg all at the same time. “One […]

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Responding to Surprise Request From Departing, So-So Au Pair

by cv harquail July 24, 2015
hope abrams

Speaking of Au Pairs and a sense of Entitlement, Washingtomom writes:  Our Au Pair just sprung what I hope will be her last ‘surprise’ request of us. How should I respond? We are at the end of our AP’s year, final date is August 7th. She extended with another family and the supposed start date […]

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What About Being an Au Pair Host Parent “Sparks Joy”?

by cv harquail July 20, 2015
Declutter-Tips-700x464

Sparks Joy? If you aren’t one of the three million people who bought this book, or one of the 17 million people I’ve talked to about it, then you might not have thought about a possible link between being an Au Pair Host Parent and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. If you are one […]

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When Your Previously Swell Au Pair Starts Acting Entitled

by cv harquail July 18, 2015
food-sugar-lighting-milk-medium

Earlier we had a conversation about whether or not au pairs in the USA were, as a group, starting to act more entitled than in earlier times.  By “entitled” we mean, dissatisfied with a situation where the family follows the rules, offers the au pair a car, feeds the au pair well, and aims to […]

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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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