Birthday Gifts for Host Kids: Yes and No

by cv harquail July 26, 2010
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YES Any au pair with any sensitivity to the host child under her or his care should get that host child something to mark the child’s birthday. NO It doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be something as simple as a specially-selected yet store bought card with a photo insider. But, no, you Au […]

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Birthday Parties for Host Kids: Should Au Pairs Be Expected to Attend?

by cv harquail July 26, 2010
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It took me several years to figure out the whole birthday party thing. By the time I realized that most parents expected to stay for the party– and that I had to feed them — the kids were old enough to be dropped off. That was when I learned that you have to have room […]

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When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately?

by cv harquail July 22, 2010
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When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately? When this question popped up over the weekend, I shuddered. It brought me back instantly to our flame-out au pair, the one who announced on the last day of school that she wanted a rematch because she didn’t want to work weekends […]

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Can I revise my promise to sponsor my au pair?

by cv harquail July 21, 2010
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I’ve got a problem regarding my au pair that might actually be my fault. Our au pair is personally wonderful, lovely to have in the house, very helpful. She’s been with us 19 months. She is 23 and from Bosnia. She has a great relationship with my 6 yr old and 4 yr old. She […]

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What if there were Nanny Cams for Host Parents?

by cv harquail July 15, 2010
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I’m not thinking about Nanny Cams that host parents can use to watch their au pairs during the day, but hidden cameras that watched us host parents when our au pairs weren’t around. What behavior of yours would a nanny cam catch? What things would you be proud of, and what things might embarrass you? […]

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Having another baby? How to tell your au pair

by cv harquail July 12, 2010
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[First in a multi-part series on New Babies & Au Pairs: Sharing the Good News… ] It’s great news for you and your partner when you discover that you’re having another baby — and it’s just the kind of news you want to share with your au pair thoughtfully. Having a baby changes things, and […]

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New Babies and Au Pairs: A Series

by cv harquail July 12, 2010
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When a new baby joins your family, lots and lots of things change… and all these changes can affect your au pair. Coming up is a short series of posts on New Babies and Au Pairs, where we can share ideas about how to welcome the new baby (or babies) and also how to welcome […]

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Parents, do you share this site with your Au Pair?

by cv harquail July 9, 2010
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How many of you host parents share the URL of this blog with your current au pairs? Or send them copies of posts using ShareThis or email? How many of you hope to the good lord that your au pair will *never* stumble across this conversation? Inquiring minds want to know, so without further ado: […]

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Help Your New Au Pair Pack: 5 things to bring, 5 things to leave behind

by cv harquail July 9, 2010
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West Coast Mom suggests that we pool our collective wisdom to generate a packing list for our incoming au pairs.  This list would not include the basics (they’ll all think to pack underwear). Instead, this list would cover wht an au pair needs to bring to support her or his adventure. What we pack reflects […]

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From “Part Time” to “Full Time”: Can I ramp up my au pair’s hours over time?

by cv harquail July 7, 2010
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Dear AuPairMom, I’m a mom, employed part-time, who is thinking about getting an au pair. I’m thinking of having an au pair to (1) care for my kids while I’m working, (2) work with me as a mother’s helper as I care for the children, and (3) make it possible to get other things done […]

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