Someone Else in Your House: Getting comfortable with the idea of an Au Pair

by cv harquail September 16, 2010
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Probably the most common obstacle for any family considering an au pair vs. other kinds of childcare is the idea of having some other adult live in your house with you. People imagine that they’ll lose their privacy, feel crowded, feel constantly observed, never have time to themselves, and grow weary from no time ‘off’. […]

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Using Cultural Differences to Come Together, Guest Post by Shana Medah

by Shana Medah September 15, 2010
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We think of cultural differences as the things that separate us and view cultural differences as obstacles we must overcome – and indeed, they do often present themselves in the form of a problem that must be solved. However, the problem-solving process also gives us an opportunity to know each other (and ourselves) better. When […]

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My Potential Host Parents Might Be Divorcing. Should I ‘unmatch’?

by cv harquail September 14, 2010
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Dear Au Pair Mom, For the past couple of months, I had been looking for an Au Pair job in Europe (I am American), and finally found a great family via Aupair.com. I used your advice and evaluated the match by shared values, lifestyle, and mutual expectations. We seemed like a perfect fit, and everything […]

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Should we match with a friend of our current Au Pair?

by cv harquail September 13, 2010
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Birds of a feather flock together, and often great au pairs have wonderful people as friends. When you have a terrific au pair whom you wish you could replicate, sometimes matching with his or her friend seems like the next best thing. Or is it? Host Mom Sandy D. asks: We are finishing up our […]

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Au Pair Extensions: How do they work if her visa isn’t extended?

by cv harquail September 9, 2010
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Hi AuPairMom, I am a new au pair mom this year. I love my au pair, we have a lot in common and she loves the kids. I was very happy to hear that she is interested in extending for 6 months, maybe even a year. But there ‘s a little bit of a glitch: […]

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Choosing Your Next Au Pair: Beware of the Contrast Effect

by cv harquail September 7, 2010
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A host mom who’s looking hopefully at a rematch situation writes us for advice … Her soon-to-be-ending match has been plagued with personality conflict. Now, she has a choice between two promising au pairs– but what criteria should she prioritize? On the one hand, she needs a good driver, and driving skills can be taught. […]

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First Day, First Problem, First Opportunity: The $48 phone call

by cv harquail September 4, 2010
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Dear AuPairMom, Our au pair has been with us for less than 24 hours and we already have a problem. We have our au pair use a phone card attached to our phone to make long distance calls. Since she’d just arrived, when she wanted to call home I dialed her dad’s number for her. […]

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Former Au Pairs: Where are they now?

by cv harquail September 2, 2010
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There’s nothing like a visit from one former au pair to make you wonder about what’s happened to all the rest. When our second au pair (from 10 years ago) came to visit us this summer, I expected to find her much the same as she was when she lived with us. I wasn’t disappointed; […]

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Driving, Comprehending and Bonding: Can this Au Pair relationship be saved?

by cv harquail August 30, 2010
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Here’s a request for advice– and it is a long one… read through and offer your wisdom! Hi All,  We are a first time host family of a lovely Au Pair from China. She has been here almost two weeks. She is neat, helpful, and eager; she is willing to learn how to work appliances, […]

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Managing Au Pair Transportation in the ‘Burbs: Ideas for this Host Mom?

by cv harquail August 27, 2010

Our previous two posts, Providing Your Au Pair With Safe, Affordable, Convenient Transportation , and Don’t Abuse A Cluster Taxi have been set-ups for this next question, from SanJoseMom. SanJoseMom is a first-time host parent and trying to organize her expectations and establish a foundation for a successful au pair year. Hi AuPairMom – I […]

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