Abandoned by au pair, left with plane ticket

by cv harquail March 18, 2010
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This just in from a Host Mom in London. I think she’s asking for two kinds of advice: how to manage the vacation childcare, and how to manage her feelings of being, um, irked: Hi, we have a 19 yr old au pair from Sweden who has been with us for 5 months after committing […]

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Au Pair Advice: She’s using *my* coffee mug!

by cv harquail March 17, 2010
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We host parents can be a weird bunch. The kinds of things that drive us crazy… no wonder it can be hard for au pairs to get adjusted! Over the weekend I heard a crazy lament that I want to share with you. My friend has a new au pair, who’s been with them about […]

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From Nannys to Au Pairs: What is it like when you switch?

by cv harquail March 16, 2010
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Some families start with au pairs and stay with au pairs until their kids can drive. Many (most?) parents use an array of childcare options over the course of their parenthood. Lots of us will switch back and forth between different childcare options, depending on what we and our kids need at any given time. […]

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Your Au Pair’s Room: Give her a choice of pillows

by cv harquail March 15, 2010
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When it comes to bedding for your au pair’s room, there are three criteria that must be met: The bedding must look clean. The bedding must smell clean. There must be enough bedding. It’s a bonus if the mattress is new, if the bigger bed fits the room, or if the sheets are her or […]

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Au Pair Advice: Getting enough sleep & being noisy late at night

by cv harquail March 14, 2010
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If there is anything about having an au pair — or anyone, really — in the bedroom on the third floor that bothers my DH, it’s noise after 10:30 pm. He is a fussy sleeper, and it drives him nuts to be able to hear a tv, or a phone conversation, while he’s trying to […]

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Au Pair Community Counselors: Conflicts of interest?

by cv harquail March 13, 2010
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Can the role of the Local Community Counselor (or Area Director), and the compensation strategy for that job, set up an implicit conflict of interest? I think the answer to that question is: Yes. Caveats first: Each agency is different. This concern addresses only those agencies with the structure I describe below. First, let me […]

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Someone Stole My Au Pair: A secret rematch behind my back

by cv harquail March 12, 2010
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A Host Mom writes with a story that will irk us all.  The situation is ‘over’, but she still has to cope. And, we can all wonder– how could we prevent something like this from happening in our town? Dear Au Pair Mom Readers- Has anyone else had the experience of discovering that their au […]

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What Size Bed for Your Au Pair (Poll)

by cv harquail March 11, 2010
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A host mom writes: Do we need to get a bigger bed for our next au pair? Our current au pair has a queen-size bed in her room, which used to be our guest room. We are moving to a larger home in a few months. The new house will have a guest room, and […]

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Let’s Celebrate!

by cv harquail March 8, 2010
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I was surprised to discover that AuPairMom has just published our 300th post! It’s hard to believe. But even more amazing? These 300 posts have generated 6, 151 comments from us. What a happy amount of wisdom going around. To celebrate, two things are in order… First, invite a host parent friend to come join […]

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Awkward: It’s not a walk of shame if we know you are safe

by cv harquail March 8, 2010
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So let’s jump on in to another awkward topic — If your au pair is having fun, safe overnights, and she just wants to make sure you’re not worried, how should she tell you? Should she even tell you? I don’t actually want to know if my au pair is having fun. I do want […]

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