difficult conversations

5 Reasons to Take Your Au Pair to See “He Named Me Malala”

by cv harquail October 9, 2015
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For a cultural exchange that will bring you and your au pair closer, take her (or him) to see the documentary film “He Named Me Malala”. He Named Me Malala opens nationwide this Friday, October 9.  Here’s the link to find showings near you: http://theaters.henamedmemalalamovie.com/ 5 Reasons Why You Should Take Your Au Pair to […]

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What To Do When Your Au Pair Doesn’t Bathe

by cv harquail January 20, 2013
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Some issues are just too awkward to talk about. But we have to talk about them anyway, because these are the very issues that keep host parents and au pairs from really connecting. We’ve hit some of these issues already– contraceptives, personal safety, swimming when she has her period (I told you they were awkward!), […]

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When Facebook Information Raises Concerns: Should she match, or pass?

by cv harquail July 7, 2011
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Oh, the complexities of Facebook. And the generation gap. And the generation gap regarding Facebook. If it’s “true” that “young people” use Facebook differently from us (slightly older) parent people: How much should we infer from an au pair applicant’s Facebook page? Now that many of us ask to ‘friend’ our au pairs and prospective […]

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What if you Au Pair thinks your child might need professional help?

by cv harquail June 17, 2011
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Our au pairs get an up-close and personal view of our families. Sometimes they see things we don’t see, maybe even things we don’t want to see for ourselves. Because au pairs interact with our children when we parents are often not around, and they spend longs days with our kids, they may notice things […]

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Can you train an Au Pair to be conscious of safety?

by cv harquail October 7, 2010
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Hi AuPairMom, I can’t believe I’m sending this email, but I am at my wit’s end and don’t quite know where else to turn. I’ve been lurking on your blog for about 3 months, ever since we decided that an au pair situation would be a good one for us (we’re first timers). Here’s a […]

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