extending

Write Your Departing Au Pair A Decent Letter of Reference

by cv harquail April 5, 2016
230188091_c8e093c7aa_m

…as long as she wasn’t unsafe, devious, or truly dreadful. A Host Parent Letter of Reference Makes a Difference Whether it’s for an au pair extending with another family, rematching due to poor fit with you, or applying for a job, school program or other opportunity, a letter of reference helps your au pair document […]

29 comments Read the full article →

Should We Extend? Au Pair is Great, but also Boring

by cv harquail January 20, 2016
6a00e54fdb9f7e883301bb07eef2bd970d-450wi

I laughed out loud at the subject line of the email that sent this issue to Au Pair Mom. It’s almost — but not quite– a luxury to imagine being bothered by a “boring” Au Pair, if this Au Pair comes on the heels of a “Flameout”, a “Party Girl”, or a “Couch Potato”.  Not […]

14 comments Read the full article →

Why Extend an Au Pair Who Bothers You?

by cv harquail August 18, 2015
taking my picture

What We Think vs. What We Know This FrustratedHM thinks she should extend with her less than so-so Au Pair. But she knows that she doesn’t want to. Why is it that so many times we ask each other for permission to do what we know is the right action? As if someone’s going to […]

35 comments Read the full article →

Au Pair Declines to Extend, Now Her Host Parents Are Mean

by cv harquail March 6, 2015
14017168977_187fe9af9d_m

When you have an Au Pair you like, the idea of extending for another 6, 9, or 12 months seems so tempting! We can imagine ourselves just gliding into that extra time, relieved of the burden of finding, training, and adapting to a new au pair. So when we ask our Au Pairs to extend— […]

34 comments Read the full article →

Switching Your Au Pair to a Different Visa is Difficult and Costly

by cv harquail February 24, 2013

Many a host parent has wished to keep a great au pair forever and ever– or at least longer than the legal year plus year extension.   And many an au pair (including a few of my own, and their friends) have gone to great lengths to find a legal or vaguely legal way to […]

47 comments Read the full article →

Despite bad Au Pair performance: “My heart can’t handle the thought of destroying her life by sending her home”

by cv harquail February 3, 2013

AFHost Mom posted this in the comments of a different post, and I’ve moved it here so that it can have its own conversation. Au Pair Moms, I need a reality check. We’ve just extended with our South American AP. She is very loving, very sweet, and loves the kids a lot. Her care has […]

82 comments Read the full article →

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

by cv harquail September 9, 2010
3738235118_7cff0f664c_b.jpg

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: […]

15 comments Read the full article →

Seasons of the Au Pair Year: What happens with extensions?

by cv harquail August 15, 2010
ranunculus chiccountrymouse.jpg

Gianna popped in with a question about seasons of the au pair year, and how these change when you decide to extend with the same au pair… I added a bit to Gianna’s initial question, to flesh out the whole picture: It seems that the first year, for many people, the au pair relationship follows […]

23 comments Read the full article →

Can I revise my promise to sponsor my au pair?

by cv harquail July 21, 2010
jek i the box mini bench.jpg

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 […]

52 comments Read the full article →

Au Pair Asks: How can I gently decline my Host Mom’s advice?

by cv harquail April 26, 2010
201004261520.jpg

One of my guilty pleasures as a host mom has been to think that I’ve been able to give my au pairs some good advice. After all, I’ve had a lot of life experience, I’m opening-minded, I have relevant professional experience, and — let’s face it– I usually know what I’m talking about (grin). Therefore, […]

12 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries