Tips

The Weirdest Stuff Can Work Sometimes with Au Pair Host Kids

by cv harquail September 3, 2015
au pair, mischief, fairies

House Elves Encore Presentations Arm Wrestling to decide who gets to decide. Sometimes the sillier you make it, the easier it is for kids to just roll with the concept. In our family, the House Elves are the ones who don’t actually clean up after everyone. They are supposed to, but they don’t. The kids […]

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How to improve your Au Pair relationship in just one minute

by cv harquail July 11, 2015
cat in hat saying WORD

If I told you that you could improve your relationship with your au pair in just one minute, would you try it? Sure you would. You’re a busy host mom (or dad), juggling many demands and competing priorities. And, you’re a busy host mom who wants her au pair to know when she is doing […]

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Share Your System? Tips from Host Parents

by cv harquail October 23, 2014
3905740362_7b8a332cbe_o

A new kind of open thread, where you can share the systems that keep you sane.

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3 Easy Ways to Help Your Au Pair Use Your Home Appliances Correctly

by cv harquail October 10, 2014
wash maching

American appliances have too many options. Having endless options is great for getting just the right setting for a specific task, but it becomes quite a problem when you’re forever trying to remember which combinations of buttons and levers to press. Between our vacuum cleaner (5 attachments, 3 wands and 5 buttons), our washer (23 […]

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4 Household Rules to Protect Your Host Parent Sanity

by cv harquail January 3, 2012
adulthood ahead brookeryanphoto etsy.jpg

If you take it out, put it back. If you open it, close it. If you drop it, pick it up. If you take it off, hang it up. These rules also work well in situations with children, spouses, coworkers, or other humans.     Image by Brooke Ryan, available on Etsy. This graffiti was […]

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Christmas & Holidays with your Au Pair: Post round-up

by cv harquail November 25, 2011
balloon highway.jpg

The Christmas & Holiday season is now officially upon us — just in time to work off that second slice of pumpkin pie. I think I’m finally figuring out how to do these seasonal celebrations — I’ve got the weekly countdown calendar planner out again. We’ve sent out party invitations and even bought cases of […]

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Can you guess what prompted this Host Parent tip?

by cv harquail January 5, 2009
bleach cleaner au pairs system

My husband laughs at me — in a kind way, he insists — every time he sees me do something like this. I try to explain that there is indeed a method to my madness, and that behind every quirky tactic in our household is an accident that’s now easier to avoid. But he still […]

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15 Tips from 15 Host Moms

by cv harquail January 5, 2009
brungrrl s chistmas mosaic

Cruising through the comments and wincing at the many that I haven’t answered adequately, I was reminded how many little tidbits you all have been sharing on the blog. It can be overwhelming to provide advice for a knotty problem, or for a first timer, because there really is so much to share. Funny thing […]

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How much should you tip your Au Pair at Christmas?

by cv harquail December 12, 2008
peace house

If you celebrate Christmas and if you don’t, the quote-unquote Holidays are a time of year when many people think about giving, some people think about getting, and most of us think about both. If you were to search for information about Christmas Tips for au pairs, you’d discover that the commonly-advised amount is "one […]

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Tip: It is Probably Better NOT to Talk About Daniel Craig …

by cv harquail November 18, 2008
daniel craig, sex appeal, James Bond, 007, Moms, au pair advice

… with your Au Pair, or for that matter, when your Au Pair is nearby. Can you see why? And yes, Kathy, Jamie, Margot and Sarah, I’m talking to you.  :-)

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