What is an Au Pair
“Au Pair” means “on par” or “equal” and describes a person between 18 and 30 years old, who lives with a host family in a foreign country usually for a six to twelve months period. The tasks of the Au Pair include the care of children and light household work in return for free board and some pocket money. As the Au Pair is seen as a family member, she/he will have a chance to explore another language, culture and country. But the Au Pair experience also enriches the lives of the parents and children. It is exciting to have an “international” household and learn about cultural differences while parents can be trusted that their little ones are in good hands.
Expectations of an Au Pair
You can chose to become an Au Pair in New Zealand, Australia, Europe or the USA. Because you will be part of a family, it is important that you show an interest through joining activities and outings and to communicate whenever you feel uncomfortable with something.
As much as you would like to have some time for yourself sometimes, it is also important that you recognise when your family needs some ‘time off’. You will often notice that the culture in your host country is very different than your own one, but being an Au Pair in New Zealand, Australia, Europe or the USA means also learning to be flexible and adjust yourself. If you cannot cope with this, you will not be suitable to be an Au Pair.
Your main task as an Au Pair is the care of children. A typical day can start in the morning with waking up the children, help them to get dressed and prepare breakfast. Sometimes you will also prepare a packed lunch. While the children are at school or in kindergarten, you might tidy up their toys, clean up the kitchen and organise their rooms. After school you may bring the children to activities or play and read with them, help with homework if any, and just let them have a good time. Other duties can be some laundry and dinner preparation. Every family is different and these tasks can vary. However, all working hours are discussed beforehand with the au pair and the host family before arrival and agreed upon in a contract once the Au Pair has started her task.
As you work with children and are a role model for them, it is important to consider a few things: child safety is an absolute priority! You will also have to be patience with the children, even if they make a situation impossible for you and you should definitely not use inappropriate language. It is also prohibited to smoke in the area of the children or in the house.
In your spare time you can decide yourself what you want to do. You can attend a language course, join a sport club, catch up with other au pairs etc. Keep in mind though, that you have to inform your family when you go out and that you need to ask for permission if you want to bring over friends. If you are not certain about something, it is better to ask one time too much, than not to ask at all!
Why choose Linguavision for this experience
We know what we do and we love it! After being au pairs ourselves and travelling around the world, we want others to experience the same unforgettable time. We know what it is like to be away from home. We have gone through some tough times as well, but went back with a lot of good memories and made friends for life!
Linguavision and its partners support the au pair from the moment of enrolment until it is time to go home.This can be through mediation or by helping with travel advise or tips for language & hobby courses and so on. Families are checked in a way, so they can be matched with a suitable Au Pair.
Being an Au Pair in New Zealand, Australia, Europe or the USA with Linguavision means first of all an unforgettable experience with friends for life and lots of good memories to take back home.
