tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101477692012-01-10T18:58:39.004ZEverything you need to know about being an au pair! Do you have a question about working as an au pair? You will find the answer here. If you don't, send me your question!Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-39257411495828771972011-01-16T20:25:00.004Z2011-01-17T20:08:35.892Z

I recently purchased the Best Nanny Handbook and was very impressed with the information in it. I thought it would be a light reading, however it is full of useful information. Even though it's not a thick book with hundreds of pages, the author hit the topics right. If you don't have much time and wanna crash course on childcare, keeping a good relationship with the family and basically how to

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-39828569939103170022009-12-03T04:47:00.003Z2009-12-03T04:56:19.196Z

I got an email yesterday from an au pair who had a bad experience with her host family. She was asking my opinion about what to do. Some of her friends told her to go back home instead of changing the family.I understand her friends' point but as I understand this family was just not a good fit for her and vice versa. That's why it is so important to do a very thorough interview beforehand.I

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-56829273542610586082009-08-05T20:34:00.002Z2009-08-05T20:47:36.468Z

Some families believe that au pairs cannot give the same level of care nannies can provide for their children. It might be true for some cases. But I believe if the families put some effort into choosing the right au pair rather than just expecting an agency to do the matching, it might be well worth it. Every family and their lifestyle is unique. Every kid is different and so are the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-33987314912017026972009-07-10T04:57:00.002Z2009-07-10T05:05:08.316Z

Finding a good family is every au pair candidates first concern. Many of us refer to the various au pair web sites nowadays to find families because it is fast and easy thanks to the easy Internet access most of the world is enjoying. I found my families at http://www.aupairconnect.com and I was lucky enough to be matched with great families.There are still some precautions to take during the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-65056734882552201652009-03-09T16:30:00.002Z2009-03-09T16:33:48.736Z

It is very important to pay special attention to the ages of the children before taking any au pair job. Children under two years of age need constant attention and it might be little overwhelming to take care of a young child for a young au pair. Make sure you have experience in the age group you are signing up for. Child development is very important and the caretaker should know the needs of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-49637682799802223472009-02-23T21:42:00.003Z2009-02-23T21:48:55.570Z

Changing host families while in the US should be done through the agency au pair is working with. Only the government approved au pair agencies can help you change families. They find the new family which is also a member of the agency. They introduce and help the au pair move to the new host family's house. If the agency does not make these arrangements, au pair will be breaking the immigration

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-36605268047988118902009-02-16T20:21:00.003Z2009-02-16T20:34:46.719Z

Being an au pair is not for everybody. It takes certain characteristics to make the au pair adventure work for both parties. Families hire an au pair like having live-in childcare as these parents usually work long hours. That doesn't mean au pair should work constantly or irregular hours. However, an ideal au pair for such parents is flexible and willing to help out a busy household. Au pair

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-74418437483108933932009-01-20T01:07:00.003Z2009-01-20T01:51:25.104Z

There is always a chance that au pair and the family may not get along or may not be the best match for each other. It is not easy to live with anyone and au pair situation is no different. If you find yourself in a situation where you wish to change the family, learn from this experience and pick your next family accordingly.Figure out the reason why it didn't work out with the family. Look for

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-59412908629594980342009-01-17T01:47:00.002Z2009-01-17T01:56:24.893Z

There is no set rule about the travel expenses of the au pairs. Some countries may already have rules such as USA where you have to use an agency to get there. In this case, au pair gives a deposit that covers her airfare, but she gets it back when she successfully completes the program and goes back to her home country. We can say that she eventually gets her airfare back from the agency. I am

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-56136322895681414802009-01-11T23:35:00.002Z2009-01-11T23:43:04.545Z

Even though most of us enjoy being away from our parent's house for a while, traveling, learning new things, meeting new people, there are things we miss or find it little hard to deal with. Being an au pair is not all about fun and games. You got to take good care of your charges, make sure they are safe and sound. Of course taking care of children is not the easiest thing in the world. Most

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-13204537773089431632009-01-09T00:55:00.002Z2009-01-09T01:10:14.483Z

Nannies are professional childcare workers with substantial childcare experience compared to au pairs. Nanny is considered an employee of the family while au pair is considered a part of the family. Au pairs do receive a pocket money no matter which country they work at while nannies receive a salary which sometimes they may have to live on, in the case of live-out nannies. Live-out nannies go to

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-9081775464625742672009-01-05T21:41:00.002Z2009-01-05T21:43:47.602Z

I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year. I am always here ready to answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge. Email me any questions you have.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-25721920531930088012008-12-29T20:41:00.002Z2008-12-29T20:56:18.965Z

Worldwide economic crises has made this Christmas little sour for most people. Even though Christmas presents became a part of the Christmas tradition, I read about people losing their jobs and having a hard time getting presents for their children all the time. It is sad but Christmas is no about material things. My favorite thing about Christmas is to be able to spend more time with my family

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-6531505091933247642008-12-21T23:14:00.002Z2008-12-21T23:23:50.250Z

The best way to cope with homesickness during my au pair stays was to make friends. Other au pairs are your best choice when it comes to dealing with problems such as homesickness. They are in the same situation as you and they are living in a different country away from their family and friends. You already have tons of things in common not to mention you can learn about other cultures as well

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-53870456644015315572008-12-16T21:38:00.002Z2008-12-16T21:43:30.170Z

Being an au pair in Europe for a European au pair is easy as no visa is required. You have to check the requirements for each country separately before you make your travel arrangements. Make a list of the countries you are interested in, then check to see if they need special requirements for their au pair programs. Europeans can freely travel in EU and some countries have special au pair

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-79617039190917205122008-12-15T21:56:00.003Z2008-12-15T22:12:12.121Z

Even though au pairs are not professional childcare workers, some experience with children is mandatory to prevent future problems. This applies to babies and young children especially. I would recommend prior experience with babies if you are going to take care of them.Holding and feeding the babies, changing diapers are all very delicate. If the caregiver doesn't know how to handle a baby, she

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-2219377416131281162008-12-11T23:11:00.003Z2008-12-18T00:13:29.284Z

Most of us love children dearly and find the au pair job easy and fun to do. Young au pairs have goals to achieve during their visit such as learning or mastering their language skills. Most of us take many courses in English to be ready or have a basic understanding in our home country. I have discussed many times the topic of where to go to learn English. Two countries are the subject of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-33752739558928262782008-12-06T21:46:00.002Z2008-12-06T21:54:31.219Z

If you are going to be an au pair in America, it is most likely that you are going to have to drive. You may have to drive the children you are looking after to their school and to other activities. Other than that, you would need to be able to drive for yourself as the public transportation system is nearly non-existent in the suburbs.Good news is that roads and traffic are very good compared to

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-8030879523286251832008-12-04T01:59:00.002Z2008-12-04T02:16:32.705Z

If you are trying to go to a country where English is the language like US, I highly recommend you have a good understanding of the language. This applies to all countries by the way. However, I get emails from au pairs asking me this questions specifically about the US.First of all, it is imperative to have a good understanding of the language because of emergencies. Think of an emergency

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-8810463569787204282008-12-01T18:54:00.003Z2008-12-01T19:18:44.279Z

I had some friends who were au pairs in America. We share stories to compare differences between cultures and life in various countries. Some surprising things for me to hear about US were long working hours of parents (therefore their au pairs) and transportation.Obviously people in the US work longer hours, most of them even over 40 hours a week. Adding the traffic and commute to this, average

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-61138159237059999592008-11-25T21:06:00.002Z2008-11-25T21:15:49.577Z

Au pairs from all over the world have the impression that going to the US on a tourist visa will allow them to work anywhere they like. I talked to several friends who have been there with an agency, they don't recommend this avenue as it is too risk and illegal. They realize that it takes some time and effort to make an arrangement to go there, but it's worth it to do the paperwork right if you

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-31022358277790696942008-07-28T00:03:00.002Z2008-07-28T00:13:38.712Z

I love summer, it's my favorite season of the year and I would love to live in a place where there is no winter and cold weather. When I think of summer the first thing that comes to my mind is the beach. Unfortunately I usually live far away from the beach and I have to settle with a nice pool.When the summer comes around and if I am in charge of young children, I can't help but feel little

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-47590599882251685792008-07-15T20:45:00.002Z2008-07-15T21:06:30.674Z

I have received an email from an au pair who is currently in the US. She is happy with the family however she sounds a bit overwhelmed with the number of children she is taking care of. She states there are 4 children in her charge and it can get hectic sometimes.I know that having to take care of 4 children can be a bit too much for most au pairs. I know of other au pairs who had 3-4 children in

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-11310965228252064692007-09-14T00:17:00.000Z2007-09-14T00:29:10.588Z

Most au pairs are young women who are separated from their family for the first time. Homesickness is a big issue for many of the au pairs I got to know. If you are feeling homesick, you are not alone. My solution to homesickness was to surround myself with other au pairs. I feel better when I am surrounded with people I have something in common with. In this case, it's homesickness. As I made

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-90549210796570053412007-09-12T21:40:00.000Z2007-09-12T21:56:34.500Z

Primary goal of the au pair life is to get to know another culture and language while living and taking care of a family's children. Number of au pairs complain that they are not compatible with their host family. The problem might also be the culture shock and people may not realise it.It is not possible to move to another country and pick up the culture right away. Things will be different,

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-82747461759662597522007-08-10T23:13:00.000Z2007-08-10T23:23:37.534Z

With the growth of the Internet certain problems arise for people who try to use it for legitimate reasons. I found my jobs through the Internet and didn't have problems with the scammers back then. Now I receive scam mails everyday. Although they are easy to spot, I think some people still have a hard time distinguishing them as the scams get more sophisticated.My first advise is to not to get

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-62921041959083409892007-04-19T22:55:00.000Z2007-04-19T23:11:50.390Z

I get tons of email from au pairs all over the world. Thankfully, most of them are great stories about how wonderful the au pair experience is. There are also some emails about things not working out and au pairs trying to figure out how to quit.I believe that people can work out most issues, but sometimes it simply doesn't work out. My advise on the best way to part with a family is to give them

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1166476264808901742006-12-18T21:02:00.000Z2006-12-18T21:11:04.816Z

As Christmas approaches, I remember the days when we were stuck indoors most of the day. The best activity to occupy the children was to read books. Thankfully, all children I looked after loved books as much as I do. Parents had a ton of books for us to read and look through on these cold winter days. Even the babies love colorful books with interesting shapes. I could tell how much they liked

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1164669509084076762006-11-27T23:06:00.000Z2006-11-27T23:18:29.190Z

Caring for a baby is different than caring for older children. I learned more about babies after my nieces were born. It was a great experience and tons of fun to take babysit for them. I have to admit it is not always fun and easy to take care of a baby. They cannot talk for one thing, only way they can communicate is to cry when they need something.First tool you need to take care of a baby is

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1163114671902725282006-11-09T23:09:00.000Z2006-11-09T23:24:31.960Z

Countries with established au pair programs limit the age of au pairs they accept. Usually, this age is 28. Au pair programs are designed for young people who want to improve their language skills and learn about the country's culture. I realize many young women want to participate in au pair programs. If there is an age limit for a country, getting au pair visa won't be possible. Some of these

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1151102472636834552006-06-23T22:26:00.000Z2006-06-23T22:41:12.646Z

With summer arriving in the northern hemisphere, a lot of us go to the pool to cool off. I love water and swimming, I don't know anyone who doesn't. Children are especially very fund of water, but can be very dangerous around the pool. When I take them to the pool, I take every precaution I can to male sure they are safe at all times. What does that mean? I never take my eyes off of them. Even

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1150405608371905742006-06-15T20:53:00.000Z2006-06-15T21:06:48.393Z

For me the au pair experience is first about cultural exchange. Of course, a good au pair must love children and take care of them very well. However, when you live in another country with a host family you don't really know very well there will be differences. I said differences not issues or problems because I think most "problems" or "issues" stem from cultural differences. Of course, there

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1149883363809638732006-06-09T19:45:00.000Z2006-06-09T20:02:43.823Z

Babies can be a lot of fun to take care of. After all Don't forget to added responsibility that comes with taking care of a baby. Au pairs usually are not supposed to take care of very young babies. Families should keep in mind that au pair is generally a young person and not an experienced childcare worker like a nanny.Some important points for au pairs who are looking after infants: Never

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1148420260216370602006-05-23T21:29:00.000Z2006-05-23T21:37:40.226Z

If the au pair and the family are a great match, au pair experience can be a lot of fun. People can be hesitant at first, but usually relax as they get to know each other. Families are leaving their children with practically a stranger, au pair is moving to another country for this family she hardly knows... I understand both parties and everyone should try to make it work for a successful year.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1132787824309235352005-11-23T23:09:00.000Z2005-11-23T23:17:04.330Z

I really enjoyed my time as an au pair in the UK. I recommend it to everyone. London is a great city with so much to see and do. Whether you like pubs, culture or just strolling down the streets, you will like London.Only downside is that it is very expensive. I could do the little things I wanted to do in London on my au pair allowance. Luckly, I joined my host family for excursions to the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1130267646847701042005-10-25T18:54:00.000Z2005-10-25T19:14:06.853Z

Many au pair candidates ask me about the families they are about to choose. I can give you some individual advise but the important thing is what you the au pair wants.First, make a list of the things that are important for you, conditions that you have to have to live.Second, make a list of the things you want to accomplish during your au pair stay.Third, review your language, childcare and

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1129777702005155382005-10-20T02:50:00.000Z2005-10-20T03:08:22.013Z

A good friend of mine is an au pair in Virginia USA now. She was inspired by me and decided to go to USA for au pair venture. She is very close to Washington, DC in a town called Vienna (not to be mistaken with the capital of Austria).I called her tonight just to see how she is doing. We have been friends since high school and been close friends ever since. She has been there for 1 week and she

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1128646019022598992005-10-07T00:38:00.000Z2005-10-07T00:46:59.030Z

Working in Europe as a European is very easy. European Union countries allow each other's citizens to stay up to certain time and work as au pair. European au pairs won't need a visa or anything like that to be an au pair.New European Union countries are also allowed to work as au pair in some countries. Some countries may require them to have residence permit and/or work permit. This depends on

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1127794129529141232005-09-27T03:49:00.000Z2005-09-27T04:08:49.540Z

I just wanted to share my recent trip to the USA with you. I thought it might be helpful to the au pairs who are planning to go to the USA. I went there for my summer vacation. I have never been in the USA even though I have many American friends in the Netherlands. I must say that it is a beautiful country first of all.I have visited New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I think these are the

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1126581508491034172005-09-13T03:18:00.000Z2005-09-13T03:18:28.496Z

Au pair helps the families with childcare and light housekeeping. Families should not even ask au pairs to clean their house, do parent's laundry, wash the windows of the house etc... In most Western countries, families usually have a cleaner who comes in once a week to clean the house. Au pair is usually responsible for the children's laundry and light housekeeping. Light housekeeping is

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1125781568255909522005-09-03T21:06:00.000Z2005-09-03T21:06:08.266Z

Hi au pair friends, I got some emails from fellow au pair friends about the activities they can do with the children. Most au pairs asking this question are looking after young children. Some of you mention that it is more fun to look after older children. This might be true for some au pairs. I love young children especially babies. You may think there is not much to do with the babies. You

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1125691871481271632005-09-02T20:01:00.001Z2005-09-02T20:11:11.483Z

Hi au pair friends,I decided to give my answers to some questions I get from other au pair friends here. I hope it can benefit all of you if you have similar questions.Some of you are already in another country as an au pair working with wonderful families. Some of you may have problems with your arrangement.My first advise is to communicate any problems bothering you with the host family.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1125516099819025452005-08-31T19:21:00.000Z2005-09-01T00:28:09.566Z

I receive tons of emails from the fellow au pair friends about USA. Although I've never been an au pair there my best friend did. I am familiar with the process.Some of you ask me about the visas. First of all, if you want to go to the US, you must get a J-1 visa. I only recommend a J-1 visa even though some au pair sites tells you on the internet you can get a H-1 visa or something like that.

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1125367760537519052005-08-30T02:09:00.000Z2005-08-30T02:19:00.480Z

Hello,I get so many emails from other au pairs asking me how to go about choosing a host family. My first advise is to go with your instincts. You are the person who can make the best decision.I would ask many questions to the family. Most important one is to get a clear work schedule and duties. You must get these written if you can in your au pair contract.You must also ask them for pictures of

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1108157046767674502005-02-11T20:25:00.000Z2005-02-11T21:24:06.766Z

I wonder if au pairs keep in touch with their old host families. I personally do. Mostly because I wonder how the children are doing. They grow up so quickly!We of course use email most of the time. We can send pictures to each other, even cards on birthdays. My UK host family has a new au pair now and they are getting along very well which makes me happy. They are lucky and their au pair is very

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1105824667230099242005-01-15T21:30:00.000Z2005-01-15T21:31:07.230Z

I have gathered some useful information for my fellow au pair friends. I hope these tips help you with your host family.When I got my first au pair job, there wasn't any resource to help me out. I had to figure out everything on my own. I think the most important thing to be a happy au pair is the respect between the au pair and the host family. You and the family live in the same house like most

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10147769.post-1105684787616060232005-01-14T06:38:00.000Z2005-01-14T06:39:47.616Z

Hello, my name is Jana. I am a 23 year old au pair girl from the Netherlands. I have traveled to UK and Italy as an au pair last years after I graduated from college and loved it. That's why I'd like to try it again. I studied to be a kindergarden teacher at the university and taking some time off for more hands on experience and get to know new cultures. I love children of any age and I am very

Janahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16269924568791427715noreply@blogger.com1