It can be daunting to find a host family as an au pair. It’s a tremendous job, and doing your research is essential.
You can use social media, websites, and agencies to help you find a host family. But it’s crucial, to be honest about your goals.
Do Your Research
Conducting research or consulting organizations like Go Au Pair while looking for the ideal host family for an au pair is crucial. It entails enquiring attentively about other au pairs’ experiences with the family they have worked with and listening to their responses.
Ultimately, this can help determine if a host family fits you and your children.
Once you’ve found a potential match, you must be honest about your expectations and requirements during the matching process.
If your expectations aren’t met, it’s okay to say no and move on to another family. It will allow you to find an au pair who meets your needs and make your experience as easy as possible.
Know Your Rights
When you’re an au pair, knowing your rights is essential. That way, you can avoid a situation where your host family takes advantage of you.
It’s also important to remember that you are an adult, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to live in your host family’s home.
For example, to avoid strangers entering your house overnight, be upfront with your au pair about that. They’ll appreciate that you aren’t allowing them to waltz in and stay for days.
Know What You Want
Choosing the right family for your au pair placement can be nerve-wracking. However, you should know that every host family and au pair match is unique, so it’s essential to be open-minded during the search.
When interviewing potential host families, it is essential to ensure they are a good fit for you and your lifestyle. It would be best, to be honest about what you want and what is important to you.
When you first meet a host family, ask lots of questions to find out as much as possible about their children, pets, and life in their home. It will help you decide whether you’ll like being their au pair.
Be Honest
It’s no secret that finding a suitable host family is hard. With such a large pool of families looking to hire an au pair, it can be challenging to find the perfect match.
Thankfully, there are a few things that au pairs can do to make the process easier and less stressful.
The first step is being truthful and specific about what you seek. You should create a list of your non-negotiables, which are the things that you won’t compromise on during the interview process.
One of the most crucial things to remember is that you should only accept an offer from a host family after performing extensive research and thoroughly considering it. That way, you’ll avoid the stress and misunderstandings that can often occur when an au pair says “yes” to a family, they aren’t comfortable with.
Be Flexible
When finding a host family for an au pair, being flexible is essential. It can mean allowing an au pair to have more free time than they originally had in their application, adjusting their schedule so that they can attend your kids’ school or other activities, or even accepting an au pair whose language skills aren’t as strong as you would like.
It will enable you to determine whether an au pair would make a suitable addition to your family and home. It also allows you to discuss any questions before making your decision. These conversations can be made on a video call or over the phone.
Don’t Be Pressured
Au pairs are young people from abroad who come to the United States for a year as one-part nannies and one-part exchange students.
They live with host families, care for children and get a weekly stipend. They are expected to be an equal part of the family and must share meals, outings, holidays, and vacation travel with the hosts.
It can be difficult for some families. They may not have the time to devote to an au pair, and they don’t want her to feel like she’s taking over their lives.
Be bold and let the au pair know if it fits better. She may be able to find another family who will love her just as much!
Ask Questions
Getting to know the family you will be staying with is essential. Asking questions will help you understand how the family lives, how they like to be treated, and whether they are a good match for your needs.
Many au pairs are nervous about their first interview with a host family. It is normal, and it’s okay to feel that way.
Ask questions during your first interview, and don’t hesitate to discuss anything. Be open and honest, and show that you’re interested in them as a person, not just their children!
