Tips For New Au Pairs
Living for a year in another culture and another language is not always easy! However, by keeping communication open with your host family and LCC (Local Childcare Coordinator) most challenges can be overcome.
Here are our Top Tips for good communication:
Ask lots of questions – asking your host parents as much as possible is a good way to avoid misunderstandings early on. What are the rules of the home? When can you use the car? What kinds of safety concerns do the parents have? The more you ask the more you’ll know.
If you feel upset about something, ask for help or clarification. Remember that Americans respond best when you ask in a soft way. Say, “Can you help me better understand this situation?” rather than “I am unhappy about this situation”.
If you have a problem with something in your host family, it’s best to try talking to them first. If that doesn’t work you can always contact the LCC. Also, always remember that if you can’t reach the LCC for some reason, our Boston staff is there to support you! Don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Even if it’s easier to talk to your parents or friends back home, remember that they are far away. Talk to the people nearby that can help you.
If you need support or help, don’t try to struggle through on your own! Talk to someone and seek out the help you need. Keep in mind that communication is the key.
The “Real Deal”
To give you the real picture on what being an au pair is like, check out the advice below of real au pairs at the end of their year:
Probably my best advice would be that you need to be honest to your host family – trust is the biggest foundation in a relationship between host parents and au pairs. If there are problems, the usually are the result from trust issues and miscommunication. So I would say that there should be a lot of communication between both parties about everything. About the work the au pair does, about the kids, about decision who need to be made, about credits, about vocation, the car, the cell phone, … about everything. And I also would say that every (new) au pair needs to remember the reason why they are in the states: and that is taking care of children. That always should be the main priority.
The best advice I can offer to an au pair who is about to come to the U.S is to put children first in their minds as the first priority, happiness, friends etc will be added. To respect your host family as your real one and also COMMUNICATION is the most important thing in this program, if you don’t communicate with your family the rest of your year won’t be easy.
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