Home Hosting Au Pairs By Kat Abianac / November 29, 2015 Share 430 Tweet Pin 0 Hosting au pairs is a pretty awesome experience. And of course people want to know all about it. Here’s a list of the more amusing questions I get asked regularly. “Aren’t you worried she’ll sleep with your husband?’ NO. I like to think my life choices include a future husband who doesn’t sleep with au pairs. Plus, let’s face it. They’re 20somethings in AUSTRALIA. They don’t just come here for the beaches. 😉 “So is an au pair like a nanny?” Well kind of- except it’s also like a sister, a friend, an extra momma, a flatmate, a wine buddy, a spare taxi driver, a confidante, and an extra teenage child! No- she’s not a professional nanny. She’s an overseas traveller who wants to experience authentic Australian life. Sometimes they’re professionally qualified- but after hosting 15, I can tell you a piece of paper has nothing to do with how well an au pair does in her role. Sometimes when hiring, you just need to trust your gut. “How do you AFFORD it? We could never spend so much money on something we do ourselves already.” Hosting au pairs has provided me extra income- I have the time free to invest in building our family’s future. It’s allowed me to go back to work full-time and still have quality time with my children. We meal plan, and an organised life is less expensive in every way. Plus- they’re not as expensive as you’d think. 😉 I promise! They’re not here to float in your pool and have money thrown at them. “How do you deal with having someone else in your house all the time?!” Well, it turns out, “Surprise!” Au pairs like their personal space just as much as I do. I get more time to myself when my au pair is watching the children- and the best investment you can make in your home is unlimited wi-fi. Au pairs Skype home as often as daily, and they’re here to get out and make friends. Encourage and support them to do this, and everyone will live stress-free in their own little bubbles. What’s MORE of an issue? Keeping your kids out of their much-loved au pair’s room. Set this boundary straight up and have a no-entry rule. “How do you trust a total stranger with your children?” I send my child to daycare every day with carers who I haven’t even met. Have you ever left your child in a gym creche? Shopping centre drop & shop? When hosting au pairs, you know their families, their favourite foods, take them shopping, like their Facebook comments, and help them navigate their fears of being far from home in a brand new country. I’ve never hosted a stranger- just the privilege of extra short-term family members. I help them through our family routine before they start, and I know their limits. I have let au pairs leave early when they weren’t suited to my family- but when your recruitment process is done diligently, the benefits outweigh the risks many times over. See my point? 6. “Can you help me with hosting au pairs? How do I get one, where do I start?” I get asked this on average twice a week. I always reply- and the questions are always so similar! So, here’s The Guide to Hosting an Au Pair in Australia. [purchase_link id=”88″ style=”button” color=”blue” text=”Get the eBook!” direct=”true”] To learn more, head to the eBook page here. I originally published this article on Huffington Post. Share this:TweetEmail
8 comments Chrissie Davies - December 11, 2015 A great read & something I knew very little about. Thanks for shedding some interesting light on this subject. Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Rachel Stewart - December 12, 2015 I think it would be amazing to have an au pair. I think about it sometimes for when the kids are both at school and we’re potentially both working full time, I can see how having an extra pair of hands to help balance the logistics of school pick ups and evenings etc would be extremely worth while. Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Amy @ Handbagmafia - January 1, 2016 I can definitely see the benefits! Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Sara | Kid Magazinr - January 8, 2016 Having an Au Pair would be amazing, we just don’t have a spare room. Do people really ask you some of those questions?!? Sara | Kid Magazinr recently posted…Salmon Rissoles Recipe Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Kat Abianac - January 8, 2016 All of them. 🙂 Hey, that’s really common! Cost of living means for some families, upgrading for the extra bedroom just isn’t worth it. I know some families pop two younger kids together over school holidays just to host for six weeks, to make the most of their time off. Might be an option down the track! x Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Kell @ All Mum Said - January 8, 2016 I have always wondered about hosting an au pair. I have known families in the past who had and was always curious. This is a great read that has answered many of my initial questions! Kell @ All Mum Said recently posted…How To Prepare For Baby When You Don’t Know The Gender Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Robyna | the Mummy & the Minx - January 9, 2016 Thanks for this – it is something I have wondered about in the past. Love the first point – I am sure our husbands would all love to think that they would be so tempting for an au pair, but I am quite sure those boys in the photo are more what the young girl from overseas is looking for! Robyna | the Mummy & the Minx recently posted…Sew? You ready to start? Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Aspiring Millionaire - April 27, 2016 Great points. Many people don’t really know what au pairs do or what’s the difference between a regular nanny and an au pair. Good point about boundaries and alone time – au pairs want their privacy, too. Aspiring Millionaire recently posted…Does being a millionaire mean anything these days? Reply Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Comment Click here to add a comment Leave a comment: Name * Email * Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.