Being an au pair is a fantastic opportunity to explore another country and learn new skills. There are many benefits of being an au pair; for example, you can gain qualifications that will help you find a job in the future. You have the chance to practice your language skills and make new friends at the home of your host family.
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Here Are 5 Tips About Au Pairing And What To Expect
1. Au Pairing Isn’t Just Babysitting!
What many people think of when they hear ‘au pair’ is a glorified babysitter, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! Being an Au Pair means living with a family where you take part in their everyday life, getting to know them, and spending time with them.
You won’t just be looking after their children every day; instead, you’ll be planning activities to do with the children, spending time teaching and interacting with them, cooking nutritious meals for everyone in the family, keeping up to date on their schooling, and taking part in typical family life.
2. It’s Not All Fun And Games!
Au pairing can be a very rewarding job, but it isn’t just about spending all day having fun; hard work is required if you want to make a good impression on your host family and become an integral part of their home. The first couple of weeks will be difficult because you’ll be getting used to your new surroundings and learning how everything operates.
At first, you’ll find yourself struggling to keep up with your commitments, such as cooking healthy meals every night, ensuring that the kids get picked up from school on time, and getting them ready to go to bed.
3. Be Prepared For Cross-Culture Differences
If your host family has kids, they will come with different experiences and cultures; you’ll be expected to understand and respect these differences, so it’s important for you to be as accommodating as possible.
For instance, if your host child has a favorite food that they often ask for and the family doesn’t keep it in their house, don’t take this personally or try to change them! Your job is to integrate into the family’s life as seamlessly as possible, and expecting them to cater to your needs completely would defeat this purpose.
4. Stay Open-Minded
The best au pairs are those who stay positive and open-minded throughout their time abroad; there may well be things about living in another country which isn’t pleasant, e.g. You’ve found out that the food isn’t to your taste, but you aren’t going to enjoy your time if you moan about things like this.
Being open-minded also refers to your approach to the family’s parenting choices. Not everyone will agree with each other when it comes to child-rearing, but as long as the kids respect boundaries at all times (e.g. You don’t let them stay up past their bedtime), then ultimately, it’s down to the family how you raise their children. If you disagree with something, be open about it in a polite manner and explain how you would do things differently.
5. Don’t Forget To Have Fun!
Being an Au Pair is a great opportunity to travel around your host country and meet new people. It would be best to save a car accident lawyer number on your phone so that you know who to call for legal advice.
In addition, take the time out of your busy schedule to explore somewhere new, go on day trips with the family or take up a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. Remember that if you don’t take some time for yourself, then all your hard work will quickly become very depressing.
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