Take advantage of your host family

Now by telling you to ‘take advantage’ of your host family, I’m not telling you to use and abuse them. Far from it! What I am suggesting is that you take the opportunity to learn from your host family. Learn? From them? What? This might sound a bit strange, and you’re probably thinking that there isn’t much you’d be interested in learning from them beyond language study (if you’re even doing that). After all, they are your host family and your unofficial employers…But chances are, your host parents are active, productive people from whom you could learn some valuable advice and information, if you’re willing to listen.

I actually wish I had paid more attention to my own host family – they were both very accomplished and ambitious, and were self-employed. Now that I am in business for myself, I wish I’d been a bit more interested in my future than I was in boys and going out to party. It wouldn’t have taken much more effort on my part to simply have my eyes and ears open, ready to learn from them.

That said, I did learn from my host parents. I learned more about organization from my host parents than I did my own parents. Granted, they (my host parents) were German and, in my opinion, a bit over-the-top about some things. BUT – I did learn, among other things, the importance of making lists, getting mundane tasks sooner rather than later, and washing  dishes while you’re preparing a meal (avoiding a pile of dirty mess before you’ve even eaten – so practical!). I also learned the importance of honesty and straightforwardness – again, a very German trait, but a very worthwhile one.

Just to be clear, I am not advising you forgo fun nights out on the town to stay home and follow your host parents around with a notebook and pencil. But keep an open mind and be willing to learning from how they live life. While your host family is most certainly not perfect, you may have landed with a gem of a family, and with people who could help you grow as a person. Listen to them and learn, remembering that one day you may end up looking back, wishing you’d paid more attention!

I’d love to hear from any current – or past – au pairs on this one. What have you learned from your host family? Did your experience with them impact you in any way beyond the typical cultural exchange? Do share!