Enjoying the Christmas season with your host kids

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Talya

kids at Christmas (photo courtesy of dreamstime stock photos)

The Christmas season is officially here, and this is a great time of year to have a lot of fun with the kids you take care of. Even though the days are shorter, colder, and rougher than the rest of the year, there are lots of things you can do to keep the children you take care of occupied.

Depending on where you live, there are probably a lot of different kid-friendly activities being offered in your local community. For au pairs lucky enough to be working in Germany, Christmas markets abound and a trip to one would be a great afternoon outing with kids, both younger and older. Most Christmas markets do not have an entrance charge, and the games, rides, and snacks are not all that expensive.

Other fun activities centered around kids can be found at theathers and museums. Many theaters, even smaller community theaters, offer special programs for children at Christmas. Matinees of the Nutcracker, puppet shows, and other offerings, such as theather workshops, could be a lot of fun to go to with your children. Local museums may also have special exhibitions centered around the holidays, so be sure to check out what they have to offer.

Another great way to have fun with the kids during Christmas is baking. You can never go wrong with Christmas sweets, can you? Baking treats – or even preparing a festive meal – can be a lot of fun with kids, and your host parents will likely not complain about having something yummy to sample. Take this time to introduce your host family to Christmas traditions from your home country.

And if you need some inspiration, check out these kid-friendly Christmas cookies. Enjoy!

 

Posted in Au Pair job/duties, Working with children | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What host families want

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Talya
family on steps

My family does not host an au pair, but it looks like we should!

What are host families really looking for? This is a question I am asked quite frequently. Although there are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites out there about being an au pair, sometimes the most basic information is overlooked. Potential au pairs aren’t exactly sure what qualities are needed to be good at au pairing.

So what do host families actually want in an au pair? I would say the two qualities host families are looking for in au pairs are reliability and flexibility. Families who hire au pairs are usually quite busy and need childcare they can rely on. They need someone who works when they say they will work and who gets the extra jobs done as well. Au pair families don’t have time for flaky.

Flexibility is also important because life in a family isn’t always predictable. At times, host parents need their au pairs to bend a bit. This may mean working extra hours occassionally or changing a schedule at the last minute. As long as host families don’t make a habit of changing an au pair’s work around, some changes are to be expected, and au pairs who can be accept change will do better than those who can’t.

Of course, host families also want au pairs who like children, or who at least can get along well enough with them to do a good job. As I have admitted before, I am not a huge kid person, and I was even less of one at age twenty-one. But I had years of babysitting experience and could work well with children, so not being a massive kids fan didn’t hold me back from having a great au pair experience.

Those are the top of my list of what host families look for in au pairs. What do you think? What are some of the qualities au pairs need to make the job work? I’d love to hear from current (or past) host families on this one …

Posted in Au Pair job/duties, Host Families | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Why you should consider Au Pairing

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Talya

Chinese Tea House Potsdam

As 2011 begins to wind down, it’s time to start thinking ahead towards next year. Do your plans for 2012 include being an au pair overseas? If you are considering a gap year abroad, working as an au pair might make sense for you.

Why? For starters, working as an au pair is a very affordable way to see and experience a new place very inexpensively. The only major cost would be that of the plane ticket to your new country of residence. If you’re lucky, that expense may even be covered in part by your host family. You get room and board as well as a monthly stipend. The monthly salary you get won’t make you rich but is enough to be able to enjoy life.

Another good reason for working as an au pair next year is because in the shaky world economy we are in right now, finding a “real” job isn’t as easy as it has been in the past. Unemployment is still very high in some countries, and jobs are continually being outsourced or cut out altogether. So instead of being at home without a job, why not get some overseas experience and learn a new language?

Another – and maybe the best reason – to consider being an au pair in 2012 is because it is worth it. Yes, working living in a new place and working with kids can be challenging at times, but the au pair job can also be incredibly rewarding. You gain a new family, a new language, invaluable life experience, and more as an au pair. So why not go for it?

 

Posted in Au Pairs, Life abroad | Tagged | Leave a comment