What is the day in the life of an au pair?
Hey Au Pairs!
This blog is dedicated to those of you who may just be starting out your au pair experience. When I became an au pair, I really had no idea what I was doing. I remember I used to spend hours researching, trying to find au pair blogs, and looking for answers to my questions about all the who, what, when, why’s and how’s.
So, today we are breaking it down for you « What is the daily life of an au pair? » and more importantly « How To Become An Au Pair » ??!!
Cheers to trying to figure out this crazy process of becoming an au pair!!
I guess let’s start from the beginning —
What is an au pair and can I be one?
Basically, an au pair is like a nanny but you work in a country that is different from your own home country. It is also a little different because you are there for a cultural exchange.
Do I need to know the language to be an au pair?
Actually, if you only speak English (or the local language) sometimes it can be an advantage. For Europe for example, au pairs are often hired to help kids learn English. Therefore, the fact that you only speak one language can help create an immersive environment for the kids.
Now… HOW do I become an au pair?
Great question, let’s break it down step by step.
Decide if you want to go through an agency or a free website.
To be an au pair in France specifically, you are not legally required to go through an agency. It differs on the country though. For example, if you are a French citizen and going to the USA, you do have to go through an agency.
You can find a family on Facebook, a free website, or go through an agency. The benefit of going through an agency though is that you have a 3rd party looking after you are advocating for you if you are working too many hours, if there is a problem etc. If this option interests you, you can take a look at our sponsor agency Au Pair Butrfly who match au pairs with families in big cities all over France! They also allow you to look through their host family options completely for free!
Make a list of what you want.
It’s important to go into your search with an idea of what your preferences are. What ages of children fo you like? How many kids can you handle? Where exactly do you want to live? For how long? Choosing a host family is a lot like choosing a university. You have so many different choices, and your personality will determine where you will be the best fit!
Start your host family search.
Most of the au pairs in the APOP Community, Skype with 2-3 families before making their final choice. But, some people Skype with 10+ ! All this to say, you want to make sure you really vibe with your host family and you really ask all the questions you have in order to make sure they are a good match for you!
Choose a family and sign your contract.
Once you have chosen each other, you will need to sign the contract and go through the administrative process together. This may seem dull, but it is super important to go through every detail of your experience and have the hard conversations up front. This means talking about salary, hours worked, vacations, activities, etc! You want to be prepared when you land!
Get your visa.
If you go through an agency, you’ll be able to lean on them for support through the visa process. It can be long and confusing so it’s really nice to have a team of people helping you. Another option for help with the visa process is to go through APOP Au Pair Coaching. You can Skype with me! (Edwina) and I will walk you through the process step-by-step!
Fly to your new country!
Spread your wings and fly! Things will be exciting and also challenging once you arrive in your new host country. But open yourself up to all the new experiences you will have. We can assure you that they will change you for the better!
So there you go! Of course, if you need more help you can always subscribe to us on YouTube or catch up with the APOP Community in the APOP Open Forum.
We love hearing your stories and seeing you help each other!
Edwina
xoxox