Au Pairing for A Newbie Family Vs An Experienced Family

Hey Au Paris!

As you’re browsing families to au pair for this summer or the next academic year you might just come across an array of family profiles belonging to both experienced au pair families and newbie au pair families who have never had an au pair before! As you make a list of your most favorite family profiles it’s important to consider the advantage and disadvantages to au pairing for either family. I’ve been an au pair to both types of families and have garnered a list of positives and negatives to both family types that I will share with you!

Here are 2 pros and cons for au pairing for an experienced vs inexperienced host family:

Pros To Choosing An Experienced Au Pair Family:

1.No Blurred Lines

An experienced host family will probably have their routine for you down pat! Meaning there won’t be as many moments for you in which you question what your role as an au pair for them entails. When I au pair in Zamora, Spain an experience you can read about here, my host family had already had many au pairs before me and they provided me with my own personal au pair schedule! It was clear when I was to work and for how long! Never did I question if I had to linger around after lunch or if I was supposed to do extra work! The schedule gave me the exact details of my expectations as their au pair!

2. The Kids Know What To Expect

One of my favorite aspects to au pairing for this particular family in Zamora, Spain was that the kids already had experiences with previous au pairs so they knew exactly how my role was integrated into the family! Their parents had made it clear that while they were away at work I was the person in charge, and they also respected that my time off was for me and me alone!

Cons To Choosing An Experienced Au Pair Family:

1.You’re Compared To Previous Au Pairs

If you’re au pairing for a family who has had au pairs in the past you might just be compared to the other au pairs. The kids will probably mention how the past au pairs did things around the home or played with them. This is harmless of course, but may prove to be a little annoying after a while!

2. No Special Treatment

Since the family is used to having au pairs around they may not go above and beyond to ensure your stay with them is as pleasant as possible. Sure, they’ll check in to make sure you’re happy and taken care of but they won’t go out of their way to treat you or take you on special trips. They’ll most likely look at you as an employee rather than a member of the family because they are accustomed to hosting au pairs who are then replaced each year. This might not be the case for each family as every family is different of course.

Pros To Choosing A Newbie Au Pair Family:

1.You’ll Get All The Special Treatment

As you’re the first au pair this family has taken in, you might be pampered and given all sorts of special treatment! The family will probably go out of their way to ensure you’re happy, take you out to eat and invite you on trips! While serving as the first au pair to a family in La Rioja, an experience you can read more about here, I was spoiled thoroughly. My host family took me around their region to go out to eat and have picnics. They also checked in with me regularly to make sure I was happy and that the kids were behaving.

This was also true for my experience au pairing in the suburbs of Paris for a newbie au pair family! This family did exactly what the family in La Rioja did, but they took it a step further by buying me a new iPad as a thank you for all the work I was doing!

2.You Get To Negotiate

As I was to become the first au pair to a family in the suburbs of Paris I asked them for a higher weekly pocket money wage than was listed on aupairworld. I did this because I felt that I had earned a higher pay due to all my experience. I also asked them to consider paying for my Navigo pass since this was a common trend among au pairs in Paris. My host family eventually agreed to pay for my Navigo pass, and paid me MORE weekly than I was originally asked! They also threw in free private French lessons!

In contrast when I asked my experienced au pair family in Zamora if they could up my weekly pocket money by 10 euros they said no, because they had always paid the minimum weekly wage and didn't think it was necessary, despite my experience.

Cons To Choosing A Newbie Au Pair Family:

1.Setting Boundaries Might Be Tricky

Since you’re the new au pair, the kids might find it difficult to know the boundaries already known by kids of experienced au pair families. You might have to explain to the host parents that you don’t want the kids entering your room during your time off, and to share with the kids that your time off is your own personal time for doing whatever you want to do. My host kids in La Rioja eventually understood that my time off was meant for just myself, but I did catch them in my room once or twice.

2.Figuring Out Your Schedule Might Take A While

When I was au pairing in La Rioja, it took a while for me to figure out exactly everything I was supposed to do. Since it was their first time taking in an au pair, and my first time au pairing we had to work together in order to come up with a daily routine for me to do. Sometimes it was hard to determine if I was off duty, and I would have to check in with the parents to make sure I was done for the day. This always felt awkward to me, but towards the end I began to fully comprehend what my expectations and routines were!

Have you ever been an au pair to an experienced or newbie au pair family? Which did you prefer? Let me know in the comments down below!