Au Pairing In Your 20s

Hey Au Pairs!

As an au pair in my 20s there have been moments throughout my au pair journey where I have noticed I am older than my au pair counterparts. I only chose to start au pairing at this age because I didn’t know about the world of au pairing at the age of 18! Had I known about au pairing before I would have jumped at the opportunity! Hence, I’ve definitely felt like the “older au pair” especially when compared to the swarm of younger au pairs I’d encounter around me.

To learn more about what life is like as an older au pair keep on reading!

Be Prepared To Befriend Younger Au Pairs

Choosing an au pair in my 20s meant befriending fellow au pairs who were younger than me. This meant I was typically the oldest person in my friend group. I didn’t realize how popular au pairing was for younger people who were fresh out of high school! Having just graduated university when I started au pairing, I have to admit it felt a little strange to be surrounded around recent high school graduates.

It felt a bit like revisiting high school, but I quickly realized that age is just a number! Many of my younger au pair friends and I had A LOT more in common than I anticipated. In the end it didn’t matter that I was a few years older than the other au pairs in my friend group!

Host Families May Consider Your Age To Be A Plus

When looking for potential host families I recall many of the families I spoke to saw my age as being an asset, as they associated it with being mature. I know some aspiring au pairs who have just graduated high school have a tough time finding a host family to au pair due to their age. Although this does depend on the family, each family is different and may have an age preference that they seek out in their au pairs.

My most recent host family revealed that they wouldn’t want to welcome an au pair younger than 22 into their home as they would feel as though they were taking in another kid. So, in this respect my age was seen as appealing to them.

You May Be At A Different Stage In Your Life Than Younger Au Pairs

The beauty of au pairing is that it can serve as a break in your career and life in general. I tend to au pair exclusively in the summers and whenever I do I like to think of it as a break from my regular job of teaching English in Spain. Having recently graduated university, I also use this time to reflect upon what I’d like my career to be and plan out how to attain my future end goals. Teaching English in Spain is great, but definitely not my dream job.

In this regard, you may be at a different stage in your life when compared to your younger au pair friends. They on the other hand may have just graduated high school and are probably looking forward to university. In my experience, most of the younger au pairs I met were using their au pair year as a break from school and were hoping to start university as soon as they got back to their home countries. Whereas, I was busy contemplating what my next career move would entail.

Have your ever found yourself to be the older au pair in your friend group? Let me know in the comments below!