Help your au pair settle in

We are a host family from Ireland. We have been getting aupairs for the past five years and everyone of the au pairs has come to us through AuPairWorld.

I have three boys which can be scary for an au pair but so far we have been very lucky and always got nice girls who are happy to run in the park and bounce on the trampoline with them. Our last au pair Maria has just left now and we are looking for someone new.

Help your aupair to settle in

When an au pair arrives we do our best to reassure them and help them settle in while getting to know the children. There are other families with au pairs in the area so we often introduce them to the au pair.

I like to show the au pair where the buses to the city centre are and to local shopping centres. I show her the local parks, gyms and other amenities that she can use in her spare time.

We are used to have a time table

We think its best to spend a few weeks at home helping the au pair settle in with the children. It can be difficult to get into a routine so we have a time table. Some au pairs like to eat with the family. Maria for example preferred to go to classes or to exercise and to eat later. That was fine because we would sit and chat when I came home from work or at the weekends.

Communication is very important

For the most part are experience with au pairs has been extremely positive and our children enjoy the company. The most important thing for the au pair and the family is that the au pair communicates all the time and that the family give the au pair a chance to make changes.