What does an au pair’s typical day look like? If you’re considering hosting an au pair, you might be trying to picture what your family’s life would be like with another adult living in your home and caring for your children. To give you an idea of how an au pair could integrate into your own family’s daily routine, we asked some of our fantastic au pairs to share a typical day with their host family.
Charné from South Africa, au pair to 3 children in Chicago, IL
“I make sure that the kids have breakfast, are dressed and ready for school. I then either drive them to school or walk them to the school bus. On days when my youngest doesn’t have school, we play outside, visit the local library, go to open gym, play at home, go on play dates, etc! Once everyone is home from school we have lunch and do homework and reading. We then do afternoon activities – play in the park, visit museums, walk in the neighborhood, have play dates, visit the library or play at home. I then bath the kids and if we have time we read books, do puzzles, play games or have a dance party.”
Tammie from South Africa, au pair to 5 children in Leonardtown, MD
“A typical day with my family would be to wake up and be ready for work at 7 am. I help the twin girls aged 4 get ready for school as well as care for the youngest daughter, who is 16 months. The youngest daughter stays home with me until 12pm, which is when the twins get home from school. During my time caring, I do fun activities, i.e. art, playing dress up (role plays), dance, prepare lunch and see to snacks when the children are hungry. My host boy gets home at 3pm, and I help him with homework and prepare his snack. When my host parents get home, we talk about how our day went, joke around, have dinner and just relax together.”
Caroline from Sweden, au pair to 2 children in Seattle, WA
“I usually wake up at 7am. I help out with the morning routine, such as helping the kids with breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc., and after that I drive my 3-year-old to her preschool. Most days I will have a few hours off until noon, when I pick the 3-year-old up and then put her down for a nap. A couple of hours later, my 6-year old comes home with the school bus. We usually stay around the house and play (he loves Lego!). After some play time with the 6-year-old, the 3-year-old wakes up, and we play a little more – all of us, until dinner is ready. By that time I’m usually free to do what I want, either join my host family for dinner, or do my own thing.”
Just as every family is unique, each au pair’s experience and daily schedule varies depending on the needs of the host family. Learn more about Au Pair in America’s different program options, such as the EduCare program, for host families with school-aged children who need care primarily during the morning and evening hours.
The post A Typical Day in the Life of an Au Pair appeared first on Kid Notes: The Au Pair in America Blog.
Source: of america
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