The Ultimate List of Interview Questions Au Pairs Want to Ask Host Families (But Might Be Too Shy to Ask)
Hi, Abbie and Maddie here. For aspiring au pairs, the first interview with a host family can be extraordinarily stressful. Au pairs are just as nervous about finding the right host family as host families are about finding the right au pair. What should au pairs ask...
Ultimate List of Au Pair Interview Questions
Hi, Abbie and Maddie here. Asking the right questions is crucial to making a great au pair match. There is a fine balance to strike. On one hand you need to learn about what it will be like for this person to live with you and care for your children. You also want...
Host Parent Interview With Lisa Sanabria
This blog post is part of the host parent interview series where we get to know other families who are hosting au pairs. Every family is different and we like to represent a variety of views. We’d love it if you’d consider being a guest on our blog. Message us on...
Practical Guide to Au Pair Welcome Baskets
Hi, Abbie and Maddie here. We’re all about keeping it real. Some people are super-artsy and create Pinterest- and Instagram-worthy au pair welcome baskets. (If you’re one of those people, more power to you!) For the rest of us, it’s possible to create a nice, simple...
Au Pair and Host Family Taxes
Taxes suck! They are complicated, time consuming, and financially draining. We know that you’d rather be off playing with your kids so we pulled together some tax basics to help get you pointed in the right direction.
This post was originally published March 8, 2019 and has been updated for 2020.
DISCLAIMER: Please consult your tax advisor or the IRS for definitive answers about your personal tax situation. General tax information provided in this article does not constitute tax advice.
How to Calculate Au Pair Vacation Time Off
This guide covers:
1) Basics and norms of au pair vacation time off
2) How to calculate the equivalent of two weeks of paid vacation time off
Help Your Extension Au Pair Renew Their J-1 Visa
Update June 22, 2020: President Trump has issued an Executive Order barring approval of certain visa types, including J-1 visas. This order is effective until December 31, 2020. Au pairs currently in the U.S. are permitted to remain, and extend. New au pairs who have...
Host Parent Interview With Jenny Coleman
This blog is part of the host parent interview series where we get to know other families who are hosting au pairs. Every family is different and we like to represent the variety of views. We’d love it if you’d consider being a guest on our blog. Message us on...
Departure Checklist for Families and Au Pairs
In the excitement of welcoming a new au pair, details with your departing au pair can get overlooked. Our departure checklist will keep you on track.
Host Parent Interview with the Jones Family
Today we interview the Jones family. They tell us about life during the COVID-19 quarantine and adventures with their three French au pairs.
One Day at a Time: A Reflection on Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic
When life gets tough I take it one day at a time. Today I’m taking the opportunity to slow down and reflect on life during the coronavirus pandemic.
Should I Pay for That? A Guide to Au Pair Expenses
Who pays for what can get a little complicated. This guide outlines who is typically responsible for common au pair expenses.
Help Your Kids Transition Between Au Pairs
Children in daycares and who have nannies also experience caregiver turnover, but it’s more ad hoc. At least with au pairs, it’s a planned (if inevitable) change. We’ve both had multiple au pairs–here are our best tips to help your kids transition between au pairs.
Interview with host parent Carrie
We sat down with host parent Carrie M to find out more from other host parents like her what her experiences have been with her au pairs, her experiences with rematching, and her advice to other host families.
Worried about new au pair laws? Take Action!
Are you worried about the changing domestic worker laws in your area and how they may affect the au pair program? We decided it was time to take action.
Reward Your Au Pair Without Giving a Raise
We can’t afford to give our au pair a raise. However, there are things I can do to reward my au pair and show her how much I appreciate her.
I'm Giving My Au Pair a Raise
The minimum au pair stipend has been $195.75 per week since 2009. But is that really fair? My husband and I have decided that our au pair deserves a raise.
Tips For Scheduling Across Time Zones
Scheduling across time zones to set up au pair interviews can be challenging. These are the tips, tricks, and tools I use to make world scheduling easier.
3 Tips to Help Your Au Pair Pass the Driver’s License Test
In the USA most au pair host parents need an au pair who can drive. We have 3 tips to make the au pair driver’s license process a little easier.
How to search for the perfect au pair
Are you struggling with the search to find the perfect au pair? Keep it simple: write down your au pair selection criteria, narrowly filter, and interview.
Massachusetts Legal Decision: Are Au Pairs Domestic Workers?
Are au pairs domestic workers or cultural exchange visitors? We’ve got a quick summary of Massachusetts legal decision, what it means, resources and links, and more information about domestic workers in general.
Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Au Pair
Struggling to find the perfect Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, or Festivus gift for your au pair? We have an holiday gift idea for you!
78 Reasons I’m Thankful for My Au Pair
This is the time of year we are most thankful to have an extra set of hands to help with the kids. Thank you au pairs for all your hard work!
How to Pick an Au Pair Agency
Should I pick an au pair agency based on cost? Availability of au pairs? Quality of service? These are our au pair agency recommendations.
Halloween Jack: An Au Pair Love Story
Move over elf-on-a-shelf, Halloween Jack is taking over and he is in love with my au pair! Grab a glass of wine and settle in for this hilarious love story.
How to Get Your Au Pair’s Social Security Number
The social security office isn’t a regular visit for most Americans. So helping your au pair get her or his social security number SSN can be intimidating.
4 Steps to Reclaim Your Life: Step 4 – Make the Most of Your Time
Time has become a form of currency in my life. With the addition of children to my already busy life, I have had to pinch and save time like pennies to make ends meet. In the same way that I hate to waste money, I also hate to waste time.
4 Steps to Reclaim Your Life: Step 3 – Make a Plan and Stick to It
If something is important to you, then make a plan and stick to it. Add it to your schedule and have the discipline to follow through.
4 Steps to Reclaim Your Life: Step 2 – Engage Your Village
You can’t have it all if you plan to do it all by yourself. Engage your village to gain economies of scale and save everyone time and energy.
4 Steps to Reclaim Your Life: Step 1 – Say “No”
This 4 part blog series details the techniques I now use to reclaim my life when it gets out of control. Part One: Say “NO” will help you cut and reduce.
3 Tips for Controlling Au Pair Cell Phone Expenses
Because your au pair needs to call you in case of an emergency, you need to provide a cell phone and pay for a basic plan. But cell phones can be expensive. The cost of the phone, the accessories, and the usage plan really add up. There are a few ways to keep these costs in check. These are my tips for controlling cell phone expenses for your au pair.
3 Back to School Tips To Do With Your Au Pair
Hi, Abbie and Maddie both here this post! In the greater Seattle area, school doesn’t start until after Labor Day. But in many cities across the US school starts in the next week or two. The start of school means changes no matter when it happens. We’ve teamed up to...
What You Need to Know About the Au Pair Class Action Lawsuit
This article contains a summary of the recent au pair class-action lawsuit result, as well as links to the actual court documents so you can read them yourself.
What Makes a Great Au Pair Host Family?
I often ask myself “what makes a great au pair host family? What would I want from a host family if the roles were reversed?” We also see this question pop up in au pair Facebook groups, so we know other host parents are interested, too.
Two Fun Language Games for Kids
I am excited about having an au pair because my kids to be exposed to another language. I use the games Find the Word and Nursery Songs help teach my children French.
Easter, Passover, and Spring Roundup
We can’t believe it’s almost Easter already! This spring is just flying by.
In case you’re just as distracted as we are, here are some links and ways to share Easter or Passover or whatever spring celebration you have with your au pair.
Let’s Talk About Rematch
Hi! Maggie here.
Recently I had to rematch, which means that we cancelled our au pair’s contract before her year was up. Even though our au pair was a nice person and wonderful with the children (especially with the baby), she couldn’t be on time to save her life. Even after months of working with her, she continued to struggle with time management. We had to make a choice…to stay with her until the end of her 12 months, or to rematch.
How much does an au pair cost?
Allie here. When I first found out about au pairs, I thought that it would be really expensive. After all, the whole reason I had put my three pre-school boys in daycare in the first place was because I had a friend who was a nanny, and I knew how much she charged.
In this article, we’ll start with the general overall cost per year and month (the exact amount will depend on your agency, where you live, etc.), and then go into detail of all these sub-costs:
* Agency fees
* Au pair wages (stipend)
* Additional fees such as education
* Cost of doing business (insurance, phone plan, etc.)
On average, childcare using an au pair will cost about $19,000 per year, which breaks down to about $1,580 per month, or $360 per week (yearly cost divided by 52 weeks).
I budget about $1700-$1900 per month including a car payment for a third car and other random expenses.
What is an au pair?
Abbie here. What is an au pair? Au pairs are like the best-kept childcare secret! I heard about au pairs from my friend Maddie. Maddie heard about au pairs from a friend of her mother-in-law’s at a party.
And even when Madddie got her au pair two years before me, I kept wondering how she could afford it. It seemed like something super fancy and out of my league, until I found out it was so much less expensive than daycare for our three boys. It took me a while to get used to the idea (and to finally clean out the spare room in our house), and now my husband and I wish we had used au pairs as our childcare sooner.