The extra, and sometimes unexpected, awesomeness of Au Pair child care comes in the form of personal growth for the Au Pair, Host Parents and Children. Au Pairs are triumphant over challenges big and small which propels them into the future with strength and courage. They are changed by the love from their Host Family as much as the Host Family excels from the care the Au Pair provides.
Host Parents discover more energy and quality time to enjoy with their children, spouse and home, in addition to excelling in their careers and personal interests. For growing and developing Host Children, the Au Pair is a mentor, coach, cheerleader, role model and teacher, guiding them on their journey of growing up.
The Journey, as Described by Our Participants
Well, not even on a piece of paper could I describe the feeling I have in my heart towards them. When I arrived in this country, I fulfilled my expectations and more than what this program promised me: a good experience, meeting places, new people, a pleasant family and improving my English skills, among others. What they did no tell me was the strong bond, the wonderful feeling, and the meaning of love that I still do not know: my host family.
Being in this home gives me the hope that everything in my life will be prosperous and happy, every day I learn something new, even from my mistakes. I would like to thank you for making me feel at home, for all our jokes at dinner, thank you also for the difficult days because it is there that I learn to be stronger, independent, be patient and not lose hope that bad days have a deadline . For their confidence in leaving their children, the most precious asset of their lives. The experience I have in my host family provides me with things I would never learn in my comfort zone, they always find a way to help me with my English, encourage me to do that, ideas of places to visit, encourage me to have a healthy eating and an active sports life!
Finding the right role model is another important thing to me as working parent. It’s a little alarming to think that whatever option you choose for childcare will be spending more waking hours during the work week with your kids then you do. The good news is when you select an au pair you’re choosing from a pool of candidates who are all brave, strong, adventurous and fun-loving (just think of what it takes to sign up for a program where you live in another country for a year with a family you’ve never met who doesn’t even speak the same language). G [Au Pair] is absolutely exceptional in these categories, and she’s been the perfect role model for our kids. She goes out of her way to make the kids activities extra special with homemade-glitter-unicorn gift bags for my daughter’s birthday party and made-from-scratch cakes and desserts. She facilitates friendships for them, and she still makes time to go on her own adventures. She shows the kids that hard work pays off and demonstrates kindness, friendships, organization, fun and creativity on a daily basis.
I have many memories of them, they showed me that making mistakes is ok and how to keep moving through the circumstances, they taught me with patience and love to be better in a different language that I didn’t know, all of them made me be a better version of myself, my host parents gave me all their trust and took care of me as a one member more in this family
