What Do Host Families Need To Look For In An Au Pair

Searching for the right Au Pair to join your family can be stressful and sometimes scary. Thoughts like, “What if you chose the wrong person?” “What if they weren’t exactly what you expected them to be?” may run through your head. You may have already heard of families who weren’t very happy with their hosting experience as well, and the last thing you want is for it to happen to your family. However, we noticed that these unfortunate situations usually occur when families aren’t sure of who and what kind of help they really need to begin with. 

It’s important for the host family to be very clear with their expectations and perhaps, try to also make those expectations reasonable. In this article, we will share with you what families need to look for in an Au Pair and why they matter in your hosting journey.

1. Positive Attitude 

Happiness is contagious! An Au Pair with a positive outlook on life will more likely affect the way you approach your daily responsibilities at home, at work, and in life in general. Have you ever walked into a room full of vibrant, bubbly, and smiley people and instantly felt positive? If you have, then you know that surrounding yourself with an Au Pair with a positive attitude will make you an even better person. Your kids would probably love an Au Pair who likes to laugh too!

2. Kid-at-Heart

One of the most important things host families need to look for in an Au Pair is their ability to interact with the kids in the most fun, gentle way. Young individuals with a kid-at-heart usually understand what it’s like to be a kid and therefore have better ways of approaching them. Maturity matters too, but you will find that kids will gravitate more to their Au Pairs when they act like a cool older sibling, not as a parent who implements strict rules. 

3. Patient and Kind

As a parent, we already know that kids can sometimes test our patience to the fullest. It is therefore important for us to ensure that the Au Pair we choose are patient when dealing with the kids in different situations. You’ll be able to find out how an Au Pair reacts to certain situations by giving them situational and behavioral questions during your interview with them. Kindness, on the other hand, is another important trait host families need to look for in an Au Pair but this usually comes naturally to so many of us. Patience and kindness go hand in hand.

4. Friendly and a Good Listener

Your kids will surely love an Au Pair who’s friendly, someone who’s always willing to start a conversation, and shows that he/she is genuinely interested in anything that they do and say.  Find an Au Pair who would be happy to listen to your kids’ funny jokes, brilliant ideas, and sometimes their cries. Kids especially love it when they’re being complimented no matter how silly we think their ideas are. We highly recommend that host families look for an Au Pair who is willing to be your kids’ friend and confidant. 

5. Trustworthy 

The easiest way to know if an Au Pair is trustworthy is of course by asking police checks and verifying references. The safety of our children and our home will always come first. Take the time to get to know people who previously worked with the Au Pair to get an idea of their personality and their experiences with children overall. This can take a while and may require your time and effort. If you don’t have the time to do this, let us know. Our agency is open during business hours, we can take care of the Au Pair search, screening, and background checks for you. Our service also includes schedule templates and a list of important interview questions to ask an Au Pair.

The cultural exchange that happens when you host an Au Pair is an incredible opportunity to show the world to your little ones. It will help them discover new cultures and languages as well as create lasting relationships with their “big sisters/brothers.” The Au Pair search, however, can be quite lengthy and requires effort and sometimes too much money. Send us an email at support@99aupairs.com if you need assistance with your Au Pair search, we are happy to help.