Nanny Au Pair

What is a nanny au pair? Are they a good idea for your family’s specific childcare needs? These are very important questions, and a lot of analysis needs to be done in order to figure out if getting an au pair is the way to go, but to even begin to answer that question, you first need to know what an au pair is.

The term “au pair� comes from an old French term that means “on par.� This is used to describe a young person who is living on an equal basis with a host family, normally in a foreign country. The au pair agrees to help the family with child care and house work while staying as an official guest of the family, and usually receives free food, board, and a small monthly allowance. An au pair is normally a young woman, though sometimes a young man, almost always under thirty years old, who is accepted into the host family as an extended family member, hence the term “au pair.�

In most circumstances the au pair will live one, or even two, years and help work for the family helping around the home for an agreed upon number of hours and days. In most cases, it is reasonable for a nanny au pair to expect two days off a week, and to work no more than forty hours a week. In exchange, the family is expected to offer a private room, to have meals with the au pair, and to offer a small weekly allowance. This practice is most common in France and the United Kingdom.

During this time an au pair is considered an equal part of the family, and not a servant. This is often a hard fine line for both sides to cross. Often, an au pair will eat with the family most of the time, and occasionally join in some family activities. An au pair also understands that a family may want time all to themselves, and so especially during the evening may retire to their room to study, read, or watch TVâ€"or go out with friends from the language school that she/he is most likely enrolled at.

Different countries have different rules and different expectations, but virtually all au pairs, regardless of nation, have at least the same general expectations as far as type of work, hours of work, basic respectful treatment of each other, etc. Having an official contract that stipulates the specifics of each situation and outlines everyone’s expectations on the relationship will help to ensure that both sides are happy and protected.

A nanny au pair is a great solution to many for getting affordable quality child care, but also opening opportunities for students from overseas to travel to new places and further their education. This also provides an opportunity for the children to learn about other cultures, and enrich everyone’s overall lives.

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