Tips to help get the perfect au pair for you and your family.
Choosing an au pair is no small undertaking. This person is going to be living in your house for months on end and taking care of your children. So, it is important you get as close to a perfect match as possible if you want the experience to be positive for you, your children and the au pair.
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Here are 7 aspects to consider when choosing the right au pair for your family:
1. Personality
For most host families the key to a successful match is dependent on the au pair’s personality. You want the new au pair to have a temperament that fits well with your family and who will be like a sibling to your children. You want to be comfortable leaving this person alone in your home, minding your children and coming on holidays with you. For many host families finding an au pair with the right personality is more important that finding one with previous au pair experience.
It is a good idea to try and get to know your au pair as well as possible before she arrives. It is recommended to have a minimum of two interviews before deciding on your au pair but, ideally, you will have many more conversations than this. Use your correspondence to find out if the au pair is reliable, positive, independent, loves children or any other traits that you deem important.
This is also a great opportunity for the au pair to get to the know the personalities of you and your children and will lead to a smoother settling in process when they arrive.
2. Experience
While personality is the main indicator that you will have a successful au pair match, you still want your au pair to have a decent level of childcare experience. If the au pair has only done a few nights of babysitting here or there, they may not be qualified to take care of your children on a full-time basis. Ask the au pair about their experience and check their references. It is up to you to decide how much experience you want them to have.
3. Motivations
It is important to know the reasons the au pair wants to come and live with you. Read between the lines and gauge their enthusiasm. If they are simply looking for an extended holiday in a foreign country, they are probably not going to be the best au pair for you. You want them to be motivated to work with children, learn about a new culture, study a new language, etc.
You should ask the au pair about their personal relationships. If they are looking to move abroad to get away from a break-up, for instance, they will likely not be the most committed au pair you can find. Similarly, if they are in a committed relationship, moving abroad for a year may make them more like to be homesick and leave early. You must use your interview opportunities and intuition to see if you think the au pair will be committed to their new role in your family.
4. Expectations
For a match to be successful it is vital that au pairs and host families have similar expectations going in. For example, you should be honest and tell the au pair what hours they will be working, what your children are like and any house rules, such as a curfew, that you will implement. All these issues should be discussed in detail and put into an Au Pair Contract which is to be signed by both parties.
5. Skills
Make a list of the skills that are important for you and your family. These can include things like having a driving license, childcare certifications, health and safety certifications, their level of English or relevant language, cooking skills, etc. You can request the au pair send you copies of their driving license or various certificates. When you are checking their references, ask their previous employers about these skills.
6. Spark
As this person is going to be living in your home for a considerable period of time, it is important that you have a spark with them. Through interviews and follow-up correspondence, you should get a fairly good idea of whether or not you will get on with this person. Your children should like the au pair too so make sure they get a chance to speak with the candidate before you decide.
Don’t be afraid to trust your gut. It is important to remember that a potential au pair may be nervous in their interview, particularly if it is not in their native tongue, however, if you have a bad feeling about them, go for another candidate. You want to be totally comfortable inviting this person into your home.
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