Aupair World - Experience reports written by host families and au pairs


Homepage Find an Au Pair Find a Family Register as Family Register as an au pair My Aupair World Questions & Answers Au Pair Programmes Au Pair A–Z Premium Membership Au Pair Stories References News			/ Au Pair Stories Au Pair Stories The au pair placement is a unique experience for young people from all over the world. The same is true for families, who even host more than one au pair from different countries. Here, au pairs and host families tell about their unforgettable experiences. Participate and share your experience! Fabienne, mère d'accueil : je recommande Aupair World pour trouver un jeune au pair sérieux La famille de Frank et Fabienne a déjà accueilli trois jeunes. Au début, il était difficile de choisir à qui confier ses enfants. Ils ont fini par trouver une bonne manière de faire... Bonjour, je suis Fabienne, mère de famille d'accueil en France. Voilà maintenant plusieurs... Due settimane per rimanere nel cuore Sometimes it only takes two weeks to understand that some moments in our lives will stay with us forever. The video and the story that host father Emilio sent us prove it. Emilio writes in Italian. Scoprire di avere trovato una sorella maggiore dopo sole due settimane Forse scrivere della nostra dolce e... Matthieu à Londres: My au pair experience was one of the most amazing ones! Matthieu de France est le premier jeune homme au pair à nous écrire son témoignage. Sa nouvelle famille à Londres a complètement changé sa vie : aujourd'hui, il a enfin trouvé un travail dans la métropole. Après une première expérience sans succès près de Birmingham en Angleterre, je... Au pair Ariadna in France: No te lo pienses! Hazlo! Trabajar de au pair tiene muchas ventajas: "Es una manera muy bonita y práctica de pasar unas buenas vacaciones con unos niños encantadores y aprender idiomas, viajar y descubrir otras culturas!" afirma Ariadna de España. Sus estancias en Francia fueron experiencias inolvidables. Buenos días! Me llamo Ariadna vivo en la ciudad de Girona en Catalunya y tengo 22 años. Durante los... Au pair Anna: five summers with my 'adopted family' in Greece Five years ago, Anna, a Slovakian student, decided to work as a summer au pair in the Mediterrean countries. She found a nice family in Greece via Aupair World. For Anna, this was the beginning of a great emotional journey into a new culture. She got to know her new family – whom she adopted for life. It is unbelievable, but it has been more than 5 years now that I looked at your page for the first time! I was... Hostmum Daniela: Both the family and the au pair have to commit themselves Host mum Daniela has decided to share with us not only her own story but also a couple of useful tips on how to get the most from the au pair experience. Daniela writes in Italian. Con tre bambini piccoli in famiglia c'era bisogno di aiuto Abbiamo tre bambini molto piccoli: la prima... Ilse: ¨An au pair needs self-confidence¨ Host mum Ilse, from the Netherlands, will be hosting her 6th au pair soon. Her au pairs so far were all different but most of them got along truly well with her two children. With an autistic child at home, she was happy to have a helping hand. Ilse writes in Dutch. Onze zoektocht begon 3,5 jaar geleden via Aupair World Sinds die tijd hebben we inmiddels 5 au-pairs... Notre première fille au pair : expérience réussie ! Sandra, mère d'accueil en France, s'est lancée dans l'aventure au pair pour la première fois. Elle a trouvé Cally, originaire d'Irlande, afin de s'occuper de ses trois enfants. Découvrez ici pourquoi Sandra aimerait renouveler cette expérience. Après avoir beaucoup entendu parlé du site Aupair World, je m'y suis rendue afin de tenter de... María: Mis hijas ya me preguntan cuándo vendrá su amiga de jugar Maria y su familia no se pueden imaginar una vida sin au pair. Cada uno de los seis au pairs que han acogido hasta este momento han enriquecido su vida familial con nuevas costumbres y tradiciones. Somos una familia de 6 (3 niños + 2 (nosotros) + 1 au pair). Tenemos 3 hijos y desde hace años, casi... Hostmum Eleonora: Do it, it's worth it! With a background of 12 au pairs, host mum Eleonora from Milan has no doubts at all: hosting an au pair is the best experience that you can do. Eleonora writes in Italian. Molto più di una baby-sitter Che dire? L’esperienza di avere una ragazza alla pari è... Hostmum Elena: An au pair can change your life! Host mum Elena from Italy tells us how sometimes an au pair can change your life so much that one day you find yourself jumping on a plane to go and visit her. Elena writes in Italian. Un aiuto con le bambine e per le bambine Sono mamma Elena dall’Italia. Ho deciso di rivolgermi... Host mum Kim: We hope our next au pair experience is as great as the first! Host mum Kim from Canada had a great experience with her first au pair Mia. The kids now miss her a lot. Today, they are still in contact and last summer the whole family visited her in her native country Finland. Read how they found each other. We live in BC Canada, I am a teacher and my husband is a police officer. We first heard about the whole au pair... Gastmutter Christina: Au Pairs erhalten einen festen Platz in unserer Familie! Ihr Sohn soll zweisprachig aufwachsen: Gastmutter Christina aus Deutschland hat mit ihrem ersten französischen Au Pair Flora gleich eine tolle Erfahrung gemacht. Mit den Au Pairs danach lief es nicht immer so gut. Aber Christina sucht weiter. Unser Sohn, inzwischen 8 Jahre alt, sollte mehrsprachig aufwachsen. Vom ersten Tag seiner Geburt hat mein Mann mit... Wij hopen dat onze au pair volgende zomer terugkomt! Voor Ilse en Steven, gastouders uit België, was het een leuke ervaring een au pair thuis te ontvangen. Lucy, uit de USA, hebben ze onmiddelijk als hun eigen tienerdochter beschouwd. Dit jaar hebben we onze eerste aupair Lucy uit de USA. De bedoeling was ons zoontje de Engelse taal aan te leren... Christine témoigne : Je salue le courage des jeunes au pair Le premier jeune au pair à aller chez la famille de Christine était un jeune autrichien. Les suivants firent également apprendre l'allemand aux enfants de la famille francaise. Tant et si bien que maintenant, les enfants fréquentent une école franco-allemande. C’est une histoire qui a commencé par hasard, qui n’est pas terminée et qui se poursuit... Au pair Evelina: what a lovely birthday surprise! This is our shortest experience report, but very impressive: Evelina, an au pair from Jokkmokk, Northern Sweden, started her experience in Finland on her birthday. Find out what happened when she met her "new family". Hey, hey! On July 29, 2011 I sat on the flight from Luleå to Porvoo, Finland. It was my birthday.... Au Pair Aurélie : « J'ai trouvé ma famille en une semaine seulement » Aurélie, originaire de la France, a toujours rêvé d'aller en Angleterre comme au pair. Au début, elle ne maîtrisait pas l'anglais. Aujourd'hui, après deux stages, elle le parle couramment. J'ai toujours rêvé d'aller en Angleterre. Mais la barrière de la langue m'a... My seven unforgettable months in Delingsdorf Laure from France is planning to work as an au pair in Germany: she likes the culture and wishes to brush up her German. However, how is she supposed to find a matching host family? Laure know what to do. She writes her story in French. J’avais quelques attentes avant de partir, mais elles ont largement été comblées voire... Valeria: It's a give-and-take experience! Valeria has decided to share with us her point of view on au pair placement. Even though sometimes one must take into account negative experiences as well, Valeria believes that a mutual exchange is by far the best way to learn and grow. Valeria writes in Italian. Siamo una famiglia di quattro persone mamma, papà e due bambini di 9 e quasi 11 anni. Abitiamo in una... Hosting an au pair – it's worth it! The first time was not easy for anybody in the beginning. However, host mum Carmen and her family later became really fond of au pair Anna from Austria. In the meantime, the family has hosted three more au pairs. Nos gustaría compartir nuestra experiencia con todos vosotros, porque creemos que os puede ayudar a la hora... I have never been this happy in my life! Claires start off as an au pair in Australia did not really meet her expectations. However, she would not want to do without her experience with her three host families. She finds the family of her dreams on her second au pair placement in France. Here she finds out that being an au pair is definitely worth it. Claire writes her story in German. Nach dreizehn Jahren Schule war es endlich so weit: Australien!!! Neun Jahre wartete ich schon darauf. Drei Jahre... Dad with five kids needs help! Living in the UK countryside with five children: “No one wants to be our au pair.” That was the experience of host father Angus. He was then happy to discover Aupair World and could not resist the temptation of sending us his au pair story – being an author himself. We like it very much! I saw that Aupair World were looking for experiences. Well I couldn’t resist the temptation, a bit... Au pair Marina: I truly became fond of my host family! Au pair Marina from Germany truly enjoyed her stay in Ireland. She proved that showing initiative is what counts. Marina improved her language skills while going shopping and in her daily life. She appreciated helping her host family in their daily routine, although it wasn't always easy. Marina writes in German. Ich war von September 2010 bis April 2011 als Au Pair in Irland. Alles fing damit an, dass ich mich Weihnachten... An amazing adventure! Their first experience with an au pair was disappointing. But Carine's family, from France, decided not to give up and in the end they were proved right: their second try was a great success! Carine writes in French. Cette année, pour la première fois nous avons tenté l’aventure des jeunes filles au... Camilla: it's a truly important experience! Host mum Camilla from Italy tells us about her unforgettable au pairs and the wonderful rapport her family quickly developed with them. A bond being so strong that she sometimes feels as if she had many different daughters from all over Europe! Camilla writes her story in Italian. Siamo già arrivati a quota 16 Sono ormai diversi anni che ospitiamo delle ragazze... Jolinda: An au-pair? A great solution! Jolinda, host mum in the Netherlands, was quite concerned when her child was born: she quickly realized that finding a good child care solution would actually be quite tricky. However, the family finally came up with a great idea: they would host an au pair! Jolinda writes in Dutch. Bij de komst van de kleine was al definitief dat papa het eerste jaar thuis zou blijven. Maar wat dan? Mogelijk... Our children fell in love with her immediately Host mom Tiina from Finland is utterly enthusiastic about her Spanish au pair girl. The children liked her from the start. It was a genuine cultural exchange. They also enjoyed the au pair's parents' visit in Finland. We decided to invite an au pair girl to join our family in 2006. We looked at the au pair candidates and we made a... It is good to better get to know yourself ! Miriam from Germany spent one year in Finland as an au pair. Besides learning a lot about her host country, she learnt much about herself. Miriam writes in German. Ich heiße Miriam, bin 24 Jahre alt und komme aus Deutschland. Zur Zeit bin als Au Pair in Finnland. Bevor... The first time ever I saw snow and felt it! According to Ursula from South Africa, becoming an au pair is bound with a lot of preparation in the first place. Her experience was worth it indeed. She really enjoyed her stay in the Netherlands and is therefore applying for a new placement. Ursula writes about her experience in form of an interview in English. Last year was my first time being an Au Pair in Amersfoort in the Netherlands for six months for two boys aged 7... My host parents always supported me Being an au pair for the first time means gaining new experiences. Helena from Gernany not only improved her knowledge the French language and culture; but she also put her skills as surrogate mother to the test, and she also made new friends, amongst others her host parents. Helena writes in German. Ich bin Studentin an der Universität Siegen. Dort studiere ich Lehramt für die Fächer Deutsch,... We would like to encourage other host families to invite an au pair Teresa and her family live in Spain. For the first time they invited an au pair and welcomed Kaja from Slovenia. It was a success for both sides and a great cultural exchange! Teresa writes in Spanish. Os voy a contar nuestra experiencia como familia que acoge a una au pair. Nosotros tenemos tres hijos, una... Au Pair Hellen: Now I'm fluent in German! Au pair Hellen from Kenia showed great courage and a big heart. When she arrived in Germany, her host country, she had to wait for a second attempt, before finding the right host family. In the end, though, she grew so fond of them, that she remained by their side even after a very unfortunate event and without getting paid. Today Hellen is fluent in German. My journey as au pair started in 2004 when I completed my collage course. I was only 22 years and very frightened... Host mum Mari: My son is already asking when the next au pair will come At first they had lots of doubts, but with the arrival of the first au pair all of their doubts were gone. Mari and her family have grown fond of each one of their au pairs and now Mari's son can't wait to meet the new one. Mari writes in Spanish. Nuestra familia empezó con la idea de tener au pair el día que mi hijo comenzó a estudiar en... Host mother Monica: Being an au pair means gaining life experience! Monica's family, from Italy, has had different experiences with each one of their au pairs. “We hosted girls from Australia and the USA. Living with people coming from such different backgrounds was not only positive for us but also for our children.” Monica writes in Italian. Prima au pair, prima figlia acquisita La nostra prima ragazza au pair era australiana ed è stata... Host mum Kate: Enjoy the time with your au pair! Host mum Kate from Scotland appreciates all of her au pairs from different countries. She came to the conclusion that an au pair stay is a great experience for all parties concerned – au pairs, host parents and children. We have had 4 au pairs over the last 3 years and have enjoyed every single one of them! We live in Scotland, near... Host mum Antje: my children get on very well with au pairs! According to host mum Antje from Germany, the first weeks with the very first au pair were not easy. However, by making an effort on both sides, things quickly began to run smoothly. That's why Antje is now searching her fourth au pair. Antje writes in German. Wir sind eine sechsköpfige Familie in Deutschland. Mittlerweile haben wir das dritte Au Pair. Alle drei haben... Au Pair Melania: I found a second family Au pair Melania from Italy tells us about her first experience as an au pair. It all started one evening two years ago, by chance, while she was sitting in front of her computer. She let her instinct guide her in the choice of the right family. Now she confesses that she is proud to have found a second family! Melania writes in Italian. Ciao, mi chiamo Melania, ho 29 anni e sono una ragazza italiana, per la precisione sono nata e vissuta a Napoli,... Au pair Ana Alicia: a great experience I would like to repeat! Au Pair Ana Alicia from Spain did not get a job in her country. However, she found herself an alternative: becoming an au pair in Ireland. Within a short time, her command of English improved so much that she got a job offer in Ireland. Ana Alicia wrote her story in English. In 2005 I was looking for a job in Spain, I didn't find anything, so someone told me about going as au pair to... Host father Michael: Looking for our 6th au pair through Aupair World Five au pairs, most of whom stayed longer than planned. Host family H. from Ireland and their five au pairs are still in good contact. The family is now searching for their sixth au pair to take care of their three sons. Host dad Michael wrote his story in English. We live in Galway, Ireland and have had 5 au pairs that we found from your website. They looked after our 3 boys.... Abraham in Mexico: «We all went to Annas wedding party.» Like a fairy tale, but in real life: A host family in Mexico invited a German au pair. She had to look after their 9 children. Au pair Anna convinced due to her great kindness and her passion for baking. In the end, this story involves a happy ending and a delicious wedding cake for everyone! We are a Host Portuguese-Mexican family with 9 children. In 2008-2009 we had an au pair from Germany at home. She... Host mum Gema: Host mum Gema tells us about her last au pair: The young lady has taken good care of her two kids for five weeks and was well integrated into their family life. As five weeks are quite short, Gema wants to host her next au pair for a longer period of time. Gema writes in Spanish. Mi experiencia con nuestra última au pair ha sido muy positiva. Ha estado en casa 5 semanas y desde el... Barbara in Germany: „My most exciting experience so far!“ Barbara finished her studies in the USA. After having spent months on her job search, her sister inspired her to go to Europe as an au pair. What a great idea! Right now, Barbara is staying in Munich as an au pair, taking care of a 2-year-old boy. If you had asked me 6 months ago if I would be in Europe taking care of a two year old, I would have said you were... Marina in Corsica: „Always speak to your host family – also in the case of conflicts!“ Marina from Germany spent seven weeks as an au pair in Corsica. She lived in a lonely mountain village and was never short of work taking care of two children. Her French improved a lot due to the vivid conversations she had with her host parents. Marina wrote her au pair story in German. Ich war letzten Sommer für 7 Wochen als Au Pair auf Korsika. Ich wollte in den Semesterferien unbedingt nach... Host mum Ciara: “Help your aupair to settle in” Experience report (4) from our Summer-Special: Host mum Ciara from Ireland has three boys. Her family has been getting au pairs for the past five years. So Ciara can give some helpful tips for au pairs and host families. Ciara writes in English. We are a host family from Ireland. We have been getting aupairs for the past five years and everyone of the au... Salome: I learned to speak German fluently Au pair story (3) of our Summer-Special: Translator Salome from Georgia went to Karlsruhe/Germany for a year. This is where she started to speak and think in German fluently. Hats off for your knowledge of German, Salome! Ich war Studentin an der Uni Tbilisi, meine Fachrichtung war Übersetzen für die deutsche Sprache. Obwohl... Tamara from Chile in the USA Au pair story (2) of our Summer-Special: Tamara from Chile went to the USA for six months. This is where she did not only learn English, but also how to actively solve conflicts: with a great deal of frankness and a good sense of communication. Tamara wrote her story in Spanish. Como estudiente de lingüistica en Inglés, creo que haber tenido la experiencia de participar en el... First au pair story of our Summer-Special: Cindy spent a great year as an au pair in Scotland This is the first au pair story of our Summer-Special: “Send us your story and win”: Cindy from France wished to become an au pair ever since she was twelve years old. In October 2009, she went to Scotland for one year. Her placement was a full success! Cindy wrote her au pair story in French. Être fille au pair, c’était un rêve pour moi depuis l’âge de douze ans.... Maria:"It's like an exchange of habits" Maria from Valencia (Spain) went to the UK as an au pair for five months. She had a great time with her host family near Birmingham: “It is one of the best experiences life gave to me so far.” Hello! My name is Maria, I am 23 years old, from Valencia. I was doing an English degree in Spain, but decided to... Multicultural upbringing of the children – friends worldwide Host mum Beate from Germany has released her children into the care of au pairs already several times. She embraces this kind of multicultural upbringing of her children. Her conclusion: "Sometimes I wish our children will never grow up, so we can host au pairs for many years to come!" (in German) Wir sind die Gastfamilie Göktekin aus Nürnberg (drei Kinder) und erwarten im September unser... Paola and her first au pair Host mother Paola from Italy starts her first au pair experience: although things did not really go how she expected, Paola is happy with her first experience and cannot wait to welcome a new au pair into her family! La nostra prima ragazza alla pari Lo scorso settembre 2010 è arrivata da noi una ragazza americana... Franziska: Franziska K. from Germany spent six months as an au pair in Ireland, Castlebar. She looked after three children and became really fond of her host family. Sometimes she had a lot of things to do. However, Franziska took it as a challenge. Schon immer faszinierte mich das Reisen und Entdecken unterschiedlicher Länder. Bereits in der 11. Klasse war... I felt right at home Silke from the Netherlands spent six months as an au pair in Australia. She had an interesting time and gained rich experience living with a host family in Brisbane. She explored the country and swam with dolphins. The best: her family treated her as if she was their own daughter. Ik ben van 11 januari tot 1 juli au pair geweest in Australië. Ik woonde hier in Brisbane bij een super leuk... Host mum Lena Maria: behavioural rules help! Host mum Lena Maria from Germany has two girls (9 and 12 years old). As she is offered a full-time position, she gives the adventure au pair a try. In the beginning, things do not go smoothly, but Lena Maria quickly learns from that. She does not throw in the towel, and lo and behold, with clear behavioural rules, things work out well with the new au pair. Zurzeit haben wir unser viertes Au Pair, und können sagen, dass wir es sehr gut getroffen haben. Auch die... One family and nine au pairs Family Browne from Cambridge has had nine au pairs. In their experience report you can read about the normal ups and downs. The family also provides tips for au pairs and host families. Au pairs are different We've had nine au pairs and we have had different experiences, depending on the... Host mum Sabine: "I hope we will continue finding such great au pairs" Host mum Sabine from Germany manages the life of her big family of seven children. For seven years she has been using Aupair World to find au pairs, and with many of them she is still in contact today. Wir sind eine große Familie mit sieben Kindern, aber jetzt wohnen nur noch fünf zu Hause. Seit 7 Jahren... Fly away to England Seven months as an au pair in London. For Brigitte from Germany it was the best time of her life. Ich war von September 2009 bis April 2010 als Au Pair in London. Was ich dort erleben durfte, kann man mit meinem... Welcome to Australia! In 2009, Henriette from Berlin went as an au pair to Australia. She enjoyed the time with her host family in Newport Beach that much that she extended her stay beyond the initially planned three months. Back in Germany, she felt wanderlust which she calmed by staying in steady contact with her host family and her girl friends down under. Now, Henriette is planning a trip to Australia in 2012. She is already looking forward to seeing her host parents and children again soon. Meine Zeit zwischen Studium und Referendariat wollte ich nutzen, um mehr von der Welt zu sehen. Da ich schon im... Constanze – an au pair in paradise Constanze from Germany describes her au pair experience like „six months of paradise“. Her host family residing on the island „La Réunion“ was a real stroke of luck to her. They had precisely agreed on expectations and duties before Constanze's arrival. She even had time for paragliding, hiking and holidays on Mauritius. Auf jeden Fall nach Frankreich, und wenn’s irgendwie klappt, in eine der Übersee-Regionen - das war... Monika from Germany – summer au pair in Ireland Monika has responded to our appeal of the question of the week from 4 April 2011. We had asked our au pairs to tell us their experiences with homesickness. Monika has already been twice as an au pair in Ireland. Her tips may help you overcome your homesickness. Ich war bereits zweimal Sommer Au Pair in Irland und weiß, dass ich nach ungefähr 6 Wochen... Francesca M. – host mum from Italy Francesca M.'s family from Italy has already had different experiences with au pairs. It is important to the family that host families and au pairs show each other understanding. They always try to be like the real family for their au pairs. Abbiamo avuto già diverse esperienze di ragazze au pair, l'ultima con una ragazza tedesca che ha... From Austria to Ireland – Rita's au pair story Au Pair Rita H. had a great time with her host family in Ireland, which she did not leave to chance. She had contributed much to assure that her stay was successful. However, even the most wonderful paradise may have small faults. In her report, Rita provides practical tips how to solve problems that might occur. Bereits früh war mir klar, dass ich nach der Matura erst einmal ins Ausland möchte. Nach einigen... Our first au pair The first au pair to come to Katrin N. and her family from Germany was a stroke of luck. Justine from France was a great big sister, the family agrees unanimously. Wir, Katrin (39), Robert (43), Neele (4) und Nike (2) waren von unserer ersten Au Pair-Erfahrung total begeistert!... Mélanie as an au pair in Canada Mélanie from France had a unique experience during her time as an au pair near Alaska. She saw a breathtaking landscape, had a warmhearted host family and made new friends. One thing is for sure: she will go back! Je suis tombée un jour par hasard sur le site d'Aupair World, alors que je cherchais à profiter... Josefin, Swedish summer au pair in Spain At first, it was only a dream, but it quickly turned into reality. Josefin from Sweden went as a summer au pair to Spain, Valencia. Her conclusion: ”Being an au pair is the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.” The whole project started in March 2010. I had just spent two wonderful weeks in Malaga at a language course,... Au pair Rita explores Belgium and Europe Rita A. from Brazil worked as an au pair in Belgium. She learnt to speak French and many other new things like regional Christmas traditions or the taste of "escargots". Besides, she had the opportunity to travel around Europe. I was an au pair in Belgium from 2009 to 2010 (one year). I had a GREAT experience. I found my lovely family... Tatiana from Russia as an au pair in the USA Tatiana from Russia is spending two years as an au pair in the USA. Her time abroad has such a great influence on her that she sometimes even thinks in English. “I can say for sure that it is the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life.” In the following, you can read more about her experiences. I have gone to the USA because I wanted to improve my language, travel, find new friends and, of course,... Au pair in the past, host mum today Once an au pair herself, Susanne from Germany has been a host mum on Aupair World for eleven years. She could write a book about her experiences as an au pair and as a host mum. Here is a detailed and exciting report written by Susanne who is currently searching her seventeenth au pair. „Eher zufällig habe ich die neue Rubrik der Erfahrungsberichte auf der Aupair World Seite entdeckt.... Huizi from China and her Dutch host family Huizi from Wuhan (China) worked as an au pair in the Netherlands. From the moment of her arrival she loved the big family of seven. During her 12-month stay she also took the country and its language to her heart. I was an au pair from July 2009 till July 2010 in the Netherland. My host family lives in a very small town named... Marina – a Brazilian au pair girl in Germany After learning English and French, Marina wanted to learn another foreign language. She decided to go to Germany as an au pair girl – a difficult way with some obstacles. But once arrived in Germany, Marina had one of the best times of her life with a bi-lingual host family. I worked as an au pair in Germany from January 2009 to December 2009 in a small town in South Germany, in the... Barbara as au pair in Germany Barbara from Italy had lived as an au pair in Germany for one year. Today, she is still in contact with her host family in Munich. Barbara says: “It was like in a real family!” Gentile gruppo aupair-world, grazie per l'esperienza che mi avete dato modo di vivere! Non mi sarei mai... Alice as au pair in the heart of Germany In summer 2007, Alice from England spent two months as an au pair in the German town Rotenburg an der Fulda. “My au pair experiences have made me meet wonderful people, see different cultures, and practise my foreign languages. Don’t be shy – go for it, you’ve got nothing to lose!” As a university modern foreign languages student, you’ve always got to keep on top of your game. So when I... Karine – Host mum in England Karine has had two au pairs so far. To her, they have been much more than just a helping hand with the children and housework. They have positively enriched her and her family's life. You can read about it in the following story. pre.cjk { font-family: "DejaVu Sans",monospace; }p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } I have three small children, all 18 months apart in age. I love my children and enjoy looking after them, but with... Kasia who found her happiness in Germany With her host family in Germany, Kasia from Poland did not only learn the German language but also how to take on resposibilities. The Regenbogen Family including their new born baby Jule and family dog Fee became dear to her heart. She remained loyal to Germany - her great love. Da meine Au Pair Zeit schon ziemlich lange her ist, kann ich mich nicht an alle Einzelheiten erinnern. Ich hatte... A great year: Teresa as au pair in Holland Starting in August 2009, Teresa from Germany spent one year as an au pair in Holland, a great year with new friends and lovely experiences. But during that year she learnt to frankly talk about problems and constructively resolve conflicts, too. Die Entscheidung, Au Pair zu werden, war bei mir eher spontan. Am Anfang hatte ich erst einmal Zweifel. Ich hatte... Ilona as au pair in Greece Initially Ilona from Austria intended to spend one year as an au pair in an English- or Spanish-speaking country. But finally she realigned and applied as a summer au pair. She then was contacted by a nice Greek family and at that moment she found the host family she had been dreaming of. Da ich sehr an fremden Kulturen interessiert bin und meine Sprachkenntnisse auch verbessern wollte, beschloss ich... Austrian host mum tells about her experiences with au pairs Host mum Elisabeth S. from Austria grew up with many au pairs and was an au pair herself. Now, she is looking for her third au pair girl. Elisabeth: “As we have already had two very nice au pairs in our family (both found via Aupair World), I would like to write about our experiences.” Als ich selbst klein war, hatten wir über viele Jahre Au Pairs bei uns (wir waren vier Kinder), später... Italian host mum Francesca tells about her experiences Francesca's family lives in Venice and has had au pairs for six years. Many of her previous au pairs are still considered as family members. Her tip: Start your search early enough! The host family and the au pair can get to know each other better and maybe meet personally in advance. Sono molto felice di scrivere la mia esperienza assolutamente positiva con molte ragazze. Viviamo in centro a... Sabine in Spain Unfortunately, Sabine from Germany did not have such a good time. She struggled with homesickness and the Basque language. That is why she only spent five weeks in Spain, near San Sebastián, instead of staying half a year as originally intended. Find out why she nevertheless does not regret her experience. Als ich dieses Jahr anfing, mir Gedanken zu machen, was ich eigentlich nach dem Abi machen will, kam ich auf die... Audrey in England: A unique and great experience – this is what Audrey thinks about her stay as an au pair in Great Britain. Read her story here. En août 2008, je suis partie de Suisse pour aller en Angleterre, dans le comté de l'Hampshire.... My au pairs in Germany Alexandra has found her au pairs on Aupair World for almost four years. Many ties of friendship have arisen out of it. In the following, read about the ups and downs she has experienced with her au pairs. Mein erstes Au Pair war aus Thailand, wir hatten große sprachliche Verständigungsprobleme, da auch das... Alexandra: Summer au pair in France Alexandra spent five weeks as a summer au pair in Nizza. It was a light bulb moment for her as she had a great time full of happiness at the Côte d’Azur. That's why she is again searching for a new family on Aupair World, but this time for a much longer stay. Eigentlich ist es immer mein Plan gewesen, gleich nach dem Abi (das war 2009) ein Jahr nach Frankreich zu gehen.... Sinje has grown up with many au pairs Sinje from Hessen, Germany grew up with au pairs from various countries. Her conclusion: "The time with au pairs was wonderful and we have all learnt a lot." Here you can read about Sinje's and her sisters' experiences with 12 au pairs! Unser erstes Au Pair war Kasia, sie war 14 Monate bei uns. Ich war 4 Jahre alt, als sie aus Polen zu uns kam.... Katarzyna as au pair on the Île d'Yeu, France In summer 2009, Katarzyna worked as an au pair on the Île d’Yeu in France. She took care of 5 children from 8 months to 9 years old. In the following, you can read about her experiences during her stay on this small French island. She wrote her report in her mother tongue, which is Polish. „Francuska przygoda” Właściwie nie wiem dlaczego zdecydowałam się zostać... Annika as au pair in Finland In July 2009, Annika left Germany to start au pairing in Northern Europe. For one year, she lived with a Finnish family in a village situated about 200 kilometres northeast of Helsinki. Find out what she experienced during her au pair year in Finland. She wrote her story in German. Finnland Juli 2009 - Juli 2010 Finnland reizte mich schon immer. Das Land, die Natur, die Sprache, die... Louise as au pair in New Zealand From August 2009 until June 2010, Louise from Sweden lived as an au pair on the other side of the world - in Auckland, New Zealand. In the following, you can read about her experiences during her stay far away from home. Her au pair story is written in English. Sharing my au pair experience 10 months in New Zealand! This opportunity was a very interesting thought for a... Franziska as au pair in Oslo, Norway From August 2009 until July 2010, Franziska lived as an au pair in Oslo, Norway. In the following, you can read about her experiences during her stay in Northern Europe. Franziska is German, so her experience report is written in German. Erfahrungsbericht als Au Pair in Norwegen Zuerst einmal kurz zu mir: Ich heiẞe Franzi, bin 23 Jahre jung... Julie as au pair near Stockholm, Sweden From April until July 2010, Julie lived as an au pair on the island Lidigö near Stockholm, Sweden. In the following, you can read about her experiences during her stay in Northern Europe. Julie's au pair experience report is written in German. Ab in den Norden. Das war eigentlich schon lange mein Traum. Nach dem Abi sollte es für ein Jahr nach... Ann-Kristin as au pair in Chicago, USA From September 2001 until July 2002, Ann-Kristin lived as an au pair in Chicago, USA. In the following, you can read about her experiences during her stay abroad. Her experience report is written in German. Mein Jahr als Au Pair in den USA Es stand für mich immer fest, dass ich nach dem Abitur für eine... Joanna as au pair in Frankfurt/Main, Germany From August 2006 until July 2007, Joanna lived as an au pair in Frankfurt on the Main, Germany. In the following, you can read about the experiences she has made during her stay in the German metropolis of stock exchange. Joanna's experience report is written in Polish. Dlaczego Niemcy? Tak naprawdę to zdecydowałam się na Niemcy, ponieważ nie chciałam za... Help others by sharing your experience We are always glad to receive experience reports from all over the world, written in different languages by au pairs and host families. Be brave: by sending in your experience report, you are doing a good deed. Whoever puts down his experience in writing, helps other persons, as well. Experience reports have many great qualities: they remind you of unforgettable experiences. They arouse your... The editorial staff of Aupair World reserves the right to shorten and linguistically adapt the incoming stories. Of course we ensure that the meaning remains the same. In order to protect the privacy of the persons mentioned in the stories, we anonymise the names and places where necessary. Please note that Aupair World does not automatically agree with the authors' statements. The content of the experience reports lies in the responsibility of the respective authors.