Hi girl,

I was au-pair 7 weeks in USA. My family wanted help just for summer holidays, they had 2 year old twins. They were very nice to me, I had to work 30  hours a week only and then I worked in their small garden and they paid me extra for that. They live near San Francisco and we went for 2 weeks to Sierra Nevada for holidays. It was wonderfull place: we were almost 2000m above see, but it was hot weather anyway and we could swim in a clean lake by our cottage. Than big forest fires came near to our place and we were sick of smoke, but anyway I remember this holidays like one of the best in my life. I could feel like a family member, I was surprised a man washed the dishes etc. When I wanted to help, he said no, you have your free time now. He worked in NASA as programer of Mars walker. The children were spoiled, they could do everything and hardly ever heard: No. So I prefered to do cleaning then to be with 2 children.

Hello ex or/and  current au-pairs. I live in USA for good. I am very versatile so as an addition to my everyday job enjoying to do all kinds of other work. I am not an clasical au-pair but from time to time I do some babysitting for families. I usually develop a friendship with the parents if they weren't my friends before. And my boyfriend and daughter benefit from our friendship as well. Some families raise their kids very consciously, some don't. It's not only a problem of USA. It's same like everywhere else. My personal opinion about the difference between US and Czech children training-raising styles...... I love to see kids with healthy self-esteem and believing in themselves and that's something what I don't see naturally occuring in Czech mentality.

Alexxandra, so those families you were living with weren't typical white British. What did you learn about their traditions and customs? What did they cook?

Hi everybody,
haven´t been here on babinet for ages but must admit it has proved a lot. So happy to find this English speaking part, too.
I used to be an Au Pair... hundred of years ago :-D It was in Britain. I´ve changed two families and to be honest with you none of them was a very good experience...unfortunatly. But still as an experience for my future life it was absolutly fantastic. And I´m not talking about my English improvement only... ;-)
And as all fairytales have a happy end I met the love of my life there. So from my planned 1 year stay in Britain was finaly almost 6 years... Now I´m happy divorced and my heart is still in England. I´m not saying that I´m not happy in Czech but somehow Britain realy has become "my" country. The country my heart will belong to forever. If I don´t go at least once a year there I´d go mad...
And have a "souvenire" from there, too. My lovely son who reminds me of my best time in life I´ve ever had.
So if any of young girls are thinking about the idea of trying it I´d only recomend it. The good thing about the traveling and working abroad is that nowdays is no need for anyone to work as an Au-Pair, because at time when I did it there was no other legal way of getting there basicly. Anyway even that my experiences aren´t good I´d still recomend to try it because there is no better way of getting to know the people´s  culture and traditions then by working as an Au pair as you live with them and get to know them better. So girls don´t worry and try it. It although helped me a lot with my decissions about the job here in Czech, when I came back. And without my English God knows what would I do. :-)

Teresa, learn English first

Hi everybory,
I was an au-pair in England.
I stayed in Brighton for 4 monts and was only cleaning lady - 6,5 hours per day and cooking for 12 person. There were 6 students for accomodation and dinner.
I didn´t know about it before.....
When I said lady that I would like to finish my working for their family she was very angry and wanted me to do the worst work as clean dunny. Than she called to the agency that will be great me to go away as soon as possible.
She didn´t  pay me for 3 days and didn´t pay a cigarrets which I took her from Czech.
Another 8 months I stayed in London - Elstree and Borehamwood. Family was rich, there were 3 children - 3 weeks old boy, 5 years old boy and girl 9 years.
I was there as cleaning lady, they didn´t need babysit so all evenings I had free.
I missed there a friendly family.
But Brighton and London are really nice towns and I hope that I can returd there for a few days.

Have a nice day,

Alice