Category: Current Aupairs

Financial Obligations Your Host Family Have

by MichelleAmerica / Current Aupairs4 Comments on Financial Obligations Your Host Family Have

Money is such a hot topic when it comes to being an aupair. Recently the topic came up on what your host family is supposed to provide you while you are their Aupair and staying with them. Here is a list of things that they are responsible for: 

Your stipend every week

Whether you are on the Educare; regular Au Pair or Au Pair extraordinaire, it varies but probably around $195,75 a week. 

Food for you

There always has to be food for you so you can eat it at home. If you choose to eat out with them, they generally pay for you unless it is discussed beforehand or if you eat out with friends or something, you are liable for that. 

$500 or $1000 for education

This includes transportation getting there. If you have to take a bus or something to your class, they have to pay for that. However, most times you have to take classes that are more than $500 or $1000 (Educare) so paying for your own transport is normal. 

Expenses while you are working with the kids.

This includes gas, food for the kids and you as well as activities like if you take them to a zoo or amusement park, your ticket has to be paid too. 

Things your family is NOT responsible for:

1. The family is NOT responsible for buying toiletries like shampoo; conditioner; soap etc 

2. The family is NOT responsible for getting you a cellphone or phone plan. Most often they do give you a phone and a plan BUT they don’t actually have to. This is something that Au Pairs tend to forget. Another thing that they can do is give you money towards the plan or give them money towards the plan for your phone. Most Au Pairs have their own phone from their home country so your host family can sometimes just give you a sim card to put into your phone. 

3. The family also does NOT have to give you a car to drive in your free time. If they let you use a car during your free time, you should be happy because they don’t actually need to which is another thing that Au Pairs forget. Having a car is a HUGE responsibility and costs a lot of money so they may not want to take that responsibility for you and that’s okay too. 

At the end of the day, the best thing for you to do is to ask your host family what they will be covering in your year. Will you have a car? Cellphone? What food do they eat?

I personally do not eat at home a lot because they don’t always have food I can eat due to my allergies but my host mom does try and get me food that I can eat for me which is very kind. In my first year, I paid for my own phone plan and bought my own phone. Now, this time around they gave me a sim card. I am on their phone plan now, using my own phone. I also pay for my own gas wherever I go because I have a car that is only for me so I am responsible for gas. 

Remember to ask these important questions as your interview. This could be the deciding factor for you when it comes to choosing a family. 

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Being Homesick! What To Do If You Feel Homesick

by MichelleAmerica / Current Aupairs / Rambles2 Comments on Being Homesick! What To Do If You Feel Homesick

Being homesick is a very normal thing that you will experience at least once in your Au Pair year. Whether it is in the beginning, after all the emotions and excitement has died down or whether it is 3 months; 6 months in or even when you’re almost home and the anticipation to go home is too much and you just.want.to.leave. It is a very normal thing that happens to everyone. You may seem like you can’t bear with it and all you want to do is go home and be with your family. That is understandable but before you pack up your life, try some of these things. They might help you!

1. Get Out Of The House

Seriously though, get out of the house. Go take a walk in the park; sit and read a book somewhere. Sit at a coffee shop. Just get out of the house. One of the best things I did was go to the gym. Whether it was freezing outside or blazing hot, I went to the gym and worked out. It releases endorphins that boost your mood and it will make you feel better about yourself. Sometimes even walking around the mall can help you. I know we are all trying to save money but staying home when you feel homesick is not good for you. It makes you feel more depressed and sad.

2. Talk To Your Host Family And Counselor About It

Your host family will be understanding when it comes to you not feeling so great and missing home. They may give you some time off to feel better or help you with the kids a bit to relieve you of all the pressure. I know that doesn’t always happen but it’s important to let them know. Your LCC definitely knows how it feels as they have dealt with a lot of Au Pairs who have been through this. They can give you some advice or resources that will help you.

 

3. Limit Your Time Talking To Your Family And Friends Back Home

This is a tough one and I know that the whole reason why you are homesick is that you miss them so much! It’s important to go out and enjoy yourself and yes, update your family but not constantly. If you are constantly talking to them and watching their Instagram stories and posts, you will regret being in America and missing out on everything that is happening there. It will be for a limited time BUT you will be back with them and it will be okay to miss some things. 

4. Stay Off Social Media

Back to the previous point. Staying off social media will be better for you. At least for a while. Seeing all your friends and family having fun and enjoying life is hard when you are so far away so it’s important to limit your time on Instagram and Facebook, at least for now while you’re homesick. Being on social media will just make you sadder and wish you were there. 

5. The last thing

I would suggest is to get some snacks or food from your home country. You are in America, the chances of finding a restaurant or food from your home country are really high. Look up places local to you. You may have to order something off Amazon or another store that is dedicated to selling things from your country. You could also get your family to send you something. Having this will remind you of home and should make you feel better. It has always worked for me! 

Lastly, I would just say that being homesick is temporary and you will eventually feel better and enjoy life again. Remember it will just be for a limited time and you will be okay! 

 

If you have any more suggestions, please let us know down below and if you are currently homesick, let us know so we can support you! 

 

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Fourth of July 2019 | Weird Life Of An Aupair

by MichelleAmerica / American Holidays / Current Aupairs1 Comment on Fourth of July 2019 | Weird Life Of An Aupair

When you hear ‘Fourth of July’ you immediately think:

Fireworks
BBQ
Pool Party
Drunk American’s

 

This is all stereotypical but all true! There are always fireworks. There’s always BBQ’s and there most likely is a pool party and you’re most likely going to drink.

Yesterday was just that. Normally people go all out but my friends and I decided not to do that. We decided to instead, just chill by the pool and have a relaxed day because looking after children can be really hard, and in all honesty, who doesn’t like to chill by the pool? We threw on our bathing suits, ate too much food, and chilled in the pool for the majority of the day which is exactly what we needed. No screaming children, no socializing with people you don’t know and being referred to as ‘the Au Pair’ just a quiet time with friends talking about how different our culture is, about the types of things we like to do and just about life itself and it was honestly the best.

There isn’t much else to say about my Fourth but it was good! What did you get up to? Did you have to work? I have had to work most holidays so this was really relaxing for once!

 

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Dealing With Conflict With Your Host Family

by MichelleAu Pair Conversations / Current Aupairs7 Comments on Dealing With Conflict With Your Host Family

Today we are talking about conflict and how different people respond to conflict. It is easy to be caught up in the moment and to just want to pack up your stuff and leave but remember to try think about it logically and through someone else’s eyes and see that you are a stranger living in their house which can be pretty scary if you ask me. This is a story time of one Au Pair that I know. She’s amazing and dealt with this in a very mature fashion. Let us know your thoughts below.

Au Pair In America

I have been an Au Pair in America for almost 5 months. I live with and work for a family in New York and since I arrived last year in November I have really enjoyed working for my host family. They have been super welcoming and really accepting. They have done everything they can to make me feel at home and even before I came to America I knew that I would fit in perfectly with their family. We spoke for about 2-3 months before my arrival and we got along from the start. We always had so much in common. The day my host dad picked me up at the orientation and I came to their house they decorated my room with pictures of me and my family; my cat and a book from my favorite author. The kids made “Welcome to the USA” signs for my door and I just immediately felt at home. I was an Au Pair in The Netherlands in 2011 and I never received such a warm welcome when I arrived there. So this was just so heart-warming and an amazing feeling.

My host dad and I immediately got along as I see him much more than my host mom. Although I have an amazing relationship with her too. I feel like I can always speak about anything with her. She is very understanding.

Different Cultures:

Unfortunately, we sometimes get caught up in the idea of going to a new and exciting country and we are so excited about the adventure that we forget about some important factors and one of them is that we live where we work. This means that we are in each other’s company 24/7 and this can (as with your own family) sometimes get a bit much. Arguments are bound to happen and we need to remind ourselves that we live in another person/family home. It can sometimes feel like culture change doesn’t really exist seeing that we are all so excited in the beginning and still getting to know each other. And then when conflict steps in culture change can really become a big factor seeing that we all grew up different from each other, in different countries and situations and we all handle conflict and certain situations differently. Just like with everyone you encounter in your life – everyone has a story and a past. And every person has his/her reason for being the way they are.

I have had to deal with conflict with my host dad a few weeks ago. He and I had an argument. It started with something very small but escalated pretty quickly. It ended where he and I were screaming at each other and I ended up in tears and just walking away. I felt that he approached the situation completely wrong and it could’ve been so much different. Now, don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t doing the right thing by screaming back at him either. But I guess that is what happens when you feel like you are being attacked and you just try to defend yourself.

Two days later my host mom, host dad, and I had a meeting and we spoke about the incident and we all said how we felt. We then buried the hatchet. I am very happy and thankful that thereafter our relationship has been the same as before the argument and we get along just fine. Conversations with him were always enjoyable because I feel that we can speak very easily. I have also in the meantime sat and reminded myself that he has a reason for dealing with certain situations the way that he does and I am the type of person that doesn’t hold a grudge but instead look at the reasons for why things happen.

To be honest, when this happened I was extremely upset and for the first time in 4 months, I felt so homesick. At that point, I really wanted to contact my family back home because I felt that I need their support but I knew if I contact them it would only make me more homesick and it would make things much worse for me. Instead, I phoned one of my best friends back home. The moment I saw his face and heard his voice I just burst out in tears. But after speaking to him for a while and getting his advice I felt much better. He reassured me and reminded me why I came to America in the first place and that was extremely helpful.

I also went to my friend (she is from my home country and lives very close to me) for the weekend. And if it wasn’t for her I would’ve probably packed my bags and went home. She made everything so much better just by being there and understanding. She really showed me what true friendship is.

After my host family and I had the meeting I called my family back home and I felt like I could tell them what happened without feeling like I wouldn’t want to be here anymore. My parents also reassured me and made me feel so much better.

Good Days As An Au Pair:

I think the most important thing to remember is that you will have a lot of good days as an Aupair but you will also have bad days. It is just so important to have a support system not only back home but in the country, you are living. If it wasn’t for my friends here in America I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed my time here this much and I wouldn’t have known what to do in that situation.

If I can give you any advice – always put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to understand why they react the way they do and also try to always stay professional. No matter how hard it can be. Also, try to make as many friends as possible. You are not going to be an Au Pair forever and believe me it goes by so fast. It is in this time of your life that you make friends you will have for the rest of your life. I still have best friends that I met in The Netherlands. And I know the friends I have met (and will still meet) in America I will have for the rest of my .

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Doing your J-1 Credits

by MichelleAmerica / Current AupairsLeave a Comment on Doing your J-1 Credits

The studying aspect of Au Pairing is always up for a big debate and there are always questions surrounding it. Where can you study? How many credits do you need? What can you study? Do you HAVE to study? and then everyone panics. This really is not something you need to panic about. It’s not something to worry about BUT you cannot leave it until the last minute.In order to complete the Educational portion of your year you have to take classes up to 6 credits or 80 hours. That is if you are a regular Au Pair or an Au Pair Extraordinaire. If you are on the Educare Program like I am, you have to study up to 12 credits or 160 hours.

You have to study and if you don’t, you do not get your Au Pair certificate when you complete the program and you might not be able to get the same visa again because it’s a government regulated program and that is a requirement by them.

About where to study: You need to realise that different areas have different colleges and places to studying in america. When you get to your new family, your counselor will give you a whole bunch of information about the different courses in the area and what you are able to take. There are also some colleges that allow you to audit a class which basically means that you get to go to a regular college with a bunch of American students and take the class but you will not get any official credits that you are able to use on your transcript. I did this the first year I was here at a college that offers it and I really enjoyed it actually. Now I am taking classes at another local college but it also offers ‘continuing education’ which is what I am taking. This is basically for Au Pairs and anyone that does not want to study a whole degree but wants to learn certain aspects of a subject. I am REALLY enjoying this class too. It is something I am very interested in and I love my teacher as well! So speak to your counselor and your host parents and also the previous Au Pair about the local colleges and classes. They are the best people to talk to. The last two options that you have is taking the UCLA class online which spans about 16 weeks. You learn about the history of America and also volunteer and talk to your kids class etc.

 

study in america

 

There’s a lot more to it I guess but I don’t really know much about. This is also the only online class that you are able to take. You aren’t allowed to take any other online classes. The last option that you have is to take weekend courses. There are a bunch that you are able to do, also depending on where you are in the country. You can take weekend travel classes to places like Washington DC or Philadelphia. It is a very expensive and I don’t recommend it because of how expensive it is but also you don’t get too many credits for it but that is all up to you.

Finally the family gives you $500 a year towards your studies and anything over that, you have to pay it yourself which is annoying. If you are on the Educare program, you get $1000 towards your college. Also remember that if you attend a local college you will probably have to pay for your parking decal as well as registration fee every semester.

I hope this helps you and answers all your questions. I will put what Au Pair in America says below so you can get some more information on it too. You can see all the information here.

 

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