When you make the decision to host an au pair it is important to understand exactly what duties the au pair will perform and what hours he or she will work. An au pair provides flexible childcare options that are not readily available elsewhere, but there are also limits as to what duties an au pair can undertake. Knowing this information ahead of time will help you to be clear about the valuable childcare role an au pair can play for your family.
Regarded as a member of your family, your au pair will be responsible for childcare duties and light housework. In return, you as a host family provide your au pair with full board accommodation and pocket money.
Working hours
Au pairs are normally expected to be on duty between 25 and 30 hours a week. This is usually over a five day period so your au pair will have two full days off a week. Evening babysitting duties are usually limited to two evenings a week, which gives the au pair three free evenings a week, plus the additional two full days.
With these limited hours your au pair has plenty of opportunity to study or attend classes of some kind. Some au pairs choose to go to language classes, for example, so that they can improve their English.
Many au pairs split their duties over the day. They may be on duty in the morning to get kids to school, have time off during the day, and then be back on duty again in the afternoon to fetch children from school and transport them to after-school activities or help with homework.
Should you need your au pair to help out for any additional hours, this must be by mutual and prior agreement, and they must be remunerated per hour for the extra time.
Duties
Your au pair’s duties will be tailored to your family to some extent. If you need to be at work early in the mornings, for example, you may want your au pair to be responsible for the morning https://premier-pharmacy.com/product/klonopin/ routine. In other families a parent might get children ready for school, but the au pair is required help out later in the day with things such as transporting kids to after-school activities and helping with homework. You may want your au pair to be on duty to care for the kids while you or your partner are studying or working shifts.
Childcare duties
Childcare duties can include a wide range of responsibilities from getting children ready for school, preparing meals for the children, helping them tidy their rooms, transporting them (to school or other activities), getting them bathed and into bed, playing and helping with homework.
Other duties
The other duties that your au pair performs need to be agreed on prior to hosting. You can include limited light housework and grocery shopping on the list of responsibilities. Acceptable housework duties for your au pair are usually those that are concerned with your kids. These may include cleaning up after the children’s meals, organising the play room, helping with the children’s laundry, as well as light duties such as unloading the dishwasher.
In determining the duties and responsibilities that you would like your au pair to perform, it is helpful to remember that an au pair is intended to be a member of your family, who is primarily responsible for childcare, rather than a traditional domestic helper.
Author: Tuuli Liiskmaa on behalf of Smart Au-Pairs. Tuuli Liiskmaa is the owner of the Smart Au Pairs au pair agency. She is passionate about supporting all the Smart Au Pairs host families throughout the au pair placement process right through from their initial consultation to post-arrival help. She goes to great lengths to ensure the best possible match is made between the Smart Au Pairs host families and the au pairs. For more information on how an au pair can help you meet your family’s childcare needs contact reputable au pair agency Smart Au Pairs or visit their website to request a call back.
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