The Easter holidays are over and summer is (unfortunately) not yet very close. Nevertheless, as a family with children, you should already think about how to organize the holiday season. The long summer holidays always entail a few weeks without regular child care. The days you can take off from work are limited and the grandparents do not always live around the corner. So what happens when kindergartens and schools are closed? The solution is a summer au pair!
The au pair program does not always have to last for a whole year! Many young people from all over Europe use the attractive option of being able to spend a few weeks abroad as a summer au pair. They make use of the semester break or the period between leaving school and the beginning of studies to attend a language course abroad while experiencing a different culture.
You, as host parents, will have a child care service that you can rely on. All you need is a free room for the au pair and an open mind towards other cultures. When you go to work, the au pair will take care of your child, planning trips, playing with the little ones in the garden, on the playground, or going to the pool with them. The au pair prepares small meals for the children and also takes care of light household tasks.
Like this, both sides benefit from the program and you also get to know a new culture. In some countries, there is an official au pair program that sets certain rules regarding the remuneration, in other countries this point can be discussed individually by the au pair and host family. Travel expenses should be covered by the au pair.
Travelling within Europe usually is no problem for EU citizens. The situation is different when the au pair comes from a non-EU country. In case of the usual au pair program, the participant applies for an au pair visa, which is valid for one year. For a stay that does not exceed a few weeks, the au pair may travel without a visa or on a tourist visa, depending on the country of origin; but in that case, they are not allowed to earn any money. If you would like to remunerate the service provided by your temporary family member, you could, for example, cover the travel costs or a part of the travel costs.
If you have already booked your vacation, the au pair (depending on the country to which you travel) can come along and take care of the children during that time, too. Of course, the host family will pay for the entailed costs.
And who knows, you may enjoy the summer weeks with an au pair so well that you then decide to invite an au pair for a longer period of time.
Where can you find a summer au pair? The easiest way is at AuPair.com. Register now for free as a host family and start your search!
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