For Au Pairs

      At EurAupair, we believe in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding contributions of our dedicated au pairs. Each year, we host the Au Pair of the Year competition, a heartwarming tradition that allows host families to nominate exceptional au pairs who have gone above and beyond in their roles. The competition not only showcases the incredible talent within our community but also f...

Au Pair Daniele from Brazil "My days with the quarantine has changed a lot. It used to be just me and the 2 years old girl for most of the time and just 2 hours with all of the kids. With the pandemic all of us needed to adapt with the homeschooling, no friends around and staying at home. Now that the weather is getting nicer we can go, at least, for walks. Other than that we are having long tim...

Au Pair of the Year 2020 – Edna Imbachi Guaca from Colombia As every year, EurAupair proudly announces the winner of the Au Pair of the Year contest.Congratulations to Edna! Read her essay below and take a look at her video here. “My heart is so full of love and excitement to be nominated for the Au Pair of the Year! What an honor! My host mom, Zaklina, showed me...

The City of Los Angeles, California is a sprawling metro area that boasts activities for everyone. The second-largest city in the U.S., LA has everything — beaches, parks, museums, amusement parks and plenty of activities for kids of all ages. If you have an energetic and curious little one, Los Angeles has all kinds of toddler-friendly activities that will be perfect. Whether you live in the city or ...

EurAupair Au Pair of the Year 2019 – Neila Maria Santana Costa from Brazil Everything started when I received an email from my host mom's sister in law. Her message was anything but happy; her father passed away last January (2018), just two months after her husband suddenly passed away from a heart attack. It became obvious that the family needed an Au Pair to help with their two boys. We exchanged...

In 1988, EurAupair opened its doors as a not-for-profit, public benefit organization, aiming to improve understanding among people of different countries through cultural exchange. This year, we proudly celebrate our 30th anniversary as we continue as one of the oldest, largest, and most trusted au pair programs in the United States. In thirty years, we have seen it all, from lifel...

Becoming an au pair can be both very exciting, and intimidating. However, EurAupair's Au Pair Programs in America offers you so many wonderful benefits that you will quickly grow to love it. Here are the four major benefits of becoming one of EurAupair's respected au pairs. Personal Development Opportunities Being an au pair provides you with a chance to grow as a person and learn to be the b...

EurAupair Au Pair of the Year 2018 – Lorena Simon from France     Here is Lorena's essay "This a story about a very shy 21-year old french girl, who left her country, her family, friends, and her daily life, to become an au pair for one year in the United States. This french girl is me, but now I am 22. I have been here in the United States for 7 months. I live in Cumberland Foreside in Main...

History fills the streets of Boston, but that’s not all the city holds. Boston offers many exciting spots perfect for your young child. Even if your tot isn’t ready for the major historical sites, you’ll find plenty of things to do with your toddler in Boston, MA. Here are our top picks for toddler-friendly activities in Boston. New England AquariumWhen deciding what to do with toddlers in Bosto...

Never say goodbye… | An Au Pair Reunion Story Say à bientôt or auf wiedersehen because you never know when you’ll see one of your au pairs again. It happened to me in July. I got a call from my host family asking if I could come to dinner. Kim, our au pair from Germany, was back in the States! I had conflicting plans that evening, but I called one of my friends and my current au pair, Charlie, and a...

Chicago is known for its excellent live theatre, amazing cuisine and cultural activities, but it’s also a wonderland for families with young kids. The city offers up a wide range of activities perfect for the active, curious toddler set. Not sure what to do with a toddler in Chicago? Keep reading for an assortment of ideas for toddler activities in Chicago.   Shedd Aquarium Tons of tanks full o...

We hope you have had an amazing and successful year! For many, the au pair year has provided many memorable experiences and opportunities for growth. You may feel like you are a different person now than when you left your home country. Here are some tips on how to cope with reverse culture shock.  

Mette is from Denmark and spent a year in San Antonio, Texas as an au pair. She is sharing the "best year of her life" in the video below, fulfilled with amazing and unique moments from the first day of school of her host children to traditional holidays like Halloween or Thanksgiving. During her year as an au pair, Mette had the chance to travel and spent...

by Ilona Kinnunen, former EurAupair Au Pair It’s been almost 8 years since I and four other girls spent a year in California as au pairs. Now that we are adults, I wanted to see how they are doing. Specifically, I wanted to know how the au pair year has affected their lives ever since. For all the girls, except Alice, this was the first time they lived abroad for a longer period of time, away from ...

EurAupair Au Pair of the Year 2017 – Karina Kolbe from Germany It's January, just a few weeks into the new year. "New year, new me", they say. Let's start where it all began. When I applied for becoming an au pair, I just finished my apprenticeship to become a kindergarten teacher. I had tons of experience in a daycare, but not so much of babysitting. After my time in the daycare...

While America is not the only country that participates in the tradition of making New Year's resolutions, they do tend to approach them differently. Au pairs in the U.S. can use this as an opportunity to explore the American culture. Here are a few suggestions from EurAupair to get you started. Better Health Improving health is the number one resolution in America. Americans tend to focu...

Chances are, if you are an au pair in the United States, your host family will celebrate Christmas or one of the many other wonderful holidays that occur this time of year. Common among many of these events is exchanging gifts. Here are some holiday ideas for gifts that your host family will love. A Treat from Your Home Country The au pair program is designed to help spread cultural ...

As an au pair in America, partaking in the many traditions of Thanksgiving is a great way to develop a deeper understanding of American culture. From football to the traditional Turkey feast, here is a brief guide from EurAupair about modern Thanksgiving in America. The Basics of Thanksgiving As its name implies, Thanksgiving is a time to express your gratitude for all the good things in your life...

Halloween is one of the most anticipated holidays by children, second only to Christmas. Who could blame them when free candy and dressing up in spooky costumes are included? Halloween is a great time for Au Pairs to engage their host siblings. EurAupair has prepared a few things you can do to make this Holiday “spooktacular.” Creating or Hunting Down the Perfect Costume Halloween just is not...

By South African EurAupair Au Pair Andrea Geldenhuys   I decided to become an au pair in my last year of school when I realized that I had no idea what I wanted to become or who I really was. December 2012 was my first year as an au pair and also my first time being abroad! I was so excited and had all these dreams of living abroad. I remember the day I said goodbye to my family like yesterday…...

Baseball…the great American pastime! Every au pair in the USA has their little, or huge, bucket list! As a former au pair, I have a clear idea of what kind of activities au pairs are excited about. Playing baseball is definitely on most bucket lists. It’s a typical activity and can be very exciting to discover while in America. Americans love baseball. We saw baseball everywhere, and Americans supp...

All across the country children are returning to school. As the air turns crisp and leaves change colors, host families and their au pairs are often at a loss for interesting and fun things to keep the children engaged after school. Here are six fun ideas for after school activities. 1. Head Outside After being kept inside for most of the school day, children need time to get outdoors and get their...

With children out of school for the summer, au pairs often find themselves wondering what interesting and engaging activities they can do to keep their host siblings entertained. Here are some ideas to consider! Around the House Long days and short nights bring many summertime hours to fill with interesting adventures. You don't have to leave the house, however, to keep children from utter bore...

By South African Au Pair Nomvula Khoza with the Koopal Family in Sarcoxie, MO. Even though we live on a farm, the house is very modern. I practically do everything with the family, especially the kids. There's so much nature around which I love, a lot of space to play with the kids, and because it’s remote, there's no bad influence on the kids which makes them grounded and appreciate life more. The food...

Au Pairs and Community Counselors in America - Highlight of the EurAupair's 2016 National Month of Giving   Au pairs and community counselors in America came together, once again, during EurAupair's National Month of Giving. This event allows au pairs and counselors to give back to their communities through volunteering. This is one aspect of the American culture that, we believe, must be shar...

As part of their participation in EurAupair student exchange program, au pairs receive a weekly stipend from their host family to cover any personal expenses while in America. However, without mindful money management this stipend can quickly disappear, leaving you without resources to draw on in the event of an emergency. The Basics of the Weekly Stipend Each au pair gets a weekly stipend...

For au pairs in the USA, spending a year as an exchange program participant is an exciting opportunity to learn about a new culture, further their education, and become part of an American family as they help care for the children. Understanding the following terms may be useful for EurAupair au pairs applying to become an au pair in America. Area Coordinator – Your next point-of-contact ...

EurAupair Au Pair of the Year 2016 – Elise Ducam from France My name is Elise Ducam, and I spent one year as an aupair for the Borkowski family in Corpus Texas during the year 2014-2015. When I applied to be an au pair through EurAupair, I thought I would live a great adventure, but it never crossed my mind that I would end up with a second family! This experience has truly changed the way I s...

The winter holiday seasons are an exciting time of the year to spend time with the family, however, for an au pair, the holidays can be a source of stress. The following information provides insight and tips to concerns commonly experienced with au pair programs during holiday season. Working on the Holiday Season Au pair programs do allow an au pair to work on holidays; however, it's vital to in...

As one of the oldest and most trusted organizations, EurAupair host families can be assured their au pairs will be fully prepared by the time they arrive into their homes! Your au pair will complete a pre-departure orientation prior to leaving her home country and will attend a week-long EurAupair workshop in NYC upon their arrival to the US. Check out what makes the EurAupair NYC Workshop so speci...

As an au pair in America, there are many activities you can do with the children on a regular day. However, when the children are stuck at home during the proverbial "Snow Day", how will you survive? Although your options may be limited, continue reading for a few of EurAupair’s top ways to get through snow days. Warm Up with a Bake Off One of the top ways to entertain the children on snow days is to w...

I ask this question since I find myself at the age of 72 in an interesting situation. A good 15 years ago, an old high school friend asked if I’d be interested in becoming a community counselor for an international au pair placement service. Community counselor? What’s that? Well, my friend said, it’s kind of a “go-between.” You help qualify the host family who applies for an au pair through EurAup...

To start off, I was a “rescue” and then Alex and Julie took me into their family. For the past nine months, I am now in a lovely family from Long Island and I’m starting to feel sad that I’m leaving them in a couple of days. Back in Germany, I wished to have an awesome time in America, but things did not work out with my first family. I just wanted to go home, especially so close to Christmas. In this ...

  EurAupair Au Pair of the Year 2015 – Jacqueline Märsch from Germany The first week went by so fast, everything was a blur. I just knew I was in New York City, everything was like a dream. “Am I really in the States or am I just dreaming?” I walked down the stairs at the airport in Washington D.C. and there was my new family. I was really excited, but also very exhausted and tired. New York...

By Host Mother Wendie Cook During the Fall Foliage Festival in Canadian, TX, all businesses, schools and community facilities gathered together to support the city's biggest tourist event of the year. EurAupair Community Counselors Carla Haygood and Linda Rader, along with the Tony Cook family, hosting au pair Jennifer Glocker from Germany, offered their hands and feet to support this commu...

By South African EurAupair Au Pair Cristelle Fourie When I got the news that I was finally going to America I was overwhelmed with happiness! My first stop would be in Big Lick (Roanoke, Virginia). Here I spent my first year with the Eddy family Jennifer (mom), Sean (dad), Emanuel (3 years old) and Lillian (newborn). They truly became my family, my home away from home. We went on loads of adventure...

Welcome to America! This fascinating country is a multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values. Aside from the now small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. As in every culture, holidays and celebrations are the reflection of customs and traditions that unites a na...

"So you never know what awaits you at a new place. I didn't expect this unknown city to change my life so profoundly." - Svenja Kupke Every year thousands of young people from all over the world embark on a special journey by becoming au pairs. Leaving behind the familiarity of their homeland for as long...

By Emilie Terryn, Au Pair from France I have never been more excited in my life than when I received a call from EurAupair telling me that I had been chosen as one of the five finalists for Au Pair of the Year. Three weeks earlier, Kati, my host mom, gave me a copy of the letter that she submitted for the award. These were the nicest words that anyone has ever said to me. I cried all the time. I r...

Every year thousands of young people from all over the world embark on a special journey by becoming au pairs. Leaving behind the familiarity of their homeland for as long as one year, au pairs travel to distant countries, where they are welcomed into another culture as a part of their host family. To reward au pairs for the wonderful job they do caring for children, the "IAPA Au Pair o...

By Alice, one of our former au pair from France. " The best year of my life. My au pair year in Orange County, California has been a real dream! Leaving my host family, my friends, the kids… was basically one of the hardiest things I’ve ever done. But after several depressing months, I’ve built a new life in Paris… I’m writing this message from Lake Forest, California. I’m visiting my host fa...

Becoming an aupair or a live-in nanny offers a young woman many advantages. Besides giving her the opportunity to travel to places she’s never seen, it also gives the person traveling abroad a unique perspective. Danish Au Pair Jeannett and her host sister Learning about a language and a culture is an entirely different experience when one lives in the host country with a native-speaking fam...