This post contains information about the US Department of State Au Pair Exchange Visitor Program. There are many ways to participate in this program as a host family. I recommend partnering with an
My opinions about hosting an Au Pair or working with an agency
Dear SooN Parents of the Internet,
In my posts, How to Set Clear Expectations with your Au Pair and How to Write Ironclad Au Pair Terms & Conditions, I guided you through STEP ONE: Defining your Expectations. If you missed those posts, I recommend you go back because we will be using the Au Pair Job Description Builder and the Household Terms & Conditions Builder worksheets from those posts to complete STEP TWO: Communicating Your Expectations (which I will cover in this post).
Now. At some point in
While I do agree this is also solid advice (and t-shirt worthy), it is
So I’ll get to that point: the reason I am such a fan of “Communication is the shortest distance between two people” in this scenario is because there are a lot of obstacles that you will face when you have an Au Pair. Many of these obstacles, such as cultural, social and language barriers, come with the territory and are part of the Au Pair experience.
If those obstacles weren’t immediately clear, then take my word for it − you will bump into them throughout your Au Pair year.
It is for this reason that I believe CLEAR and CONSISTENT communication to be the best tool for combating those obstacles. And that is why when I think of working with an Au Pair I am such a fan of the saying “Communication is the shortest distance between two people”.
It is sort of like my mantra for the relationship and I think of STEP TWO: Communicating Your Expectations as the mode for putting the mantra to practice (no t-shirt necessary). So let’s do this!
To the shortest distance between two people,
Overview
Using your answers from the Au Pair Job Description Builder and Household Terms & Conditions Builder will make completing STEP TWO: Communicating Your Expectations relatively simple. I’ve outlined step-by-step how you can take your information from these two worksheets to build out CLEAR and CONSISTENT communication for your Au Pair experience in this post.
Not a big fan of writing? Pressed for time? I’ve got you covered! You can accelerate your progress through this process by using my Communicating Your Au Pair Expectations Template. This template will leverage the work you have already done using the STEP ONE: Defining your Expectations worksheets while also offering an easy, fill-in-the-blank format to complete the body of the document itself.
I also think it is important to share that the language used in the Communicating Your Au Pair Expectations Template is what I actually use for my own Au Pair Job Description and Household Terms & Conditions today. It is available for $5 as both a word and pdf download. As a bonus for your purchase I will also include the final version of the Herzog-Ross Family Au Pair Expectations for you to reference as a complete example.
Get Instant Access Here*
[Note: this is a placeholder while I figure out how to automate this step. In the interim, please email elisha@soonliving.com to get access to this tool.]
Not Convinced? No Problem!
I’ve outlined below my recommendation for leveraging the STEP ONE: Defining your Expectations worksheets to build your STEP TWO: Communicating Your Expectations documents from scratch.
How to Communicate your Job Description
Use your answers from the Au Pair Job Description Builder to create your job description.
1. Start with what you already know − a brief description of you and your family. Make sure to include your answer to Q1.
2. Next state your top priority − your answer to Q2.
3. Now take your answers to Q3-Q6 and create a description of the typical weekly schedule and Au Pair’s responsibilities.
4. Finally, take your answers to Q7-Q18 and create a visual representation of your typical daily schedule. This will paint a nice “day in the life of” picture for your Au Pair candidate.
5. Now close with a snapshot of your family’s interests or needs in a positive and exciting way.
How to Communicate your Household Terms & Conditions
Use your answers from the Household Terms & Conditions Builder to create your job description.
1. Create a section header, “Children Specific Expectations”, and summarize your answers from Q1-Q8
2. Create a section header, “Communication”, and summarize your answers from Q9-Q13.
3. Create a section header, “Scheduling”, and summarize your answers from Q14-Q19.
4. Create a section header, “Stipend & Expenses”, and summarize your answers from Q20-Q22.
5. Create a section header, “Electronic Devices”, and summarize your answers from Q23-Q27.
6. Create a section header, “Address”, and summarize your answers from Q28-Q29.
7. Create a section header, “Transportation & Car Safety”, and summarize your answers from Q30-Q40.
8. Create a section header, “Food & Beverages”, and summarize your answers from Q41-Q47.
9. Create a section header, “Household Duties”, and summarize your answers from Q48-Q50.
10. Create a section header, “Bedroom”, and summarize your answers from Q51-Q55.
11. Create a section header, “Bathroom”, and summarize your answers from Q56-Q58.
12. Create a section header, “Laundry”, and summarize your answers from Q59-Q60.
13. Create a section header, “When Leaving the House”, and summarize your answers from Q61-Q63.
14. Create a section header, “Curfew”, and summarize your answers from Q64-Q66.
15. Create a section header, “Guests”, and summarize your answers from Q67-Q70.
16. Now create a section header, “Miscellaneous” and list anything that you might not have covered in the other sections but are important for you and your family while hosting an Au Pair.
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Ready to move on to the next step in the How to Hire an Amazing Au Pair process?
Please stay tuned for How to Search for an Au Pair. I’ll admit that I am pretty slow at coding the content to my blog so if you are at this step and have a real urgent need for this content – feel free to email me at elisha@soonliving.com and I will see what I can do to publish faster. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.
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