What every host mum needs to know!

10 top tips to au pair success With so many people discovering the benefits of hosting an au pair, we thought we would help with our simple Top 10 tips for au pair success. 1 Be realistic; she is not supernanny… Your au pair will try her best but it she is not a childcare expert. Don’t expect perfection from day one. Prepare a handbook and guide her with your know-how. 2 Saving time makes sense The number one benefit of having an extra paid of hands in your home is saving time; enjoy gaining more quality time with your family and maybe even with your partner. 3 Why mums love the au pair program Hosting an au pair generally costs at least 50% less than any other help with childcare or light housework. In exchange, she may need some extra time to get familiar with her duties. 4 Don’t make assumptions Give clear and specific instructions; use to-do lists, timetables and ‘how-to’ guides for more complex tasks. Why not take pictures of the full school uniform and the perfect lunch box? 5 Invest time in training & developing Prepare a handbook. Talk her through it page by page, then show her task by task. Talk about safety with the help of our Child Safety Guide. 6 Split and share your tasks = teamwork Treat your au pair as a member of the family. Split and share light housework & cooking to avoid au pair overload (and maybe get a cleaner for the ‘heavy duty’ stuff) 7 Build trust & show interest Build up trust and try not to micro-manage. Build a relationship through regular communication. Ask about her day with the kids, the friends she has made and her plans for the weekend. 8 Give praise for a job well done Receiving praise will make your au pair feel valued and help her gain confidence. It will strengthen your relationship and make her want to go the extra mile… 9 Always pay on time Paying your au pair on time every week will help her budget for her personal time, away fro the family. Free time is critical to re-charge her batteries to start the next week with a smile J 10 Have fun and learn from each other Have fun and enjoy time with your au pair. Ask about her family, home, hobbies, studies and her future plans. Most au pairs have inspiring ambitions and a gap year is only the beginning!