The word ‘Au pair’ comes from the French word ‘on par’ or ‘equal to’ and with most Au pairs living with the host family for up to a year, it’s not surprising they become an integral and much loved family member.
While your Au pair experience will have many wonderful adventures, it will be a full time work! You will be responsible for providing quality child care on a full-time basis and ensuring the children are always safe.
Your daily duties may differ from one family to the other according to the life style of the host family. Therefore, it is very important to talk about your exact duties prior to your placement. Have them describe to you what their daily and weekly routine looks like.
You might notice that Au pairs are not responsible for heavy housework, yard-work, pet care, laundry, or meals for the entire family. However, they are also members of the family, as such you may ask them to participate in general household responsibilities that are shared among family members.