Au Pair duties

Once you are selected by a host family as an Au Pair, it is your moral and ethical duty to fulfill the traditions of successful Au Pairs that have preceded you over the years. There are certain duties and responsibilities that you need to uphold as the ambassador of your country and the franchise you portray. In easier words, there are simpler dos and don’ts that you can follow in order to fulfill the basic criteria of a successful Au pair.

Do’s

Very basic Dos of the business include:

• Being utterly playful with children according to their age and mental level
• Driving safely while taking kids to any place in the car (including school, gym or any other activity)
• Cooking (if agreed upon)the dishes that are liked by the host family and especially the children
• Keeping the children room nice and tidy.
• Helping the children with their home assignments and science projects
• Helping with the children shopping
• Running small chores around the house

Don'ts

Even if you are doing the things mentioned above, you may be falling victim of doing acts that fall in the “don’t do” list. In general terms these are things that make you look like a nanny or house servants must be avoided. Some of the things that you should never do as an Au Pair include:

• Cooking personalized items for each adult family member
• Working the garden and sweeping the surroundings of the house
• Doing laundry or ironing the clothes of the whole family
• Taking care of children other than the host family, remember that you are not a community baby sitter
• Cleaning the cars or/and windows of the house
• Any other dirty work
• Misbehaving with kids or the family members
• Stealing or destroying public or private property
• Drinking or getting stoned while the children are around
• Doing things that were not agreed upon in the contract

Therefore, it is the way you portray yourself which is important for your culture and portrayal of the background you come from. A positive image will not only help build your profile but the other fellow Au Pairs that hail from your own cultural background.