Reply to Au Pair just asked for more money

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[quote=Anonymous]Yes there are exploitative host families that should be weeded out. There are also plenty of big law partners or single parents with demanding jobs who need fewer hours but at odd times, like a few hours before school or after school driving kids to and from activities. Even if you paid someone else a $15/hr wage for working those 15 hours a week, you get to $225/wk. but then that person would need to find other work to be able to afford to live, and what nanny wants to take a 7-8 am and 4-6 on shift?? The au pair I know who has this cushy 15 hr wk job lives in a McMansion with housekeeping service and her own suite with own kitchen/fridge. She would never be able to afford that working her hours at $15/hr on her own. On top of that she has a luxury car she has full access to.

One of my au pair’s friend’s biggest complaint about her host family is that they do their own thing at night (IE have to work after putting kids to bed) and are NOT around to hang out with her. She thinks of them as like her real surrogate parents / family and actually legitimately wants to spend time with them. I think of my au pair as a younger cousin and our relationship is as such. My preschooler can sing and count in her native language (he is actually in full time preschool so he is not even her charge, but she spends a lot of time with us off the clock on her own volition) and we’ve hosted several cultural night dinners where my au pair and her friends have made a variety of traditional foods they wanted to share with us. In turn, she’s learned about American football, our insane political system, Halloween, thanksgiving, etc. she has been a godsend this year when school was closed and we will dearly miss her. We pay 300/wk because we use 45 hours / wk for a toddler. When we go on vacation we take grandparents for babysitting and she is not on the clock.

For all the horrible examples you have read, I just want to point out there are plenty of good, mutually acceptable situations as well. Many au pairs are here to travel / have a new experience for a year or two, although I realize my experience is with European au pairs so there may be a difference for others. For those I know, it is not really about money but more the ability to explore. [/quote]

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