What tasks can au pair do during the day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

[Anonymous]

It baffles me that people think that 'cultural exchange' means giving au pairs lots of free time to hang out with their friends. Their hours are limited to 45 hours per week and many of us use far fewer. Most of those work hours are working directly with American kids and enforcing policies rules set by American parents. I can't think of a better way to learn about American culture than that ("culture" is defined as a way of life, typically passed on from parents to their children as well as through interactions with the broader society.) And, yes, contributing to a functioning "American" household is part of that.

OP-- we are in the same situation; the AP works mornings to make the kids' breakfast and lunchbox and gets them from school. She watches them after school til parents come home. She is supposed to work one hour each day to organize the kids' stuff, do laundry, wash their bedding, clean up breakfast dishes, etc. (usually this means unloading a full dishwasher if she doesn't want to wash breakfast dishes by hand). If there are kid-related errands, she does that (this is typically just picking up books we have put "on hold" at the library, but could also be picking up something needed from the store. When seasons change, I ask her to pull out last season's clothes and sort them for what the kids may have outgrown/grown into for the next season. Frankly, it's really hard to come up with an hour's worth of stuff per day that falls within the rules of the program...

[Anonymous]

meal prep is huge. I have my au pair cut vegetables for cooking. Saves me and my husband a ton of time. they can do this while the kid is in school and/or napping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

Many families don't take the AP on vacation, never invite the AP along for holidays and resent (or don't include) the AP for family meals, especially at restaurants. It's great that you do, but there are many who don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

That's not what "sub-market" means. Au pairs are cheaper than an American live-in nanny with the same hours and level of flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

That's not what "sub-market" means. Au pairs are cheaper than an American live-in nanny with the same hours and level of flexibility.

No, nannies do not guarantee 45 hours per week unless you guarantee pay for 45 hours per week. And most nannies are not as flexible as an AP (or are not flexible at all).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

That's not what "sub-market" means. Au pairs are cheaper than an American live-in nanny with the same hours and level of flexibility.

No, nannies do not guarantee 45 hours per week unless you guarantee pay for 45 hours per week. And most nannies are not as flexible as an AP (or are not flexible at all).

Yes, that's what I am saying. Au pairs are "sub-market" or in other words cheaper than the equivalent care outside of the au pair system. The perks have very little to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily includes vacuuming and dishes after kids' breakfast, folding their laundry, preparing snack (from a particular shelf in the cabinet of acceptable, healthy options).
Weekly includes cleaning their room and hers, and there are hours on the schedule for this.
On weeks we're we have some extra hours, I might ask her to sort through the toy bins or kids' closets, change out seasonal clothes, etc.
My feeling on "taking advantage" is that every extra thing she does is more time I have with my kids at the end of the day, which is the whole point of having an au pair.

The "whole point" of the au pair program is a cultural exchange program with some babysitting.

Lel sigh. I've done cultural exchanges where host families have been paid for room and partial board. I paid them. They did not in return provide a vehicle or other transportation, my health insurance, tuition, full board, laundry privileges, etc. etc. CCAP has a side arm that does such exchanges. It's not the same as the AP program. Epcot employees are also on the "cultural exchange" visa and have much harder situations than the APs do

And that's why people are trying to do away with these programs. People use them not as exchange programs but as a source of sub-market labor.

I wouldn't consider using someone for sub-market labor including them in all of our family meals (many at restaurants), taking on vacations with our family, including her and her friends in all holiday celebrations, etc.

That's not what "sub-market" means. Au pairs are cheaper than an American live-in nanny with the same hours and level of flexibility.

No, nannies do not guarantee 45 hours per week unless you guarantee pay for 45 hours per week. And most nannies are not as flexible as an AP (or are not flexible at all).

Yes, that's what I am saying. Au pairs are "sub-market" or in other words cheaper than the equivalent care outside of the au pair system. The perks have very little to do with it.

Well, they are welcome to not join the program or drop out if they don't like it. There are also a lot of advantages to being an au pair, especially with a nice family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, they are welcome to not join the program or drop out if they don't like it. There are also a lot of advantages to being an au pair, especially with a nice family.

And that's the exact justification for not having minimum wage laws at all. People can just not take the job, some jobs are easy, etc., etc. And yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Taking advantage" is already the wrong attitude. You're already asking for what is typical.

Taking advantage of what I pay for, not going above and beyond. I think I was clear about that.

These girls are exchange students who babysit. Your attitude is bad given the nature of the program.

Given that they're only required to take about two college classes over an entire year, that's not an accurate statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well, they are welcome to not join the program or drop out if they don't like it. There are also a lot of advantages to being an au pair, especially with a nice family.

And that's the exact justification for not having minimum wage laws at all. People can just not take the job, some jobs are easy, etc., etc. And yet.

France, Germany, UK, and Australia all have better employment protections than US employees, yet their au pairs have worse employment protections and far less pay than au pairs in America. Our au pairs have it very good- the best terms for any au pair in the world. Yes, there can be improvements. But stop acting like this host mom is exploiting her au pairs by trying to find ideas about how to have her au pair work a couple hours over the 4 per day (really-- this is a very good situation) she planned. It's important to fight injustice, but fight real injustice.