Wealth Difference b/t Au Pair and Host Family

[Anonymous]

Some of you PPs are way too harsh.

OP, I get what you're saying. However, to put it in perspective, a lot of the wealth gap is also due to age difference and the different stages in your lives. You and your spouse are presumably established professionals who've been working for many years, whereas the ap is a young adult who's just starting out. No need to feel guilty, as long as you don't flaunt it. Live your best life and encourage your ap to pursue her dreams.

[Anonymous]

What horrible comments! OP- I agree that you just appreciate and express gratitude. Not everyone lives like those in the US. Some live wonderfully here, some do not. But there are a lot of opportunities. And if you see fit, help your OP the best way possible to live her life, education, and dreams to the fullest you can, are willing, and able.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not really a question, just a point. We have had our wonderful first au pair ever for about 2 weeks. She is lovely and hard-working and very smart. As we get to know her, we learn more about the difficulties in her country (she comes from a less than prosperous background in Latin America). I'm beginning to feel personally a little embarrassed for the way we live: we are not super rich or anything but like many DC households, we are high earning dual professionals and live well compared to a lot of the US and probably ridiculously well compared to other countries. Does anyone else have this feeling? It's a combination of awkward and embarrassed. It also puts into context how fortunate we are to have the opportunities we've had, and that had we been born elsewhere whatever talent and intelligence we could have would not necessarily result in prosperity. Either way, just feeling awkward . . .

Um, you need to get a clue lady. How long have you been living on this planet. You poor thing, being so unaware and just now getting expodure to another culture for the first time.

I'm about to blow your mind. This occurs in America too. We even have poverty here. A lot of it. Life is not just an episode of a whitewashed season of Big Little Lies.

OP here; wow, your words are so vile! I suppose your children must hate you. By the way, I have traveled far and wide, including to some real impoverished backwaters. But I've never carried my $2 million dollar house on my back when I go there, or my never-ending Amazon prime packages or the fancy schools my children go to, or the leather-lined cars we drive. My point is, it's one thing traveling somewhere, another thing having an au pair you like and respect live in what in her eyes is a mansion in a rich person's life. I'ts awkward and a make me feel sad . . . that's my point. Jesus! . . .

Wow....lol troll. I am sure there is an admin of this site that can see that....nice English. try again.

+1. Appears to be written by a European. We don't use the expression of carrying our house on our back, but I have heard a German say something similar. Ditto the "real impoverished"-- Germans tend to not understand when to use "real" and "really" because they would use "echt" in either context.

[Anonymous]

"About 97% of the world lives well below our standards, including Europe."


Ummm...Have you ever heard of Scandinavia and a few other places?

[Anonymous]

You can pay her more given you live in a $2 million dollar house. Stop being cheap and pay her a better salary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can pay her more given you live in a $2 million dollar house. Stop being cheap and pay her a better salary.

She doesn't get a salary. She gets a stipend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can pay her more given you live in a $2 million dollar house. Stop being cheap and pay her a better salary.

She doesn't get a salary. She gets a stipend.

Then, pay a higher stipend and regular bonuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not really a question, just a point. We have had our wonderful first au pair ever for about 2 weeks. She is lovely and hard-working and very smart. As we get to know her, we learn more about the difficulties in her country (she comes from a less than prosperous background in Latin America). I'm beginning to feel personally a little embarrassed for the way we live: we are not super rich or anything but like many DC households, we are high earning dual professionals and live well compared to a lot of the US and probably ridiculously well compared to other countries. Does anyone else have this feeling? It's a combination of awkward and embarrassed. It also puts into context how fortunate we are to have the opportunities we've had, and that had we been born elsewhere whatever talent and intelligence we could have would not necessarily result in prosperity. Either way, just feeling awkward . . .

Um, you need to get a clue lady. How long have you been living on this planet. You poor thing, being so unaware and just now getting expodure to another culture for the first time.

I'm about to blow your mind. This occurs in America too. We even have poverty here. A lot of it. Life is not just an episode of a whitewashed season of Big Little Lies.

OP here; wow, your words are so vile! I suppose your children must hate you. By the way, I have traveled far and wide, including to some real impoverished backwaters. But I've never carried my $2 million dollar house on my back when I go there, or my never-ending Amazon prime packages or the fancy schools my children go to, or the leather-lined cars we drive. My point is, it's one thing traveling somewhere, another thing having an au pair you like and respect live in what in her eyes is a mansion in a rich person's life. I'ts awkward and a make me feel sad . . . that's my point. Jesus! . . .

Oh yes, my children hate me. You sure are clever.

You write like a ver young person with limited english skills. Nice try though!