Would I be suitable for au pair?

[Anonymous]

Hi there! I'm 18 year old girl from Finland and I just wanted to ask your point of view on what it takes to be an au pair and what qualities should a person have to make a good au pair.

So like I said I just turned eighteen and I absolutely love children. They are always so genuine and without a care in the world. Spending time with kids is just so refreshing. The people I currently work for have three children they are 2,3 and 4 years old and I have been babysitting them since they were babies. My mom also works in a daycare center so I have a pretty good idea what taking care of children is like.

My other boss is portuguese so with him I regularly use english. I think I speak english relatively well (at least I hope so, you tell me). I also speak a little swedish and french and of course finnish is my mother tongue

I consider myself to be a calm and a patient person which I think is a benefit when being with kids. I currently work in a customer service kind of job and I love it. I get along with all kinds of people.

So what do you guys think? would you even consider me?

Thank you in advance for all who bother to reply.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried posting in the Au Pair forum? You'll get more targeted answers from experienced host families over there.

But I'd say on paper, yes, you sound like someone who'd be able to find a good family to work for - it sounds like you have work experience, experience with kids, a good grasp of English, a calm demeanor, and a strong work ethic? If that's the case, I suspect you'll be snapped up in no time.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tip. I'll post there then I think I have a good work ethic. I always try my hardest and show up in time, as finns often do, go by the clock thanks for your answer!

[Anonymous]

We look for actual child care experience, and only at candidates who have worked before. You're going to find relatively few families who will want an 18yo who has just done a little babysitting. If you're really interested, I'd say spend a year trying to get lots of real experience. Then toull be fine. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Okay. You might be right and I appreciate the advice, but after all babysitting is not rocket science what I mean by that is that if you are naturally good with children it already takes you far. I would love to spend a year just for that but the reality is I have to start studying at some point Thank you very much for replying and I do believe you have a valid point there and I would love to do as you suggested if I would just have the time

[Anonymous]

I agree OP - You sound like you'll do just fine!

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much -OP

[Anonymous]

Just keep in mind that some children DO have a lot of worries and are not as carefree as you imply they are in your OP.

Also, I need an au pair who can drive my children and would not feel comfortable with an 18 yr old who has so few years of experience behind the wheel. In addition, babysitting for a few hours once or twice a week, is VERY different from working all day, five days a week with kids.

[Anonymous]

Fair enough. I didn't mean all children are like that. Every child is an individual I realize that. About the driving issue... what can I say that's how you feel about it and I get it though I'm pretty used to driving in snow, gravel and also in the city but I understand where you're coming from all the best for you and your family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough. I didn't mean all children are like that. Every child is an individual I realize that. About the driving issue... what can I say that's how you feel about it and I get it though I'm pretty used to driving in snow, gravel and also in the city but I understand where you're coming from all the best for you and your family

P.S. You would come across as more business-like and more mature if you stopped with all the smiley faces. At the absolute MOST, keep it to one per post, tops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay. You might be right and I appreciate the advice, but after all babysitting is not rocket science what I mean by that is that if you are naturally good with children it already takes you far. I would love to spend a year just for that but the reality is I have to start studying at some point Thank you very much for replying and I do believe you have a valid point there and I would love to do as you suggested if I would just have the time

I'm the PP you're responding to and your response tells me even more that you're really not ready. "Babysitting is not rocket science" - sure, but what is asked of you as an au pair is not babysitting. It's spending 45 hours a week in charge of children, it's dealing with being away from home, and having adult conversations with your host family, and taking courses, and handling the multiple issues that come up including being emotionally mature enough to manage living with your employers. Au pairing is not anything close to occasional babysitting. So as I said, we look only at candidates who have a proven track record of managing a full-time job (because that's what being an au pair is), and we prefer candidates who have lived away from home or who have shown that they can commit to something long term (like school). Being an au pair is really really challenging. It's not a fun year in the US with a little non-rock-science babysitting on the side.

And honestly, I am in the matching process right now and there are 356 au pair candidates in Au Pair in America and over 600 in Cultural Care. So I'm sorting through almost 1,000 applications of young people wanting to be our au pair. So your promising me that you're a natural with kids gets you nowhere. What makes you stand out is an actual proven interest in children, a proven interest in learning about the world and gaining life experience through working hard for it. I also need you to drive my kids place and to know what to do in emergencies. Again, you saying you saying you're "pretty used to driving" isn't filling me with confidence that I want to put my kids in the car with you. I'm looking at candidates that have pedagogy degrees, that have been nannying for years, that have been going to university while nannying on the side - there are tons of these types of candidates. So you saying that you really like kids! And you're pretty used to driving and it's totally easy to take care of kids - not going to cut it.

If you really and truly want to be an au pair, as I said, spend the next year or two really gaining the experience that parents look for. You don't have to have a full-time job in a daycare, but SHOW me that you like kids rather than just promising me that you do. Go live in a different city for a few months so I know you can be away from home. Save up and buy your own car so you can tell me that you've driven every day for four years. Etc. Don't get defensive because some of us aren't just taking you at face value that you're a natural with kids and thus we should choose you to live with for a year. It's so much more than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough. I didn't mean all children are like that. Every child is an individual I realize that. About the driving issue... what can I say that's how you feel about it and I get it though I'm pretty used to driving in snow, gravel and also in the city but I understand where you're coming from all the best for you and your family

P.S. You would come across as more business-like and more mature if you stopped with all the smiley faces. At the absolute MOST, keep it to one per post, tops.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay. You might be right and I appreciate the advice, but after all babysitting is not rocket science what I mean by that is that if you are naturally good with children it already takes you far. I would love to spend a year just for that but the reality is I have to start studying at some point Thank you very much for replying and I do believe you have a valid point there and I would love to do as you suggested if I would just have the time

I'm the PP you're responding to and your response tells me even more that you're really not ready. "Babysitting is not rocket science" - sure, but what is asked of you as an au pair is not babysitting. It's spending 45 hours a week in charge of children, it's dealing with being away from home, and having adult conversations with your host family, and taking courses, and handling the multiple issues that come up including being emotionally mature enough to manage living with your employers. Au pairing is not anything close to occasional babysitting. So as I said, we look only at candidates who have a proven track record of managing a full-time job (because that's what being an au pair is), and we prefer candidates who have lived away from home or who have shown that they can commit to something long term (like school). Being an au pair is really really challenging. It's not a fun year in the US with a little non-rock-science babysitting on the side.

And honestly, I am in the matching process right now and there are 356 au pair candidates in Au Pair in America and over 600 in Cultural Care. So I'm sorting through almost 1,000 applications of young people wanting to be our au pair. So your promising me that you're a natural with kids gets you nowhere. What makes you stand out is an actual proven interest in children, a proven interest in learning about the world and gaining life experience through working hard for it. I also need you to drive my kids place and to know what to do in emergencies. Again, you saying you saying you're "pretty used to driving" isn't filling me with confidence that I want to put my kids in the car with you. I'm looking at candidates that have pedagogy degrees, that have been nannying for years, that have been going to university while nannying on the side - there are tons of these types of candidates. So you saying that you really like kids! And you're pretty used to driving and it's totally easy to take care of kids - not going to cut it.

If you really and truly want to be an au pair, as I said, spend the next year or two really gaining the experience that parents look for. You don't have to have a full-time job in a daycare, but SHOW me that you like kids rather than just promising me that you do. Go live in a different city for a few months so I know you can be away from home. Save up and buy your own car so you can tell me that you've driven every day for four years. Etc. Don't get defensive because some of us aren't just taking you at face value that you're a natural with kids and thus we should choose you to live with for a year. It's so much more than that.

X10000

my top criteria for my AP are: childcare experience (babysitting alone doesn't make my cut), living away from home for an extended period of time and significant driving experience. If you don't have these I don't review the file. Too many candidates have them and DC is a highly desirable location for APs. Follow the advice from the posters above and work on building your credentials (child for certified and first aid are good first steps) and your resume. Host families are approaching this more like a job than simply babysitting.

[Anonymous]

Sigh. So using smileys means I'm immature? all 18 yo that I know use them it's just a habit. But don't worry I got your point --- loud and clear! I guess I'll forget about it then and just stay here where people who know me think I'm trustworthy and a great worker. And about the first aid, I have been on a course so I got it covered! and see no smileys oops said it too early!

[Anonymous]

Wow op. You asked a bunch of strangers how you could best position yourself to be an au pair and then get defensive when we don't just take you at face value that you really love kids even though you have little really experience, but whatever you promised you love kids, so you expect us just to hand over our kids to you?

You know why those people you know in your country think you're hard working? Because they KNOW you. People looking for their au pair don't know you at all. It's not a personal attack that they don't just trust you. They will want you to show them that you're trustworthy and great with kids through past actions. Every single one of those 1,000 applications swears they're coming to the US bc they "love kids!" All I'm saying is how are you going to differentiate yourself?