How many years did you host and for what ages?

[Anonymous]

We are searching for an au pair now. Our kids are now 4 and almost 6. I was wondering if I could get advice from some of the more experienced families what ages they felt worked best for the au pair program and when you decided to stop hosting? Everyone I know IRL seems to want to keep hosting until their kids are heading to college but I read here about how many people are thrilled to be done with the program and stop hosting.

[Anonymous]

Those are good ages. We began when our kids were 1, 3 and almost 6. We are still hosting at just turned 7, 9 and almost 12.
I think the baby stage is hard if you want any sort of flexibility with your schedule. Once the kids are in school, even pt, it’s easier for both the family and the au pair.

We are not likely going to stop hosting until our youngest is 12 or so, and old enough to go places on his own. Due to our work, we need flexibility and often use evening hours, and that isn’t something we can easily find with a nanny or occasional sitter. With 3 kids and different activities, even if I can manage one or two kids after school we still need help (I work during the school day and try to be available after school to do the shuffle).

[Anonymous]

Hosted until two aupairs in a row complained they were bored because kids were in school and they played independently when home. The youngest was 10.
The last thing you want is a bored aupair on your hands. They end up on bambino and care dot com.

We would have hosted another year to keep the help with shuttling kids around to activities. Once we hired a nice older sitter who could do so from bambino (while avoiding all the moonlighting aupairs), it was a relief to have our house back. No turning back for us. It's so much less complicated to have someone reliable show up and then go home at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

We have hosted from pre-school through middle school. you need to look for different au pairs at different stages. Our early au pairs were great with little kids, had tons of patience, would bake, play, go to playground. Our current au pairs are highly organized, efficient, and can manage competing activities, homework, dinner times. They are not bored as PP said. They understand the on/off times. We've had a great experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have hosted from pre-school through middle school. you need to look for different au pairs at different stages. Our early au pairs were great with little kids, had tons of patience, would bake, play, go to playground. Our current au pairs are highly organized, efficient, and can manage competing activities, homework, dinner times. They are not bored as PP said. They understand the on/off times. We've had a great experience.

Our au pair was bored as well when we hosted and our kids were 12 and 14. We needed a driver and she had too much quiet time. She was needy and driving us crazy until she found a group of friends. Then she would hardly be home, which was fine, but when she was she was complaining that the kids didn't want to do anything but watch television.

It depends on the aupair but we had the best luck when our kids were under 10. We hired someone locally as an after school driver/sitter and everyone is a lot happier. I miss having an aupair for some things, but I don't miss the feeling that I somehow have to occupy another adult whose friends are all working when she is home bored during the day.

[Anonymous]

Hosted from aged 2 and 4 to ages 8 and 10.
We are in first full year with no AP and it is fine handling the kids on our own. COVID actually helps as DH is not traveling.

So happy to not have someone living here. Forgot what it was like to have my own home again!

[Anonymous]

Started when youngest 1, 4, and 5. They are now 5, 8, and 10. It’s been really good for us but wondering when we might stop. When the youngest is 10 maybe?

[Anonymous]

We started hosting when the kids were 2 and 5, and they are now 7 and 10. We will likely host until the kids are 10 and 13. We have had a phenomenal experience in the program, with 2 Au pairs who’ve stayed with our family for 2 years each, and our current Au pair just signed her extension papers to extend with us for another year as well.

We had one rematch between our first and second Au pair. She was a terrible fit for our family (on the phone she came off as warm and friendly, but in person she was cold and BBC disinterested in the kids).

[Anonymous]

I've hosted since my first was an infant. Kids are now 6 and 9. I can see us hosting until the youngest is in middle school. I thoroughly enjoy the program and we may switch to hosting exchange students at that time.