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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To the person wondering if it harms the children when the au pair leaves - no!  Yes, they are part of the family but even at a young age, children are able to understand that an au pair has an identity separate from the family.

For example, au pairs often spend their weekends out with friends, take vacation apart from the family (2 weeks per year) and have their own families back home. So while kids do see the au pair as a “big sister” of sorts, who spends holidays with them and lives in their house, they also understand that it’s a different relationship from mom, dad, “real” sisters. Plus they are (or should be) aware that the au pair only stays 2 years.

If you are concerned about childhood abandonment issues, an au pair is really not going to cause such issue, unless you are in a really unusual situation where the au pair is literally raising the kids and taking the place of mom or dad. That happens occasionally, but it’s not typical... in most cases, the au pair leaving is akin to a child’s favorite friend moving out of the neighborhood. It sucks for a minute but they get over it and it doesn’t cause life long negative implications. (I’m a childhood psychologist). [/quote]

Do you have any suggestions for how to ease the transition? I am widow with a toddler, and the AP really (within the confines of the hours/schedule of the AP program) is a parent figure, particularly doing the pandemic when there are few other "live" adults in the pod. I am worried it is going to be traumatic. [/quote]

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