Check their personality profile, if your agency makes it available. If not, have them take an online DISC test or similar. Look for a trait of D (dominance), or in GoAuPair agency personality color test, it is color red.
You basically need a leader type

Anonymous wrote:I always look for a few things:
1. Someone who has younger siblings;
2. Someone who has worked a full-time job; and
3. Someone who does not have a housekeeper at home.

I have had 4 wonderful au pairs. All have extended. All still keep in touch.

Seconding all of this great advice plus look for someone that is interested in kids as a career - a teacher for example. You will also probably need to set the expectation. We have this built into our APs work time once per week to come up with activity ideas to make sure the kids aren't just in front of the TV all the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

That’s because it’s not a reasonable expectation for a young girl new to this country.

Also, when the AP supposed to be doing these online searches?

How about taking 15 minutes in the 6 hours the kids are in school every day?

Depends on how much time she’s already doing childcare and chores. We’ve seen a crazy schedule with one of the other HMs.

I always look for a few things:
1. Someone who has younger siblings;
2. Someone who has worked a full-time job; and
3. Someone who does not have a housekeeper at home.

I have had 4 wonderful au pairs. All have extended. All still keep in touch.

Anonymous wrote:Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

We've had 4 au pairs and one nanny that did this all quite well with absolutely no prompting from us. Only one of our au pairs didn't do this kind of thing and we ended up in rematch. Where are you getting your au pairs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

That’s because it’s not a reasonable expectation for a young girl new to this country.

Also, when the AP supposed to be doing these online searches?

If the young girls new to this country can use the internet to 1) apply for the AP program, 2) identify FB groups of APs in their communities, 3) whatsapp with friends and family all over the world, 4) find fun places to meet up with their new AP friends, 5) look online to see which gym they want to join.....

then they can figure out how to find some things for the kids to do. That is all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

That’s because it’s not a reasonable expectation for a young girl new to this country.

Also, when the AP supposed to be doing these online searches?

How about taking 15 minutes in the 6 hours the kids are in school every day?

Ask them what they would do if after 2 weeks of arriving in the US, your family had to go out of town for a week due to an emergency. Without work and being new, how would they try to spend the time? See what they come up with

Anonymous wrote:Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

That’s because it’s not a reasonable expectation for a young girl new to this country.

Also, when the AP supposed to be doing these online searches?

Two of my three have been like this. I don’t know if this is why, but both of them lived on their own.

Been hosting 8 years.
10 au pairs
Have yet to find this.

Good luck.

I think you might be wishing for the moon. You may get it, and you may get someone who seemed to take initiative who later needs reminders.

Also, have you thought of setting aside 30-60 minutes weekly in the schedule for looking up crafting? That way it’s less about initiative and more about making it a weekly habit.

Just about every au pair claims they like doing crafts with kids. This doesn’t mean they can look one up online, gather materials, and carry it through. You could try asking them about creative projects they’ve done and asking about these steps...

I would think of specific scenarios and bring them up in your interview and ask them.
Like you just did with the airplanes.

I swear we do not have unreasonable expectations, and we have had APs that have been fantastic before, but the past two have been totally inept in terms of seeing something that needs doing and asking about it, or just doing it...

I'm recruiting again and am not sure how to seek out this quality. The language barrier probably doesn't help (we mostly recruit from latin america), but I would love someone who would notice "hmm, the kids are really into making paper airplanes, let's look up some new planes we can make together" or "hmm, spring break is coming, let me look up some cool things to do with the kids and plan out some activities."

I know I can remind them to do such things, but I don't want to have to micro-manage them.