10 Common Misconceptions About Working As An Au Pair

So you've been babysitting for this nice family and they've suggested you go with them to their country house for the summer to work as an au pair. Or maybe you've been searching for a good, cheap option to go abroad for a year and someone recommended working as an au pair. Well, think twice before deciding to move in with a family and their (potentially) crazy children.

1. You will just become another member of the family.

You thought being a vegetarian wasn't going to be that big of a deal? Or maybe your host parents told you that you could go for your run every night no problem? Although most host families try their hardest to make you feel like you are part of the family, most of the time it will be hard for you to adjust to their life style. When living with another family, all the differences come out. Adjusting to your new lifestyle will take 6 months to a year. It is possible also that some host parents will slowly begin to treat you like you are their employee, rather than a family member helping them out with the kids.

2. Being an au pair is just an extension of babysitting.

Nop. Nop. Nop. The work load as an au pair increases by about 500%. You will be with the children from the moment you wake up (could be 6am) until the moment they fall asleep. You will be tired most of the day. With no pause for eating, pooping, taking a shower, or locking yourself in the bathroom for a good cry.

3. You will only have to take care of child X and child Y.

If your host family tells you that you will only have to take care of certain children of the family, do not believe it. They will say maybe say that you won't have to take care of the baby because the mom will be with it, or maybe you won't have to take care of the teenager because s/he knows how to take care of himself, or maybe you will be told that the cousins will be living in the same house by you will not have to take care of them. Lies, lies and more lies. All the children will need help, and as long as you are working under the same roof as them, you will definitely end up taking care of them as well. Do not fall for this trap.

4. The children will like you.

This really depends on the age of the children, but anything aged from 2-years-old to 6-years-old brings in a high chance of them strongly disliking you. The host parents will make you shower them, eat their food, wash their hands, put on their diapers, etc. and that is all the things they hate. Aged 2 and below they simply feel more comfortable being in the arms of their parents, and therefore babies will simply be an alternative they will have to live with. Your best shot is aged 8 to 10, where they could potentially see you as a cool playmate. Teenagers usually give you the silent treatment. Either way, it is quite likely at least one of the children will not like you one bit.

5. Parents will give you precise instructions as to how to do things.

It is hard for parents to express to their au pair how they want/need things done. A lot of the time parents themselves will not really know what they want. Or how they want it. Or maybe they won't agree with how to proceed with a situation. So be ready to get a lot of misleading information and learn to process it to make the best of a hard situation.

6. On your free day you will be able to sleep in. Or hang out by the pool. Or read a book in your room.

Children do not understand the concept of you having a free day. Therefore as long as you are in the house they will come to for all sort of things, whether this is at 6am when they wake up and want some breakfast or when you are about to get in the swimming pool. The only way to properly enjoy your free days is to get out of the house.

7. You will be able to do things your way.

Host parents always tell their au pairs to not be scared to do things their way with the children if they want. It turns out parents are very attached to their manners of doing things, from the way they pack the kids' lunch to the way they tie their shoelaces. So don't freak out if you've been trying one technique to get the 5-year-old to eat her shower just for the grandma to come in and give her a pack of candy.

8. The pay will be worth it.

Au pairs do not get paid a salary per say. Rather they get an allowance per week, which you should be spending during your time working as an au pair, and on top of that accommodation and food. So if you are wanting to make money on the side then you'd better find another job.

9. You will go out every night with your new au pair friends.

No doubt will you be making friends in your new home, and no doubt you will have the time to go out with them at night. But will you have the energy? Working with children all day is extremely exhausting and chances are you will be dead by the end of the day.

10. You will come back feeling like you have made a difference.

Helping to raise other people's kids is not an easy task, and it is surprisingly unrewarding. You will most likely not be teaching them anything new or improving their standards of life. You will simply be helping the parents to do so. If you are looking for a rewarding experience with children I would concentrate more in volunteering at your local hospital, or going to Africa to help build an orphanage. But save the "raising kids" experience for your own children, because when it is your own children you are talking about, it is the best experience in the world.