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10 Reasons To Become An Au Pair
%he su42ect of au pairing is a comple! one5 primarily 4ecause so few people fully understand it. 1n many
ways5 it is a thoroughly uropean phenomenon. 1n fact5 the stereotype of the dark haired5 dark eyed 6panish
4eauty moonlighting as a 4a4ysitter5 for an uptight British couple5 is one of the oldest 7and most a4surd8
myths that still e!ists a4out the continent.
1n reality5 au pairing is 4ased on a simple e!change 9 childcare5 for room and 4oard. 1t is a popular career
choice with young travellers5 precisely 4ecause it is so convenient. %he host family gets to save a fortune in
formal child:minding costs5 and the au pair gets to e!plore a 4rand new country and culture5 without having
to take out a loan to do it.
1t is a mutually 4eneficial relationship5 and it can 4e a life changing e!perience for a young traveller. 1t
might seem strange5 at first5 the notion of living with an unfamiliar family5 4ut there is no 4etter way to dive
head first into the culture of a country. ;ou get to sample the food5 the fashions5 the television5 the movies5
the music and everything else 9 all from the comfort of a secure and safe host residence.
%his our guide to the top )( reasons why you should 4ecome an au pair.
1. You get to experience the culture from an authentic perspective.
There is only one way to live like a local, and it is to live like a local. The
experience of au pairing cannot be matched by conventional travel,
because you are being given the opportunity to fnd out what life is really
like in an unfamiliar country. As a guest of a host family, you will be
immediately immersed in a brand new lifestyle.
2. You get free room and board, in exchange for childcare.
;our host family has to provide you with suita4le room and 4oard5 in e!change for child:minding
services. 1n most cases5 this is in their own home. ;ou will 4e given your own room5 and 4e allowed to
share the rest of the facilities. 1n some instances5 the family will provide you with accommodation that
is outside the family home5 4ut it is their 2o4 to take care of the rent and 4ills.
3. There is also a weekly allowance.
Whilst this allowance is small5 when you are not paying for rent or food5 it can feel like <uite a 4onus.
1t does vary from family to family5 as there is a certain amount of discretion associated with =pocket
money> for au pairs. 1n general5 au pairs in Britain are paid around ?#(:)(( per week5 4ut the amount
tends to 4e larger for au pairs working in urope.
. !t is great career experience for aspiring child"minders.
;ou do not have to want to 4ecome a full time childcare professional5 in order to 4e an au pair. ;et5 it is
an invalua4le e!perience for young people who en2oy working with children and wish to turn this love
into a career. @nce your stay with a host family is up5 they will provide you with a detailed reference
that can 4e used for future au pairing applications5 or for more conventional childcare positions.
Working in Partnershipwith BusyBee 0u Pairs &td Aegistered in ngland and
Wales. Aeg Bo' +++-"""
#. There are endless opportunities for travel.
0s with any 2o45 you cannot 4e legally e!pected to work over a certain num4er of hours. Whilst it is
perfectly fine for a host family to ask you to work e!tra hours5 you have no legal o4ligation to accept
overtime. %his means that you will have scheduled =free time5> in which you can do whatever you like.
Cor most au pairs5 this is the perfect opportunity to see the sights and travel around the area in which
they are staying.
$. Your host family could become close friends.
1t is certainly not unusual for au pairs to grow e!tremely close to their host families5 children and
parents 4oth. 1n fact5 it is common for au pairs to 4e invited to weddings5 christenings and other
important events5 even long after a contract has ended. 1f you enter into an au pairing relationship with
an open heart and a welcoming personality5 you will very <uickly find that this kind of work isn>t
really work at all.
%. You get to learn a new language.
1t isn>t all a4out family dinners and dealing with toddler tantrums5 4ecause there is no 4etter way to
immerse yourself in a 4rand new culture. 1t is staggering how easy it is to pick up a language5 when
you are surrounded 4y it day after day. Whilst you are 4ound to 4e mangling the words for the first few
weeks5 give it a couple of months5 and you will 4e nattering away with the kids in an entirely new
language.
&. There is a lot of support.
1t is not the case that you simply pick a host family out of a hat5 and then go and live with them for si!
months. %here is an e!tensive support network in place5 designed to make sure that you end up with the
right family5 are a4le to live comforta4ly in your new home5 and do not run into any pro4lems. 0t Busy
Bee 0u Pairs5 we are dedicated to making matches that will last for life.
'. You get to pick a cool host family.
1n many ways5 picking a host family is a lot like online dating. ;ou get to choose the characteristics
and criteria that are important to you5 and then an agency like Busy Bee 0u Pairs matches them up with
complementary host families. ;ou get to pick the area5 the num4er of children5 the type of family unit
7married5 unmarried5 single parent5 etc.8 and in some cases5 the amount of scheduled hours.
1(. There is nothing stopping you from becoming an au pair.
1t is true5 there is nothing standing in your way. 1f you have always wanted to travel5 4ut don>t have the
money to support an e!tensive trip5 au pairing is the ideal solution. Plus5 it is a process that can 4e
kicked off right away 9 as soon as you register your interest with an agency. Whilst it does take a few
months for a host family to 4e found5 and CAB checks and references to 4e filed5 once these things are
done5 you can 2et off to a new country.
Cor more help and advice on hiring an au pair5 or for information on the services offered 4y us and check
out Busy Bee 0u Pairs we4site5 or call one of our friendly advisors direct today on D** 7(8 )"*+ ,(- .).. 1t
is our 2o4 to give you an e!perience to remem4er.
Working in Partnershipwith BusyBee 0u Pairs &td Aegistered in ngland and
Wales. Aeg Bo' +++-"""

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