Au pairing and nannying abroad
The term Au pair Canada was coined exactly a century ago in 1897. Roughly translated ‘on equal terms,’it was originally used on the continent to describe an exchange. Of English lessons for French or German ones. Early on, however, the emphasis shifted to become a work-for keep arrangement which included domestic duties and childcare. In practice, the relationship between Au pair Canada and host family nowadays is seldom one of equality but still has the potential for bringing enormous rewards.
This posts of Au pair Canada will help you to decide whether the demanding life of an Au pair or nanny is for you. It offers advice on choosing the destination which will suit you best, and draws upon the experiences of many others to help you overcome domestic difficulties and make the most of your stay. In short, Our posts aim to maximize your chances of being a nanny or Au pair Canada on equal terms.
Au pairing and nannying abroad can be a wonderful experience: Please read more about the benefits, you get to travel, to experience family life in a foreign environment and, assuming you find sympathetic hosts, to learn the language and experience a foreign culture. You will learn a great deal about children and their upbringing, which will stand you in good stead if you start a family, (or put you off the idea forever!)
The image of the starched nanny wheeling an enormous perambulator has been replaced by a more informal yet professional employee. Increasingly it is the norm rather than the exception for mothers to combine a career with having a family, and one of the ways of making this possible is to have a live-in child-carer. Teachers, social workers, musicians and journalists need an aupair or nanny just as often as movie stars, merchant bankers and members of the Royal family.
The demand for live-in helpers is enormous and increasing all the time, not only in Britain and Europe but in North America and Australia. This combines with the comparative ease with which aupairs can get official permission to work, makes working with families one of the easiest ways of arranging to live and work abroad.
Yet in some ways the arrangement is a minefield, in which the potential for disaster is as great as the potential for success. Family placements are to some extent a gamble (on both sides), especially for girls who normally commit themselves to living for some months with people they have not had a chance to meet. The many ways of reducing the risks are explained in the next posts. A well informed girl has a much better chance of claiming her (or his) rights as well as fulfilling her responsibilities.
