Читать книгу Au Pair Guide - Carmen Kurz - Страница 5

Foreword

Many young people have a desire to see the world after graduating high school. They want to experience something new before beginning their studies at college or starting their career.

As an au pair, you will live and work with a host family, supporting them with childcare and light housework. In return, you will earn some money while receiving free room and board. This provides you with an opportunity to experience another country and meet new people – becoming intimately and authentically familiar with their culture and language. It is a fascinating and exciting time, filled with new experiences and challenges that will give you a new perspective. Your host family is also looking forward to this intercultural exchange, which represents an important aspect of these programs.

During your stay with the host family, there will be some challenging moments. But these can also be very rewarding times if one is able to maintain a good attitude and perspective. This Au Pair Guide aims to help you get off to a good start and adjust to your new surroundings. It is your handbook for this new chapter of your life. Preparation, openness and an understanding for new cultures are the keys to a successful au pair experience.

But what is it like, living with a new family for a year? Or working with children? How does one handle a year without one’s own family and friends? Can anyone apply for these programs? What requirements are there? What about language skills – how important are they? And what are the potential pitfalls?

In part I of the Au Pair Guide, you will find answers to many of these questions and receive a comprehensive overview of life as an au pair. Part II offers helpful information on how children develop and how to care for them. After all, these are the people you will be spending the majority of your time with. An overview of the most common child sicknesses and first aid tips are listed in part III. The detailed appendix also includes an au pair dictionary where you can find the most important terms and phrases in Spanish, French and German as well as a list of helpful web addresses.

Good luck and enjoy the read!

Carmen Kurz