Wow! Time has flown!

So the last time I updated this I had only just arrived in America! Almost 11 months ago! WOW! The time has gone so unbelievably quickly.

I met my host family on 6th June 2013 and SO much has happened in that time it will be nearly impossible to go into a great amount of detail so allow me to bullet point a few pros/cons I have learned about being and au pair during my time here.

CONS:

Sure, when my mum asks me about my week and I can answer "Oh, the kids were in school during the week, so I went horse riding, we had a massage and got our nails done, we went for pizza and ice cream and I had a nap" I realize it's tricky to complain about my life style but being an Au Pair is a strangely difficult life to live. 

• This job is HARD.

Long hours, screaming kids, the dishwasher needs emptying and the dogs are barking, you have a list as long of your arm to keep track off. Trying to keep on top of a 10 year olds homework schedule should be a job in itself but you have manage. This is not a vacation! You need to be organised and reliable. These are little humans you’re looking after. I have read posts about people who lied on their application and began looking after 6 month olds. These kids are your employer’s lives; treat them as best as you can.

• Overworking is an easy thing to fall into.
  We are one of the family, and I certainly can appreciate the benefits that come with the home life however there are a lot of expectations about what you're supposed to do around the house. It's confusing. I am trying to not consistently over work, but when I have been told several times to keep all dishes out of the sink yet when my hostdad is at home during the day he leaves several dirty dishes and I am expected to shift them? Not my job. But when my hostmum comes home who does she scold for it being a mess? Me. Yep. On average I have figured out I work 5-7 hours more than I should per week, but that’s fine with me. I have  had more time off this year than I should have so I feel it balances out. Some people have  gone into rematch after working up to 80 hours a week! Be careful.

• Make sure your hours of work are clearly set out. Grey areas are stressful.

So the family said they wanted you home to work earlier in the week as they are going out at 6pm. You rush home that Saturday night and when you get in the parents are just sitting watching TV and don’t actually leave until 8pm. It’s enough to cause you rage, trust me.

• You will always be asked for a favour but it can be hard to ask your hostparents for anything.
  
  “Oh, would you mind just nipping to the (dry cleaners/super market/vet/toy store) for me. I just need so and so.” Right. My time off and I’m on an errand run, fairly common and not deadly. If this were my family, sure I would have to run out and do things during the week, however, when my car was getting a service on a weekend asking for a lift to the train station (all of three minutes away) is a huge inconvenience and can’t be done. Looks like I’m walking then.·         
   
• The days are long.
  
  Specifically with school age kids (or the schedule work-free-work). I start at 6:30 some days and don't finish until 10pm or even later on some occasions. Admittedly I have 6 hours off when the kids are in school but lie-ins and early nights are not in my control anymore.
   
• Bye-Bye freedom.
  
  In a lot of cases families have rules to ensure your/their safety. In my friends case she is not allowed to drive more than 10 minutes away from her home which drives her up the wall. No nipping to the mall, she can't visit friends unless they're living super close and she feels trapped in the small town she works in. I appreciate rules for safety but when you're told that being out beyond 11pm makes your host family anxious you feel obliged to sacrifice your social life to keep them happy. It’s a lot like being much younger again, be prepared.
   
• Saving Money is actually really hard.
  
  So this was probably more of a shock to me than I expected. I came out thinking that the $195.75 weekly paycheque I got would be more than enough to keep me travelling every weekend and for me to still be able to save $100 a week. Yes, I probably don’t need to splurge on a $200 pair of boots or eat out 2/3 times a week and perhaps if I were more responsible and wise I would have been able to stick to saving but there you go. Money drains out of my pocket quicker than I know how to cope and it’s an experience many Au Pairs share.
   
• Not everyone makes it to the end of their year.
  
  In fact a surprisingly large amount of people go home before completing the year. Some just don’t get on with the family they to work for. They go into rematch and are unable to find a new family within two weeks and off they go. A girl I arrived with went home as she had a bad back and couldn’t work, she used her holiday time but didn’t recover in time. Similarly a girl broke her ankle and was unable to drive anymore so she left.

PROS:

• This job is AMAZING.
  
  As much as I can sit and list out the negatives of what we have to do as Au Pairs sometimes I find myself grinning for no other reason than life is just that great. Match with the right family and the bond you have with the kids will be something you will never forget. I spend so much time with my kiddies they are basically my best friends. At the beginning it was definitely a rocky relationship as we were all trying to figure out how to get along but now they know I will take no messing and I know how to keep them happy everything is running a lot smoother. We are forever giggling away over some inside joke or having an in depth conversation about their day. I am getting paid to mess around with my besties.
   
• Travel. For free.
  
  Yep. It's a common thing. My hostfamily have a holiday home on the beautiful island of Nantucket and I have accompanied them there several times, as well as weekends away to Hershey's Park, Woodloch Pines etc... I have known people going with their families to Hawaii, Germany and cruises to the Bahamas all free of charge.
   
• You get a very true sense of the culture.
  
  You live with the natives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You learn what’s popular at the moment, what they eat, what they watch on TV, how busy their lives are. It’s something you will never experience being just a visitor to a country.
   
• You will have made friendships for life.
  
  I came to the USA expecting to make a tonne of cool American friends, but no. It’s surprisingly hard to meet people here unless you’re willing to join a dating website, and I am not at this stage! However, I am friends with girls from all over the globe, New Zealand, South Korea, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and I my opinion it’s bloody amazing!
   
• Days off = Time to forget your work life and explore the world.
  
  Most of my weekends are spent in New York City. I have never once sat around on a weekend thinking I have nothing to do. America is vast, it’s foreign, and for me it’s exciting. I love being able to catch the train out on a Saturday and know that even with no plans I will find something to do. Weekend trips to Boston, or just catching the train to Connecticut because some guy in a bar told you where a really good pizza place is are moments that really make this an unforgettable experience.

·         Personally, I love this so much I intend to travel the world by being an Au Pair so I’m sure that tells you a lot!!!

Application: Stage 2

Part two of the application does require more effort than the first.

In this section of the application you need to upload a selection of photos (I recommend a few pictures of you carrying out activities with the children you care for, you doing a particular hobby and you with your family and/or friends). These are the only photos prospective families will see when deciding if they want to take it one step further and message you so make sure you're smiling and not pouting into a mirror in all of the images! Your future family won't care what you look like, but rather whether or not you will be the right match for them.

Here are a few of my choices:

Next you are required to upload character/childcare references. These are forms which need to be printed off and filled out by people who are not related to you but obviously know you well enough to fill out the basic questions. These references will be checked by your interviewer at a later date so make sure they're answered correctly before scanning them into your application.

The medical form has to be completed by a doctor and so I took mine to my local GP and it took about 3/4 weeks until I got it back so allow plenty of time for it to get filled out. It also cost me £40 for the simple 2 pages to be filled out by the doctor and whilst I know that it can be done for free/cheaper at other doctors be sure to budget in unplanned costs.

Other documents which need uploading are your passport, your driving license and proof you have finished High School.

The last upload and the last part of your application (time to get a little bit excited!) is the video. Now don't get me wrong I am a confident person but when it came to making my video I felt like I came across uncomfortable on camera and I really didn't want my future family to think of me as shy but for my video to reflect the real me and so the video aspect became a bit of a nuisance for my perfectionist side and so I'm afraid the only examples I can provide are the ones I was going to use as inspiration which I found on youtube.

Here's a selection of my favourites:

Sjenna's Au Pair in America application video
  
Cultural Care Au Pair Bewerbungsvideo
  
Au Pair Application Video - PRIS

 Nearly there now!! Next up? Interview!!

Host Family Letter Example

As mentioned, my letter. It did honestly take me ages to write as I nit-picked it for weeks, but I honestly think it paid off.

"Hi! My name's A********, although I usually go by Alie, I'm 19 and come from a large town in the North West of England. I live with my Mum, *****, who works at a High School with children aged 11-14, my Dad, *****, who used to be a Geography teacher but is now a bid writer and my older brother, ******, when he is at home but he is currently at University training to become a Chemistry Teacher, and our two cats. I've recently finished college after studying History, Biology and Psychology and so it seems to perfect time to see the world whilst I can.

The most recent bulk of my childcare experience has come from helping to look after a little pony called Spike who belongs to a 9 year old girl named S*****. S** and I quickly became friends and I would often help her tack up Spike so we could go for rides together or give her guidance when she was riding in the school. Unfortunately in around late July S** collapsed and developed a limp. It was later discovered that she had Perthes disease and it was heartbreaking to see such an active young girl unable to continue running around, dancing and riding as she used to. Following an operation and a lot of time by the end of November she has finally been able to get around without her crutches that she’s been using for the past several months. Although it’s still early she’s finally been able to sit back on Spike and I’ve walked with them both around the yard, taking it slow to begin with. It’s lovely to have been invited into the family where I have often baby sat for S** and her 1 year old sister E***. S** has undoubtedly become one of my best friends and I love her like a little sister. Although I’ll undoubtedly miss them both I’d like to be able to build a similar relationship with the children I’d be looking after.

My other childcare experience includes helping out at a local Rainbows group which I really enjoyed, especially when I could get involved in setting up and playing the games and helping out with crafts. I was there for about two years and during that time at school I completed my Junior Sports Leader Award (JSLA) where I learned about running sport activities for children and we would go to a nearby primary school and run activities for the kids in their P.E. classes. Lately I have been babysitting for several children varying between ages 1-13 and I have really been enjoying it, as well as helping out at a Sunday school for children aged 3-7 where I love getting messy with the craft activity of the day. I believe it’s really important for kids to be active and I think it’s really beneficial for them to get out of the house and enjoy the world around them. I’m definitely hands on and energetic in my attitude to childcare.

My main hobby is horse riding which I have been doing since I was three years old. I currently have 4 horses and have still been having lessons which I adore although I have to admit there’s nothing quite like a simple long ride out down the tracks by the stables. Riding has taught me a lot about discipline, patience and caring for others and it’s a hobby I would like to have the opportunity to still be able to continue. I also love to hike and have completed the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award which includes 6 months of a physical activity, 3 months of working on a skill, 6 months of volunteer work and a 3 day expedition which included hiking and camping. As well as this I’ve completed the Cheshire Hike twice (a two day hike ran by the Boy Scouts) when I was part of the Girl Guides which covered around 26 miles over two days where we had to navigate our way though the countryside. I also enjoy going for long bike rides, taking dogs for walks, going on road trips to new places with my friends, reading and baking when I have the time.

I hope to use this experience as a chance to see how other families live, how children learn and play in a different culture and to make friends for a life time.

Looking forwards to hearing from you,
Alie"

Remember, you letter should be personal to YOU. Au Pair in America can only match you with families which seem suitable so lying in any part of your application  may get you placed with a family you're not happy with.