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1. Your host parents are most likely going to give you some jam-packed schedule with exact times you must do this or you must do that. However, I must stress that no matter how much you try to keep to this schedule it is not going to happen. There is no way on this planet that the children are going to take exactly half an hour to have there breakfast or an hour to do their homework. Some days, most days, well in fact everyday they're going to go completely off schedule and that's okay! I've found that as long as I get everything done, who cares what order it's in or how long it took?
2. IMPORTANT! So, no one wants to be the strict Au-pair that the kids hate but you have to lay down some ground rules with them. In the first week be a little bit stricter and a little less fun just so you don't become wrapped around their little finger, cos believe me it can happen.
3. If, like me, you're going to be an Au-pair in a country that you don't know the language be sure to learn a few key words and phrases to help you get by. It can be very overwhelming when you're constantly been spoken to in a language you do not understand and it can also be very frustrating for the kids.
4. Make friends with other Au-pairs! I honestly cannot express enough how making friends with other girls in the same situation as me made this experience a whole lot better. You need to get out of the house in your free time, have fun and just feel normal again. Trust me, after a long week of taking care of the kids you'll be itching for some freedom.
5. Be kind and respectful to your host parents. Remember that you are living in another persons house, yes they want you to feel at home and like part of the family but don't take that for granted. I was lucky, my host parents were amazing and we got on really well.
Don't forget to have fun and stay positive! Being an Au-pair is what you make of it. So make it a enjoyable experience that you can look back on and be happy with. I hope you all have as much fun as I did! If you have any further questions about Au-pairing please leave them in a comment below, I would be happy to answer them.
Lots of love
