MY TOP FIVE TIPS FOR AU-PAIRS

After my experience of being an Au-pair this summer I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog post which will help future Au pairs!

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

Hayley x 

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So I'll Never Forget...

Today is my final day in Madrid and I still hadn't bought anything to keep as a lasting memory of the trip. However that was soon to change, whilst in a little shop in the town I am living in I spotted this bracelet. It is the colours of the Spanish flag and has a cute little elephant charm. It's perfect! I am even more pleased that I found it in a shop in the town I have lived in for 6 weeks, as it makes it even more significant. 

Lots of love,

Hayley x 

An Evening at The Royal Palace of Madrid

Well not quite... More like a quick 10 minutes of taking a few pictures after seeing the never ending queue to get inside. Nevertheless it was a beautiful palace to see. After seeing the palace me and my friend, who is a fellow Au Pair, endulged in some retail therapy and McDonald's eating before heading home. Find pictures of the palace below... 

Lots of love, 

Hayley x 

My Halfway Mark

Today is the halfway mark to my Madrid adventure. I have been here exactly 21 days. On one hand I can say that the time has flown past, I honestly don't know where the days have gone. On the other hand I feel like I left home months ago. That's probably just the homesickness kicking in though...

So far I have had an amazing time in Madrid. Being an Au Pair, I will obviously admit that some mornings I wake up feeling totally unprepared for the day ahead of me but then, on an evening I realise that I had nothing to worry about. After hearing some horror stories, I am grateful to have such a kind host family! 

So, I've got exactly three weeks left until I go home and I certainly plan to make the most of it! This evening I am going into Madrid with a few friends to do a bit of sightseeing, so I'll be sure to make a blog post about that with lots of pictures. 

Lots of love,

Hayley x 

I Visited Monasterio de El Escorial

On the drive from Madrid Airport to my host family's home, one of the first things my host mum told me was about Monasterio De El Escorial. It is one of the most famous renaissance architectures of Europe and was built in the 1500's. So this week my host family took me on an evening trip to see the monastery, and it certainly did not disappoint! It is beautiful. I walked around it for at least an hour just taking it all in. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad that I had the chance to visit it whilst in Madrid. 

 

Until next time,

Hayley x 

Madrid Adventures Week 1

I was told by a friend who was once an Au Pair that 'the first week is hard but you will get through it.' Here I am, 9 days in, and I'm alive and feeling pretty good! Yes I've dealt with tantrums and tears but I've also enjoyed playing games and getting to know the children I am looking after. 

On my days off I am able to explore the city of Madrid, and I do so with other Au Pairs that I meet through Facebook. (Sounds dodgy, I know, but it's legit!) On Sunday I visited Buen Retiro Park and Temple of Debod with two other girls. Here are some pictures that were taken on the day. 

I plan to write at least one blog post a week about my little Madrid adventure, and my experience of being an Au Pair. I would write more, however me and the internet connection here are not the best of friends...

Until next time.

Hayley x

I'M AN AU-PAIR

Sorry I haven't blogged since Monday, it's been a hectic week! Let me fill you in on what's been happening in my life...

On Wednesday, I traveled from my hometown in England to Madrid to be an Au pair for the remaining duration of summer. I must admit that I had very big expectations for this trip. In the lead up to my little adventure all I could think about was how much fun I was going to have. However, on my first day of working as an Au pair those thoughts vanished and were replaced with woes and worries. My main concern being the language. I will tell you now I do not speak Spanish therefore it was a little overwhelming when I was faced with a small army of aunties, uncles and grandparents speaking to me and I could not understand a word of what they were saying. 

Fortunately I am not someone to shy away from my thoughts and although it took a lot of courage on Thursday evening I spoke to my host mother and voiced my concerns. I'm very glad I did this because the following day was great! I am really being made to feel part of the family, I get along well with the children and parents and I am beginning to feel more settled in. 

I'm writing this blog post as I lay on my sun lounger by the pool, thoroughly making the most of my weekend off. It is paradise, minus the one too many wasps... Tomorrow I am meeting up with another Au pair in the city to explore together, so I will definitely make a blog post about it! (Which will hopefully be a little bit more exciting than this one.) 

That's about it for now, I think! 

Lots of love, 

Hayley X

H&M Haul - Last minute bits from H&M before Madrid ☀️

On Wednesday I am travelling to Madrid to be an Au Pair for 6 weeks, which I will talk about in more detail in a blog post or two's time. It's going to be a completely new experience for me and I can't wait to meet my host family and explore the city. 

Today I went to my local city centre intending to get some euros and toiletries, but of course, I couldn't resist buying two last minute dresses to take away with me. Both of these dresses are from H&M and they only set me back by £19 well, £18.98 to be specific... Bargain ey! 

The first dress is this flowery smock dress which I actually bought in a size bigger to make it even more baggy for when I am abroad. That way it will keep me nice and cool in the scorching 30 degree heat. I am also lookin forward to wearing this dress in Autumn for university. This cost £14.99, the more expensive of the two but definitely my favourite.

The second dress I bought is actually a vest I think? Don't worry! I got it in a Large so that it is long enough to wear as a dress. At only £3.99 it is an absolute steal. I only wish there had been more colours as I would have definitely got a few more. 

This is such a small haul but I plan on doing lots more shopping in Madrid. So I'm trying to stop myself from buying things here otherwise my suitcase is certainly going to exceed the luggage weight on the return journey.... I'm ridiculously excited to go to Zara as I've heard it's amazing in Madrid! Expect bigger hauls in the very near future. 

Until next time,

Hayley x