Tips For Becoming An Au Pair

Hi, I’m Ashlee Braxton. I became an Au Pair at the age of 24 and moved from Los Angeles, California to Paris, France. I had a great experience as an Au Pair for 3 years and then went on to work in France at 2 of the top French Tech Companies! I’ve got loads of tips and guides for you to make your Au Pair experience as fun and fulfilling as mine was. Becoming an Au Pair was one of the best times of my life. Let’s learn how to make this an experience to remember.

Ok, so you want to be an Au Pair. Let’s go through some basic tips to help you on your journey.

Every meeting country is different, each host family and every au pair is looking for something different.

1. Plan ahead
   Give yourself ample time to plan out this new experience. You want to make sure before you go, you found a family that you feel confident and excited about. For my own au pair experience, Documents and visa’s vary by country and can sometimes take longer than expected, or maybe you need to add more documents inside the process. You don’t want to feel rushed or even worse, have to pay for flight changes!

2. Do your research
   I’ve heard a lot of au pair stories about people arriving to their new au pair family and leaving after a few days because of having a culture shock or there not being a true understatement of expectations. You really want to make this planning and experience worth it. You can eliminate your chances of things not working out by doing your research. Take your time in researching and finding the right family, a country that you’re interested in and interested in learning the language. You will need to learn how to have a basic understanding especially with communication with the kids. (Some don’t already have a knowledge of the language you speak)

3. Know what you want
   Not every au pair job and family is the same. Every family is looking for something different. Some families want you to work in the morning and afternoon, some want you to do the afternoon pick up, some may ask you to work weekends, some ask you to do cleaning also. You should know how much you want to work, and for what price. The au pair salary is not so high, so you want to make sure you give yourself time to rest, time to go out, and have money to spend. There are also so many different living accommodations, some families may ask you to drive. Every family is different and you need to know what you want before you start your search for your family.

4. Check your documents
   Documents are a huge part of the au pair process and you want to be sure your documents are not expired, or soon expiring. Once you and your family make an agreement, make sure you start to get originals and copies of the documents you will need. In fact, you can do this while you’re on your search for your family. Check your id, your passport, your drivers license, your high school diploma, birth certificate and make loads of copies. At least 10 copies each. Some will be used for documentation for your visa, for school, and if you stay 3 years as an au pair like I did, I was happy to have my originals so I could make as many copies as I needed without having to phone home for help.

5. Avoid Culture Shock
   As I mentioned before, Au Pair’s more than often leave their position because of culture shock. You can avoid this by watching documentaries about the country on youtube. Learn about common foods, routines and way of life. Find other au pairs who have lived in the city or country and be sure to ask them about their experience or any tips about where you’re about to be.

6. Know what to pack
   I’ve heard so many packing stories and laugh at my own. I took 3 bags from Los Angeles. 3 suitcases, HEAVY, and had to climb 6 flights of stairs with no elevator! HA Don’t be like me and learn to pack light and efficient. Make an effort to ask your family to see if there are things there for you already available for you to use (hairdryer, etc). Check the plugs and make sure you have an adaptor and plan ahead for winters! Los Angeles didn’t require me to have a lot of winter clothes, but I was sure going to need them for Paris!

7. Save Ahead
   Depending on your situation, I would highly recommend saving money before you go. This helps in those “emergency” just in case situations, or if you are like me and you like to travel, those last-minute trips. Many times you will make friends with other au pairs and find time to visit other cities and different countries. Au pairing doesn't pay a lot, so it will be good for you to have savings. Also, it helps when you’re walking by those shops and see something cute in the window. It happened to me all the time in Paris!

8. Commit
   Do you want to be an au pair or do you just want to travel. Please know that becoming an au pair is a lot of responsibility. It is a great time, but you will have to work. That means you should be sure that you want to be an au pair and you can commit to your family and the work it entails. What are the reasons you want to be an au pair? Do you like kids?

Becoming an au pair and learning the culture and language of a new country is fun, but it comes with responsibility. The exchange of what you get out of the experience is just as important as what you put in.

I had a great 3 years as an au pair and I want you to have a great time too. I ‘ve created so many tools for you to help you on your journey and make this a simple smooth and fun journey for you. This experience can open the doors for so many experiences for you! You can read more about my story, get more tips, or purchase my ultimate Au Pair guide where I’ll help you from start to finish. I’ll help you write out your intro message for your family, give you questions to ask, teach you how to make the most money you can, learn how to make a deal (and ask for more), and so much more! You can purchase my Ultimate Au Pair Guide here.

Have any questions about being an Au Pair? Drop them in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer them!