Being an Au-Pair - Questions I asked, their answers, the reality

I’ve been an Au-Pair from February to August 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany for an international family with 2 kids (4 and 9 years old). The mother Indian and the father American. The common language in the house was English and the kids were attending an American/international school.

I didn’t have a great experience with the family! I think the fault of this was the trust I gave to the truth of the answer they gave me every time I asked questions.

One important thing to say is: they promised a lot they gave almost nothing!

They didn’t let me talk to previous Au-Pairs saying “we’ll put you in touch with them”

With this post, I would like to show you the question I asked, what they answered, what the reality was.

I hope you will not make my same mistakes! You can value all the time how true the answers are and never take a job without talking to a previous Au-Pair

Transportation

How fare do you live form the train station? How far is it to get to the city?

The train station is 10 minutes’ walk from our place and once on the train it takes 20 minutes to reach the city

The train station was 25 minutes’ walk from their home, one train every 30 minutes and it took 40 minutes ride to get to the city

German courses

Is it easy to find German courses?

Definitely yes, our former Au-Pairs found one really close to here and was always biking to her classes

It took me more than one month to find a German course, because of crazy car issues I was not allowed to take courses starting earlier than 10am

How to spend free time

Is there any activity I can do in the town? Will I have free time?

Oh, yes there are sport clubs, movie theatres, amazing parks, fields where to take walks, you’ll have a lot of time to enjoy yourself

I never had one day off during the week. I went once to take a walk around a park when my sister came visit just because they felt to let us have a day off

Kids behaviour

Do the kids play well together?

Yes, the old one is full of imagination, she can make up a game out of nothing and the younger one will follow her steps

The 2 kids where always busy in activities, they never really played, every time I tried to get them do something they were extremely critic and stressed. The only thing they wanted was to stay with their parents or do activities on their own (drawing, puzzle) they didn’t want me to see them playing.

My tasks

What are my tasks on a regular week?

Wake up at 6

We normally get the kids ready, but once a week.

Prepare the kids snacks – they are really easy going

Give them breakfast

Bring them to school

Pick them up from school and bring them to activities or at home

We’ll make them dinner

Once a week you put them to bed otherwise it’s out chore

Wake up everyday at 5:30

Prepare kids snacks

Most of the time wake them up

Get them breakfast

Bring them to school – go back home – leave the car and walk fast to the train station to catch the train and go to the German course

(this leaving the car at home thing was pretty crazy! The kids school was next the train station)

Pick them up and drive them all around the area! The tennis club for the older one was changing location every week and the little one would do dance while the tennis course in a different area. I was required to stay at the dance classes the full time

I made them dinner at least 3 times a week and most of the times the fridge was empty! Yes, once I ordered Pizza and I asked the money back to the parents

Put the kids to bed every time they were at the gym, out of town for work or any other excuse (3 times a week)

Chores around the house

What are my chores beside the kids’ activities?

You’ll need to do their laundry and on Wednesday change the beddings and towels around the house.

Once a week you’ll need to water our plants and dust around the house – one week you do one I will do the other

Once arrived I’ve been asked to do their laundry as well, it started as since the kids don’t have many white clothes, you can put ours together. It ended up with them leaving a note on the table one day that said: “wash all the dirty laundry around the house this place is getting crazy!”

The husband got mad because apparently, I watered some plants too much and other too little and at that point I stopped watering them.

Dear next Au-Pairs, 

please make sure not to overestimate the truth of their answers. Double check with google maps, ask for a paper with kids schedule and stick on it! Do not do favours. One favour can bring to a huge amount of requests.

In the following posts I will write more of the bad episodes I had and how I think I could avoid them.

This said during my Au-Pair experience I met the most amazing people and started building my life in a different country! Read "My short story" to learn more