AuPairWorld Blog: Focus on au pairs

As an au pair, your relationship with the kid(s) in your host family is one of the most important aspects of your experience. Here are tips on how to get it right from Ellie Bambury, the author a new book on au pairing The Big Sister Project. (You can also listen to an excerpt from her book in the free podcast in the middle of the article below!)

Handling the shock of a new culture isn't always easy, but it's right at the heart of the au pair experience. Claire (an Australian au pair currently in British Columbia, Canada) explains what she's done to have a great time while adapting to life in her new country. 

Hanna and Edwina, up-and-coming YouTubers and popular au pairing experts, look back on their au pair experience and tell what they wish they'd known BEFORE their au pair adventures began.

In these podcasts, au pairing expert Melanie Josephine talks about three classic au pair challenges and what you can do to make the most of them.

Organising your au pair stay is a pretty personal thing! You decide where to go and with whom you'd like to stay. Although all au pair stays should be based on the idea of cultural exchange, every au pair stay is as individual as the people who live it. To give you a greater insight into a special kind of au pairing, au pairs Jenni and Henry talk about their experiences as an au pair couple in Italy.

It doesn't always have to be London! Living in a small town as an au pair has many benefits. Au pair Maartje is experiencing this in England right now and shares 3 reasons why future au pairs should look for host families in small cities or towns.

Being an au pair is lots and lots of fun, but it's not always easy. Sometimes it's the hard parts that bring out the best in you! Au pairing expert and author Melanie Josephine tells you how. 

Being an au pair gives you lots of freedom to have a great adventure. But there are still a few things you need to avoid. Au pairing expert and author Melanie Josephine has made a list to help keep you on a good track.

Finally, you can escape from everyday life and explore the world - it's a dream that au pairs really get to experience. But when your partner stays at home, it isn't always so easy. AuPairWorld editor Ellen tells us about her experience:

Often the greatest pleasure comes in the anticipation – which is exactly why it can be especially fun to plan your au pair year with a Bucket List. Ellen, an editor at AuPairWorld, shares some of the best Bucket List apps: