An au pair for our family: True life reports
Liliam and her family recently moved from the Netherlands to Berlin and will soon welcome their sixth au pair.
When was the first time you hosted an au pair and why?
That was in 2010, just after my daughter was born. Our au pair was from Brazil. I wanted someone to take care of my baby girl who could also talk Portuguese with her.
What are the pros and cons of hosting an au pair?
At the beginning, it is always like having a guest at home. But later on, once you know each other better, the au pair naturally becomes a family member.
And to have someone at your house, understanding how your family works is much better than a external person. Both of our kids need no more than one week to adapt and become friends with the au pairs. For them, they are like big sisters and they feel comfortable and save.
What kind of impact did the au pairs have on your family life?
Our au pairs so far came from Brazil, Poland, Finland, Belgium and Italy. And each of them brought us a new language, a new culture and new tastes with traditional recipes – it is just an amazing experience.