Can't travel? 5 tips for what to do while you wait

Waiting is a pain - especially when you have a great plan (becoming an au pair) that is on hold because of the pandemic. The time will go quicker - and you can make your au pair stay even better - if you follow these tips to be better prepared and to manage your search for a host family effectively.

1. Regularly check the travel restrictions of the country you want to go to

Travel restrictions for different countries are changing constantly. You need to do some internet research to get up-to-date information. Check the official travel info for your own country and for your planned destination. The Re-open EU website can be helpful for getting information about travel to EU countries. In any case, you should not commit to a host family until it's clear that it's really possible for you to travel to their country.

2. Change the start dates for your au pair stay in your profile 

Even if you aren't able to travel today, things are certainly going to change. Moving the start date for your stay ahead to December 2020 or January 2021 will make it possible to have more information about the coronavirus, travel conditions, etc. and you can plan everything more calmly. If you haven't done it already, change the start dates in your profile right now.

3. Keep improving your foreign language skills

By starting your au pair stay later, you can take advantage of the time you have now to continue to improve your languages. That will certainly help you to start your au pair experience on the right foot and also make you more attractive to more host families as you search for a family to match with. You can look for a language school in your country or work with videos and other materials at home to make progress with your language skills.

4. Continue training as a caregiver or babysitter

Languages ​​are not the only thing that matters in an au pair stay. Having experience with children is also very important. Create a routine of taking care of the children of neighbours, acquaintances, etc. to accumulate experience so that you can function better in the adventure that awaits you as an au pair. And this experience is also something that host families look for in making their selections.

And you can also get ready for your upcoming au pair stay with an online training course from AuPairWorld's partner Babyem. The AuPairCore Skills training course is currently available at a 50 percent discount for au pairs. When you complete the 6-hour course you'll have a certificate to show to prospective host families.

5. Get inspired by the experiences of others

We're all different and each experience is unique, but listening to the experiences of others is still a great way to learn and get ready for your au pair adventure. There's a ton of stuff to discover from other au pairs at the AuPairWorld YouTube channel.

Waiting isn't easy and mostly it's not so much fun. But if you take advantage of these months when you can't travel to get  better prepared for your au pair adventure later on, the time will go faster and your stay will be even better. So stay patient, stay focused and get ready for great things! 

And if you haven't created a profile on AuPairWorld yet, do so now. It's the first step for sure!