Julie spent several months as an au pair on the island of Lidingö, just outside Stockholm, in 2010. From learning Swedish and finding her feet with her host family to exploring Stockholm and making new friends, she shares what everyday au pair life in Sweden was really like for her.
Going north had been a dream of mine for a long time. After finishing school, my original plan was to spend a year in Norway.
I started looking for a host family in November, but by the beginning of March, shortly before finishing school, I still hadn’t found the “right” match.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to expand my search to Sweden. Not long afterwards, I was in contact with two really nice host families — one near Malmö and another near Stockholm.
I chose the family near Stockholm and was supposed to fly from Stuttgart to Sweden on 19 April 2010.
Then the volcanic ash cloud over Europe disrupted my plans.
After my flight was postponed twice, my host mum Vendela and my two host children, Eric, 8, and Adrienne, 9, finally picked me up from Stockholm Arlanda Airport on 23 April.
Looking back, arriving a few days later actually worked out quite well. I had the whole weekend to get to know my host family, explore the area and start getting used to hearing Swedish around me.
During the week, I worked around 20–25 hours.
My main tasks were getting the children ready for school, taking them there and picking them up again, as well as preparing meals. I also helped with things like laundry, tidying the kitchen, vacuuming and other everyday household tasks.
I was definitely a little nervous on my first working day, but that feeling disappeared pretty quickly.
My host mum was very relaxed, explained everything clearly and never made a big deal out of it if I made a mistake.
She was often away in Copenhagen during the week and my host dad worked long days, so I soon became responsible for keeping track of quite a lot myself.
The children also had plenty of activities. I quickly learnt that writing everything down was the easiest way to make sure I didn’t forget where someone needed to be and when.
One thing I was particularly nervous about was cooking.
I wouldn’t exactly describe myself as an amazing cook, but luckily I mainly cooked for the children and they weren’t too difficult to please.
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as many pancakes as I did during those months in Sweden! :)
My room was in the basement of the house, which had previously been used as an air-raid shelter.
I had my own entrance, which was great because I could come home late without disturbing the family.
My little area had a bed, sofa, two armchairs, a bedside table and a wardrobe, and I actually really liked how much space I had.
But there were also a few downsides.
There wasn’t much natural light, and the basement was also used to store different household things. The door leading upstairs couldn’t close completely either, so I didn’t always feel that I had as much privacy as I would have liked.
There was also no Wi-Fi downstairs, which meant I had to go into the family’s living room whenever I wanted to go online.
Most of the time that was completely fine. But when I was feeling homesick and wanted to Skype with my family back home, I sometimes wished I had a little more privacy.
It’s one of those things I would definitely think about more carefully if I were choosing an au pair room again.
More information: requirements for an au pair room
There wasn’t a Swedish course available on Lidingö at the time, so I travelled into Stockholm for my classes.
The journey took around 40 minutes by local train and metro.
Luckily, only three days after arriving in Sweden, I was able to join an A2 Swedish language course. Our group included five au pairs and two older women, and we had a lot of fun together.
The language course ended up being one of the easiest ways for me to meet people and make friends.
I had already learnt a little Norwegian before deciding to go to Sweden, and once I knew Sweden would be my destination, I started learning Swedish instead. That gave me a small head start when I arrived.
I would definitely recommend learning a few basics before moving abroad as an au pair — especially words and phrases you’re likely to use with the children.
One of the first Swedish words I learnt on Lidingö was “sluta” — “stop”.
Very useful when you’re looking after children!
I have so many positive memories of my host family. I felt really comfortable with them and had a lot of fun with the children.
Being an au pair also taught me how much work goes into everyday family life. Looking after children, keeping track of everything at home and working at the same time is a lot to manage.
And then there was Sweden itself.
Lidingö is a beautiful island just outside Stockholm. Even though you’re so close to the city, you’re surrounded by nature.
Because I lived close to public transport, getting into Stockholm was easy, which meant I could spend plenty of my free time there.
Stockholm quickly became one of my favourite places. I loved meeting friends, going shopping, exploring the nightlife and simply walking around the city.
Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, is definitely worth exploring, and I also enjoyed discovering some of the city’s best-known attractions, including Skansen and the Vasa Museum.
One thing I realised during my time abroad was how important it is to build a life outside your host family too.
For me, my Swedish course played a big part in that.
Joining a sports club, taking a class or getting involved in a local group can also be a great way to meet people and feel more connected to where you’re living.
Swedish people were generally very friendly and helpful. The only problem when I tried to practise Swedish was that people often switched straight to English as soon as they realised I was struggling.
Of course, they were only trying to help — but I wanted to practise my Swedish!
Absolutely.
My time in Sweden gave me the chance to experience another culture, improve my language skills, become more independent and live somewhere I might otherwise never have experienced in the same way.
And the nature is beautiful.
Of course, not everything was perfect. There were moments when I felt homesick, my room wasn't always ideal and suddenly being responsible for the everyday routine of two children took some getting used to.
But those things were also part of the experience.
If I could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about becoming an au pair in Sweden, it would be to make the most of your time outside your host family too. Learn some Swedish, meet other people, explore your surroundings and say yes to experiencing as much of the country as you can.
For me, those months on Lidingö became an experience I’ll always remember.
Thinking about becoming an au pair in Sweden?
Julie’s experience gives you an idea of what everyday au pair life can feel like, but the practical requirements have changed since her stay in 2010.
Find the latest information about requirements, working hours, pocket money, visas and life as an au pair in Sweden.