Using a schedule to organise au pair activities
A schedule helps to organise the au pair's duties and lets the host family and the au pair know when the au pair will have working hours and when they will have free time - so that everyone is well-informed and misunderstandings are avoided.
How to manage the au pair schedule
The au pair's weekly schedule should include all regular duties and appointments as well as one-time activities for that particular week.
This could include:
- When the children need to brought to school or picked up
- When the au pair should begin preparing certain meals for the children
- Specification of days when the au pair will be expected to babysit
- Appointments of the children which need the au pair's support
The schedule gives both the au pair and the host family a clear view of everyday plans
With a common schedule the au pair and the family have a common basis to successfully organise their daily routines. The au pair can arrange his or her spare time and language course in accordance with the schedule. Likewise, the host family can arrange their appointments taking the au pair's schedule into account.
Our tip:
Au pairs and host families should agree upon basic duties and expectations for the stay prior to the au pair's arrival at the host family's home. This helps avoid problems and misunderstandings.
Example of an au pair daily routine based on a schedule
As every host family has different needs and schedules, the au-pairs' daily routines may differ depending on the host family's requirements. Some au-pairs have free time in the morning, others can organise their time individually in the afternoon or towards the evening. For this reason, it is particularly important that au-pairs and host families fill in and discuss the timetable together according to their needs.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | Wake up kids Prepare breakfast Get kids dressed |
| 8:00 a.m. | Bring kids to school or kindergarten |
| 8:30 a.m. | Tidy kids' rooms Vacuum or do laundry |
| 10:00 a.m. | Au pair free time Language course ( 10:00 - 12:00) |
| 3:00 p.m. | Pick up kids from school or kindergarten Take Peter to piano lesson Take Carmen to gymnastics practice |
| 4:30 p.m. | Pick up kids from after-school activities |
| 6:00 p.m. | Family dinner together Help with cleaning up the kitchen |
| 8:00 p.m. | Bring the kids to bed |