We've decided. Mark and I want to have an au pair in our home next year. It would make a lot of things easier for us. We have a small 430 sq ft (40 sq m) attic apartment that we've been renting out. Our tenant is moving out in November. She's going back home to Munich.

That's where the idea came from that we should bring in some help at home. Our three kids Julian, Justin and Julia are now 12, 9 and 6 years old. I work freelance from home, and until now my mother Elaine has been a big help. But this year she had hip surgery and has to take it easy. The time when she couldn't lend me a hand wasn't easy for me. I was sometimes at the end of my rope. The kids have tutoring, tennis, piano and soccer, and some of the time they need to be driven.

I definitely need an au pair with a driver's license. Is it really that easy? Is she even allowed to drive in Germany then?

How Do You Find the Right Au Pair?

Simply searching online doesn't work! It quickly became clear to me that an au pair agency is the only sensible way. But which au pair agency is right for us?

I'm trying to go by the following criteria:

  • Choosing the right country
  • Amount of the agency fee
  • Friendliness
  • Professional expertise
  • References
  • The au pair agency's experience

It's especially important to me that the au pair agency has been around for at least 10 years. I don't know whether that guarantees a good au pair. But if an au pair agency has only existed for three years, I'd be rather skeptical.

My friend Melanie says I'm being too strict. Young start-ups in particular are more motivated and especially keen on good references. That's certainly an argument, but as a Taurus I'm just a bit too square. Or, as my friend says, a bit old-fashioned in my clothing style too.

Au Pair Agency

Finding the Right Au Pair Agency Is Costing Me Sleep

I really thought this would be easier. I never expected so many appealing agencies. Many give a very competent impression. But how do I find the au pair agency that's right for me?

I'll probably send out a mass inquiry and judge from the response time and the answers how the agencies are set up. It's important to me that I get a quick response. An agency that cares about that could be the right one for me. In my job, speed matters too, and it has become second nature to me.