Going abroad after graduation: quite a few people wish for that. But there are many ways to make this dream come true, so it's certainly hard to decide between work and travel, a high school exchange year or something completely different. One option is heading out into the wide world as an au pair. The program usually lasts six to twelve months, and the costs are far more friendly than those of a high school exchange program. The family provides accommodation and meals, and in return the au pair helps with housework or childcare. As a rule, the workload during this time is between 20 and 40 hours a week.

Six Reasons for an Au Pair Stay

Au Pair
  1. Meet new friends from all over the world, since there are usually other exchange students or au pairs abroad, so your future travel destinations are already set. After all, you don't want to lose sight of new friends.
  2. Demanding tasks that come with a sense of responsibility, empathy and organizational skills.
  3. New language skills picked up along the way in everyday life, without much effort, which later make a good reference on your resume.
  4. A foreign country becomes your new home and offers a unique insight into the culture of that country
  5. Your own personality can develop further, as the new experiences and tasks foster independence.
  6. An unforgettable experience that a traveler will rave about for the rest of their life.

An Au Pair's Duties

Au Pair

The exact duties during an au pair stay depend on the host family's needs. In general, though, you should treat the children lovingly and responsibly and take on a few simple household tasks. This includes, for example, playing and doing crafts with the host family's children, as well as planning and organizing outings and leisure activities. In the morning the children are taken to preschool or school, and in the afternoon the au pair should help with homework.

When the children want to meet up with friends, it can well be part of the job to take the host kids there and pick them up again later. With babies, you may also have to handle diaper changes, baths and feeding. In the evening, a possible task could be reading aloud or singing before bedtime. Light household tasks include, for example, tidying the children's room, going grocery shopping and cooking small meals. Also washing and ironing the children's clothes, vacuuming or loading and unloading the dishwasher.

However, it is not part of the duties during an au pair stay to do the laundry for the whole family or cook for everyone. Nor does the entire house have to be cleaned by the au pair. Feeding or looking after the pets is not part of the job during this time either. Looking after other children is not required, but of course these jobs can be accepted on a voluntary basis.