For Families
Do you need:
- Childcare?
- Babysitting?
- Help with housework?
Instead of employing 3 different people, you might prefer to engage an Au Pair, Au Pair Plus or Mother's Help, who can help you in all these areas!
Engaging an Au Pair is easy and uncomplicated, it is not the same as employing someone. At Heavenly Au Pairs we are here to guide you through each step. Firstly helping you to decide if Au Pair help is the best solution for your family, by discussing your requirements and evaluating alternatives, such as nanny, occasional babysitter, nursery, afterschool care (we have experience in all these areas). We will help you understand how an Au Pair might benefit you, what they can help you with, and what the limitations are.
If you would like to proceed, we will advise you on what person and attributes might suit your circumstances best. For example your situation might call for a native French speaker, who is willing to drive in the UK, has considerable experience with children of 2-6yrs, normally helps in her own family to cook and clean, is quiet but confident by nature and likes dogs!
Then we will find you the candidates who are most suitable for your family, let you interview them and decide who you like best. Finally we manage the process of engaging them and establishing your chosen Au Pair successfully in your home.
Heavenly Au Pairs operates with the highest integrity and will only select the best Au Pairs and those suitable for your needs. If the Au Pair girl or boy would not be good enough for our own families then they will not be good enough for yours and that is the high benchmark we consistently work to!
What is an Au Pair?
A standard Au Pair works about 25 hours per week (that's 5 hours per day), will help look after your children, help with household chores and babysit for you 2 evenings per week. In return you provide them with room & board and pocket money of £70 per week (min) and treat them as one of the family!
An Au Pair Plus can work up to 30-35 hours per week and a mother's help 40 hours or even more. Read more on our full page 'What is an Au Pair?'
6 Good Reasons for Having an Au Pair:
- Cohesion and Continuity of Care - Your children will not be subjected to various different carers and your Au Pair will fully understand the daily routine and be aware of any changes.
- Learning about Other Cultures and Languages - Your Au Pair can tell the family all about their country/culture and may even be willing to teach you and your children some of their own language, French, German, Polish - the choice is yours!
- Someone at Hand - Many of us live far away from family and our friends are burdened with their own busy lives. When you need someone to step in, pick up the children because you can't get home, babysit last minute because you need to see your dentist/doctor/child's teacher – you can ask your Au Pair.
- Enjoy Life - Having help at home, means you gain more time to do the things which matter. You will find you will be less tired, you will go out more and you will have more quality time with your children and partner.
- Earn More - For some, this inexpensive luxury has meant that they have been able to return to work.
- The Cheap Alternative - we all know how expensive Nannies are.... and they don't even (usually) help in the household. Most would agree that even if you actually don't relish the idea of sharing your home, it is a small sacrifice for the huge advantages gained. (An Au Pair is not a nanny or qualified child carer, but they can help supervise school aged children after school).
Misconceptions about Au Pairs
- Always hanging around? - No! When your Au Pair is 'on duty' they are helping you. When they are 'off duty' they are usually out at language classes, meeting up with friends, sight-seeing, shopping or in their room on the computer, reading etc. It is unusual to find an au pair who wants to spend every spare moment sitting with the host parents!
- They need their own bathroom? - No! They can share the family bathroom (as they would at their home). If you only have 1 bathroom, then you could point out when the 'rush hours' are and when she/he could try not to use it. Also your Au Pair will be happy with a smallish bedroom, as long as it is pleasant, clean, comfortable and has a window(!)
- They can't speak the language? - Actually many Au Pairs are already very good at English when they arrive. We will always try to recommend to you an Au Pair with good language skills and you will find out yourself how good their English is when you interview and read their self written introductions.
- They might want to bring partners back! - You are the householder and you set the rules which, as long as they are fair, the Au Pair must abide by. It is better to discuss any house rules before they arrive, to make sure they are ok with them. We can help with this. It is perfectly acceptable to tell your Au Pair that they should not bring boyfriends/girlfriends back to your house.
- They are not very experienced? - All the Au Pairs on our books, or who come to us via our Partners have significant experience in child care, although they do not usually have childcare qualifications (some do). Typically they have been caring for neighbours' children, often in sole charge for hours after school at least once or twice per week for months/years. Many have young siblings who they have had to care for whilst their parents are at work.
We offer you complete peace of mind!
Register with us to start your personalised au pair search today...
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