Hi, I'm Tine, proud mother of three beautiful daughters, independent consultant with a passion for travel.
Want to know more about me? Check out my story.
As a self-employed person, I have a busy life. With 3 daughters on top of that, it became too hectic. You can't always burden parents and parents-in-law with the care of the grandchildren, plus the fact that school hours do not correspond with office hours, made me look for another solution. Always looking for a babysitter also has its limits, because you can use them occasionally, but not structurally. And so - after some research - we ended up with an Au Pair. In the beginning, there was no guidance, which made us feel like we were thrown in at the deep end, but as we got the hang of the process ourselves, it turned out that we can swim well.
But through those experiences I discovered that it is indeed not that easy to get started because there are many uncertain factors involved.
Looking for the right match
That went smoothly and we quickly found someone. But from experience you know that you should not think "it's okay" too quickly. This is because you first get to know someone digitally, and this is not the same as in person, especially if you realize that you will live with that person in your house for a year. Plus the motivation of the Au Pair can vary. Because they provide your greatest wealth so the trust must be there. But also making contact with the different au pairs yourself is not that easy if you do not know the path to follow. I have also learned through trial and error that it is very important to find the right match and it is very important to get to know the next big sister well and to feel whether the click that is there digitally or physically will also be there. Because if it does not click it is a difficult road for both partners and also not good for your kids.
The paperwork and conflicting info
The paperwork is -certainly the first time- overwhelming as many different agencies have to be contacted, also agencies in the country of origin of the Au Pair. The many papers, long waiting times and constantly changing legislation always create a stressful situation to get everything done properly.
Once started
Finally the relief is there, she has arrived. I often get the comment in my environment that if I don't have a babysitter, you still have an Au Pair. This is a misconception, it is not because you have an Au Pair that this relationship is a given. They have working hours and are also entitled to free time, which I encourage myself. It is very important that communication is maintained well during selection, process and start to check what the tasks and expectations are. Agreements such as: can I use the car, can I receive guests, how do I approach screen time, personal telephone use are also very important to make it a successful year.