10 Reasons to Consider Being an Au Pair
It’s been almost 2 years since I moved to Italy and started working as an au pair for a family in Venice. Though it took me a while to settle in, I’ve finally adjusted to life in the city that has become my home away from home. I’ve been feeling increasingly reflective recently on what a great opportunity this kind of work/experience is – and why I’d highly recommend it to others. So, here are my well thought-out 10 reasons to consider becoming an au pair!
1. Experience Living in a New Country
Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons to consider being an au pair is if you want to live abroad. If you want to experience living in a foreign country, an au pair job is a great way to do it. There can be lots of paperwork and complications involved with moving abroad. Not to mention finding an apartment, a job, and a friend group. Working as an au pair is much simpler than trying to move abroad entirely by yourself. It gives you a place to live, as well as a family structure set up around you, so that support is there from the outset. I found this helped me a lot with the transition, as you have people to help you get settled in and show you around the area. It’s also really valuable to know native speakers who can help with any paperwork or bureaucracy required.
2. Immerse Yourself In a New Culture
Being an au pair is a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture, different from your own. Living with locals and being a part of their family gives you a unique insight into all aspects of the culture. This includes food, traditions, language and much more. This level of immersion into the culture of a country is a unique opportunity. You would be unlikely to experience the culture in this way if you just visited the country as a tourist, or even lived there by yourself without a family around you.
3. Learn a Foreign Language
In the same way that working as an au pair immerses you in a new culture, it also immerses you in the language. Living with a family of native speakers is a fantastic opportunity to improve your language proficiency. You’re surrounded by the language on a daily basis, much more than your own mother tongue and so you’ll pick up a lot by listening to how they speak to each other. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll also have endless opportunity to practice your speaking skills with them!
4. Relaxed, Flexible and Rewarding Work
There are many benefits to working as an au pair, and one that cannot be overlooked is the job itself! Childcare is an incredibly rewarding type of work, and you’ll most likely build strong bonds with the family you are living with. The specifics of the role vary from one family to the next based on their personal needs (it’s better to discuss all of these expectations before you commit to a family), but in general an au pair job is a very relaxed and flexible type of work. Although working hours depends on the age of the children you’re taking care of (such as if they are school age or younger), you’ll most likely have a fair portion of the day free to explore, socialise, and enjoy the experience.
5. Low Expenses
Working as an au pair is a much more affordable way to experience living in another country. It may even make living in another country accessible to you where you couldn’t otherwise afford it. As an au pair you usually have no accommodation or other living costs, as you are treated as a member of the family in exchange for the childcare you provide. You usually also receive a small wage or ‘pocket money’ to spend as well. The expenses of moving to another country to study or as a tourist would be much, much higher. These costs would make it impossible to stay for a long period of time, so working as an au pair makes the experience affordable.
6. Meet Wonderful People
Working as an au pair allows you to meet lots of different people from all walks of life. This includes not just the family members you live with, but even their extended family members and friends. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people with different perspectives and life experiences. Many people who work as an au pair find their host city becomes a kind of ‘home away from home’ and the host family become your second family.
7. Make New Friends
When you work as an au pair in a foreign country, you’ll of course want to meet friends in the new place you’re living in. Often you’ll find there is a network of people your age who are also working as au pairs in the same area. There may be various events or groups where you can meet and get to know each other. However, even if there aren’t many other au pairs in your area, there will most likely be students or locals of your age that you can meet and socialise with. This can also be a great way to improve your language skills!
8. Countless New Experiences
In general, working as an au pair means you will have countless new experiences. Being away from home independently, living in a new country and perhaps being outside of your comfort zone allows you to learn a lot about yourself. You’ll be able to watch yourself and your confidence grow, and come away with memories you’ll always remember and cherish!
9. Explore Your Host Country
Working as an au pair gives you a good base from which you’ll be able to venture out and explore more of the country. You’ll be able to visit plenty of new places in your free time, whether that be day trips, weekends away or longer trips during your time off work.
10. Free Time to Focus on Other Things
The flexible nature of working as an au pair is definitely an added bonus. Having half your day free will give you plenty of time to focus on your personal interests such as any hobbies, projects you’re working on, part-time work, seeing friends or even just relaxing. For example, I decided to start this blog during my free time whilst working as an au pair. It’s probably something I never would have had time to start had I not been working this job!
I hope this list of reasons to consider becoming an au pair encourages you to look into it for yourself. Thanks for reading!
Abbey x
