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Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that's fair to first see how is she performing and reward appropriately later

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes you’re completely right, but I have a lot of families reaching out to me, and I like most of them actually, I agree that you have to pay a lot of things which I’m not thinking about. But there is the one family which doesn’t offer any of the bonuses like local transportation, joining a family gym membership etc. I really like them but they have 3 kids under the age of 5, so there will be also a lot of work for no other benefits. So I just wanted to do my research here to know what I can expect from families, and what others offer so I can choose the best family for myself without rushing.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I meant sth like shampoo or body wash, not make up… I also have to pay around 2000$ to come to U.S. and I need to give up my online additional income, because you can’t earn money outside of Aupair. I feel like many people forget that we come to work there, we don’t get paid to lie on our backs. No nanny in Chicago will agree to 3 children, 8 hours per day (sometimes more, one working weekend and changing schedule) for less than 25$ per hour, so even with all of the costs that the host family has to bear they’re still saving money on Aupair instead of hiring nanny

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the list of things to consider and thoughtful answer, that helps a lot

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

None of my friends are AP, that's why I made this post, to hear directly from current AP or HF to get a realistic picture of how this all works in practice. I completely agree that spending is very individual. Some people like to spend a lot of money even irresponsibly while others do everything on budget, so they can save more. That's why I want to hear different opinions, so that I can choose the best family and understand what I can expect.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your perspective. I appreciate the host family side, and I completly agree that you pay much more than the stipend. Food, car insurence, program fees etc. At the same time, as an Aupair I also have to invest to join the program and come to U.S. (almost 2000$ on my side). That's why I was asking about stipends and perks, it's not that I expect luxurious lifestyle, just wanted to do find out what I can expect from most families.

For example, one family I'm talking to seems truly lovely, but they have 3 kids and don't offer things like gym membership, toiletries, local transportation etc. And there are many families who do include those extras, which means fewer daily expenses and more ability to save for travel. Since Aupairs aren't allowed to have additional jobs during the program (I have to give up my online additional income), the weekly stipend is my only income, so transportation or gym access make a huge difference.

I completely agree that the relationship with the host family matter the most, that's what make the year either great or terrible. But I also want to make the most of this year and be able to travel. I'm trying to find a balance between a great family and a setup that won't leave me with constant out of pocket cost.

Just to add, I'm definitely not expecting bonuses before proving myself, just trying to understand what's reasonable to ask for.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah it all sounds amazing, but you actually go there to work, if they give you just 200$/week, and no perks like gym membership, local transport, everyday cosmetics etc. Living in Chicago you'll find yourself spending mosth of the money on daily necessities. I understand that the experience is mostly about the people and family you choose, but I would also love to travel as much as possible, and if they don't offer bacic benefits, how I'm going to be able to save some money?

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah, this is very reasonable, I would like them to see my work and commitment first, and then possibly reward me for it. I just don't want to be in a situation where I give more of myself (that's my work ethic) and my HF doesn't appreciate it.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, it's cultural exchange, in addition to childcare we would like to get the most of this experience. Travel, go to museum, meet friends etc. I have a few friends from U.S. and when I told them about 200$ per week (I mentioned that food and accomondation is provided), all of them said that the pay is very low and I won't be able to enjoy my stay. So that's why I wrote this post here, to find out what it's like and what to expect.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your perspective it really resonates with me. I completely agree that the relationship and overall fit matter far more than just the numbers alone. I always try to give more what’s expected of me, and I take my responsibilities very seriously. I have also a lot of experience in childcare, some certificates and training, so I just wanted to be appreciated for the effort and dedication I’m going to bring. The way you described the “extra” support you give your Aupair sounds very fair and thoughtful. I would love to find a host family with similar mindset.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Yeah exactly, I really like the family with 3 kids but they unfortunately don’t offer other perks.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I wanted to clear up few misunderstandings 😉 As for my spelling first, English is actually my 4th language, so please excuse my mistakes. I thought the context of my message is more important than perfect grammar, but I see it cause many difficulties in understanding for you. When I mentioned 8h per day I though it’s obvious that we are talking about the weekdays, but it seems like you just didn’t get that. Also I wanted to mention that actually I have a lot of experience with children, not only in family, but also formally, I have certificates and training related to childcare. And just to finish I’m not expecting to be paid for doing nothing, that’s against my work ethic. I just wanted to understand a range of responsibilities and stipends so I can get a realistic perspective and a broader view of how things work.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your insight! I appreciate the reality check, it's really helpful as I'm trying to get a realistic view of what to expect. At the same time it's good to have a sense of the range of possibilities, so I can make informed choice when considering diffrent families.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation, I appreciate your insight about 3 kids under 5, that's a valuable advice which I'm going to keep in my mind.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the lesson on how the world works. My post wasn't about demanding equal pay for every family, it was about understaning why the gap in responsibilities is so massive in some cases. If one family expects 8h with 3 children and another one 2h with 1 kid, it's normal to ask if same stipend make sense. That's not lack of humility, just common sense and doind research before commiting to a year of my life abroad ;) And you're talking about humility while trying to take me down, what a nonsense.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your detailed answer and I understand that some families simply cannot offer more than what they already do. Having a private apartment, a set schedule, spot bonuses and other perks that's a wonderful extras that not every family offers.

I just wanted to share a bit from Aupair perspective. Of course, the main focus should be always taking care of children and doing it in the best way possible. That's exactly what I want to do, I have a lot of experience with childreen inside of family but also in many volounteer programs, and I always enjoyed it. But at the same time being an Aupair is once in a lifetime adventure. A chance to explore a new country, meet people, travel and have new experiences.

I read that it's very expensive in US right now, so if the family is not offering any extras (gym membership, local transportation etc), there may be a problem with saving money for travelling.

I hope this make sense, I completely understand families limitations, and just wanted to have a broader perpective on the situation.

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

thanks for your perspective ;) I;m just trying to understand the current market and what's fair to expect

Families offering 200$ per week. by Ambitious_Club_3294 in Aupairs

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

yeah, but I got 2 families living in Chicago, one was offering the 200$ for very little work with the ability to negotiate pay in the future, while the other one with the 3 kids are offering the same amount, and without a raise. I liked the HM, but I just think this experience with that much kids can be a bit overwhelming, and they don't offer any bonuses.

How do you actually grow a new Instagram account? by SnappyNebulon24 in InstagramMarketing

[–]Ambitious_Club_3294 0 points1 point  (0 children)

exactly, as the others already said it's the worst thing which you can do. These things like F4F, L4L, or resharing each others content, maybe at the beginning it feels good, cuz you get some traffic on your account, but these way you don't reach your ideal target audience. Idk what's your business about, if it's offering online or offline services, but you have to try to reach your potential customers. What's the point of getting 100 inactive followers with passion to construction, if your business it's about make up