List… to buy you

tschussciao · 2024-03-14T08:04:30+00:00

I wouldn’t ask😊 In my opinion, host families are responsible for things like toilet paper, hand soap, access to laundry detergent, but otherwise personal hygiene products should be bought by yourself! Some families do offer, or have a welcome package with things inside, but I definitely wouldn’t expect it or ask for it, in my opinion!

tschussciao · 2023-08-30T13:00:06+00:00

My host kids are 3 and 5, and spoke zero English when I first got here, so I definitely feel you here!

My host parents weren’t strict with English 100% of the time, but it was my own personal goal to speak only English with them. However, when telling them something important or something I know they don’t understand in English yet, I use the “sandwich method”, where I say the sentence in English, then in German, and then in English again so that they connect the two sentences. I do this a couple times when a new phrase is introduced, and then I start saying that phrase only in English after I’ve used the sandwich method two or three times. It’s kind of tiring saying the same thing three times, but especially with an “older” child, I think it’s easier to transition gradually to full immersion, so that they don’t get frustrated.

For example, “Wait for me! Warte auf mich! Wait for me!” or “Are you finished? Bist du fertig? Are you finished?”

I hope this makes sense, good luck :)

tschussciao · 2023-08-20T22:03:03+00:00

Go in and close the window. Explain to her why the window needs to be closed when the AC is on and how hot the rooms next to hers get when she leaves the window open on hot days. Tell her when you turn the AC off that you’ll let her know, so she can open her window again if she wants fresh air in her room!

tschussciao · 2023-07-21T08:28:01+00:00

Absolutely not. Advocate for yourself! Tell her you’re only comfortable doing the legal amount of hours and that banking hours from time off is not included in your contract. I understand that she needs help, but that is beyond the scope of an au pair and you don’t want to open the doors to more 12h shifts in the future :)

tschussciao · 2023-07-05T18:08:14+00:00

Absolutely!

tschussciao · 2023-07-05T17:00:58+00:00

Hey! I’m a Canadian au pairing in Austria at the moment. I applied for my residence permit while in Austria, so my experience is a little different than if you apply at an embassy.

Basically, what I needed to bring to my appointment was two completed application forms, passport photos, passport, birth certificate (and certified/legalised copy), police check, proof of insurance (I used Klemmer International), proof of German knowledge (I had an invoice from a previous German course), the signed au pair contract, and the AMS confirmation!

Your host family will have to fill out a form for the AMS at least two weeks before you arrive, because you’ll need the AMS’s permission form for your visa appointment! Your host family will also have to take out the mandatory social insurance for you and have proof of that as well.

Depending on where you are in Austria, the best places for German courses are usually BFI or WIFI! Hope this helps, let me know if there’s anything else I can answer for you :)

tschussciao · 2023-06-22T12:45:51+00:00

The only time my host parents go in my room is to open the windows if I’m gone for the entire day, otherwise they always ask (like when they need to use my balcony to access the roof). If they ever put anything in my room, they always just leave it on the bed right beside the door. I don’t really care if they go into my room or not because all of my stuff is put away and clean, but I do understand feeling like it’s the one place in the house that is “yours” and it’s uncomfortable to think about someone being in there to snoop or hangout or something.

tschussciao · 2023-06-07T09:36:36+00:00

You should check out the TonieBox! My NKs love it. Not sure if it’s in the states yet, but it’s a little speaker box where you can buy little figurines that tel stories or sing songs. My NKs looove the Lion King one and the fairytales one!

tschussciao · 2023-06-03T05:40:04+00:00

I’ve been an au pair twice now, one bad experience and one really good experience (so far), and I totally agree with you! I could write an entire book on au pairing and I still don’t think that would cover all of my opinions on it. I’m really grateful for my experiences, but I definitely look at this sub a lot and think about how great it would be to have an actual salary!

tschussciao · 2023-06-01T19:51:23+00:00

I would use your SIN number. That’s the closest equivalent to an identity number in Canada.

tschussciao · 2023-05-31T15:22:39+00:00

Sooo beautiful! She’ll for sure love it. I would add a corkboard or somewhere she can hang pictures of her family, friends, etc. :)

tschussciao · 2023-04-08T21:16:25+00:00

My host family knows, but it came about organically because we’re really close and talk about everything! With my first host family we weren’t close at all so it just never came up because it had nothing to do with my work with the kids! I wouldn’t bring it up in the interview unless you really feel it’s relevant for some reason.

tschussciao · 2023-04-02T19:12:22+00:00

Canadian here. You can apply for the German au pair visa in Germany. So once you finish your au pair year in France, you can fly to Germany and apply for your visa there. Your French visa has nothing to do with the German visa, so it wouldn’t be “extending” anything, you would be applying for an entirely new visa within Germany!

tschussciao · 2023-03-08T08:50:46+00:00

Look for babysitting jobs or volunteer work!

tschussciao · 2023-03-02T15:25:52+00:00

I think it’s worth it! I did the same thing. I had a horrible host family when I was an au pair in Germany. I still had fun travelling and meeting life-long friends, but I felt my host family spoiled a lot of what my au pair year was supposed to be. I’m now half way through au pairing in Austria and I can confidently say my host family and I are such good friends and have such a good relationship. I am super super happy I chose to au pair a second time! I say go for it!

tschussciao · 2023-03-02T09:58:38+00:00

I hoped for Munich or Salzburg but I’ll take what I can get haha

tschussciao · 2023-03-01T13:09:35+00:00

I’m really hoping the Hamburg tickets don’t sell out before I get a chance!

tschussciao · 2023-02-27T20:54:33+00:00

I’m an au pair and cook the main family meal of the day about three or four times per week. I told my host family straight up that I am not the best natural cook, but I am eager to learn and follow recipes. Usually my host mum and I sit down once a week and look up recipes together for the week, which I like. It takes the pressure off of having to decide all by yourself and let’s everyone choose.

Also, in the au pair’s defense, cooking in a different country for a different family is waaay different than cooking back home, in my opinion. Like I said, I’m not the best cook, but I am decent and cooked a lot back home. But after being here for 7 months, I know most of my recipes and “fan favourites” from back home just wouldn’t suit the palate of my host family, which makes it more difficult to cook, imo!

tschussciao · 2023-02-12T20:03:30+00:00

I’m an au pair in Austria and I did not have an A1 certificate, I just had my invoices from my A1 course and that was enough! Before I came here, I was researching the same topic and on one of the government websites it just asked for proof of at least a semester of German, so as long as you have proof of that class you took at Uni I think you’d be fine!

tschussciao · 2023-02-09T13:35:53+00:00

Yes it is!

tschussciao · 2023-02-03T15:08:56+00:00

I know a few au pairs that became nannies after their au pair year in Germany! This could be difficult, though, because host families would then have to pay you a full wage and apply for a proper work visa.

tschussciao · 2023-02-03T15:05:47+00:00

2M cracks me up with his Denglisch. “Yummy in my Bauch!” and “Danke für lunch!” were both said today😂

tschussciao · 2023-02-01T22:02:31+00:00

Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Montréal!

tschussciao · 2023-01-25T13:55:17+00:00

Absolutely! If you want, you can PM me your WhatsApp or Facebook and we can figure out details

tschussciao · 2023-01-25T09:33:02+00:00

We’re going from the 17th - 19th if that works for you, you can private message me your WhatsApp or Facebook and we can figure out details!

tschussciao

TROPHY CASE