What’s it really like to be an Au Pair in America on a daily basis?

Because every host family is different, your daily schedule will be varied. It will depend a lot on the ages and needs of the children you are caring for and the individual requirements of your host family.

As an au pair your responsibilities are centred on the children and you won’t be expected to do heavy housework.

If the children in your family go to school then your schedule will work around those hours. If you’re caring for babies or younger children then your routine will probably be more fixed.

Not one day will be the same! That’s the great thing about caring for children and living in an amazing country with so many opportunities to travel and explore!

A day in the life of an au pair might include

  • Waking the children up
  • Dressing, bathing and playing with them
  • Preparing their meals
  • Making their beds and doing the children’s laundry
  • Driving them to and from school or after school activities, play dates etc.
  • Tidying up after them
  • Helping them with homework
  • Babysitting some evenings if the parents are out
  • Being their friend and having fun!
  • Sharing your own culture through songs, games, stories, cooking etc!

“Being an au pair in America gave me the opportunity to discover a new country whilst doing something I love!” Hannah Cox, 21

Charné Boere

Location: Chicago, IL
No of children: 3
Age: 22

A day in the life of an Au Pair

Charne has been an au pair in Chicago since January. Find out what Charne has to say about her experience so far.

Why did you choose Au Pair in America?

Compared to the other companies, the staff were extremely helpful, informative and supportive. They were able to explain the program and all the necessary requirements that I would need and how my life in the USA would and what I could expect in the upcoming year.

Describe a typical day with your host family.

I make sure that the kids have breakfast, are dressed and ready for school. I then either drive them to school or walk them to the school bus. On days when my youngest doesn’t have school, we play outside, visit the local library, go to open gym, play at home, go on play dates etc! Once everyone is home from school we have lunch and do homework and reading. We then do afternoon activities – play in the park, visit museums, walk in the neighbourhood, have play dates, visit the library or play at home. I then bath the kids and if we have time we read books, do puzzles, play games or have a dance party.

What do you enjoy the most about being an au pair?

The best part is that you get to interact with children at a time in their lives where they see you as their role model and they simply love you and want to be loved back. You are able to share your knowledge and expertise of childcare with them through your childcare duties. You become like a big sister to them and you learn so much about them and about yourself in such a short period of time.

What is the best part about life in the USA?

You have the opportunity to travel and see as many places as you desire! The USA allows you to experience so many different cities, lifestyles and cultures all in one country. Also, you feel so safe and welcomed by your host family which helps with homesickness because you are welcomed into a new family.

What do you do during your free time?

During the day (weekdays), I go to the gym, Skype my family or meet up with friends for coffee. In the evenings (weekdays), I go to gym if I didn’t get a chance to during the day, go out for dinner, spend time with my host family or participate in voluntary work. On weekends I go downtown into the city of Chicago to visit museums, parks, shops, and restaurants. I love to walk the streets or cycle through the city to visit all the big tourist spots as well as the top secret local places.

What do you enjoy doing the most with your host family?

I love hanging out with them and sharing stories about my life back home. This allows us to get to know one another and share cultural experiences.

What advice would you give future au pairs who are considering applying to be an au pair?

The best advice that I could give future au pairs is to look at this program as a cultural exchange. You are here to become part of a family and to fulfil your duties and responsibilities in a fun-loving way. You need to become an additional family member and work as a team with your host parents to ensure that the kids are happy and well looked after. The thing I realised quickly is that a happy au pair means happy kids, and happy kids means a happy au pair!