Victoria was an au pair in a very small town about 30-45 mins from London. She had an amazing time! Today we find out how she made her au pair time the best in her life!

I met Victoria in the UK, she was an Au Pair in a small town very close to where I was a Nanny.

She looked after two children of the age 4 and 6.

Why did you decide to be an Au Pair?

Well, my best friend did a Work and Travel in Canada and I also wanted to go away. I wanted to see something new and improve my English language skills.

Pub evening with friends!

What was the process of finding a family?

I created a profile on Au Pair World. I was in a touch with quite a few families and I spoke to 5 of them. However some of them were clearly looking for a cheap cleaner rather than an Au Pair. I could just tell by the type of question they would ask- for example: How are your ironing skills? What I liked about the family that I chose in the end was that they had a contract for me and they clearly outlined what my duties were.

How did you make England your new home?

In the beginning I must say I was a little homesick. The kids didn’t except me straight away and it was just hard. What helped me was that my host parents really supported me and that I found friends quickly. The other Au Pair girls in the town became very good friends of mine. But also the parents of other children were really kind and nice. I´m very happy that I got to be an Au Pair in such a welcoming little town.

Au Pair Friends!

What was the best experience while being an Au Pair?

It was the overall experience. I liked the people and the language. I found really amazing friends during my Au Pair time and when the kids started to open their hearts to me that meant a lot.

In London!

What did you learn from this experience?

I became a lot more independent, confident and more assertive when working with children.

What difficult situations did you face?

Well, in the beginning the kids simply didn’t accept me and it was really hard, but I didn’t give up. They started to open up to me after about 1 1/2 months.

The other situation I faced was that the family went shopping once a week, but there wasnt enough food by the end of the week. I told them about it, but they didn’t seem to change it.

I´m also disappointed that we are not in touch very much. I got very close to the kids and was interested to maintain the relationship.

South-Coast of England

Would you recommend the experience?

Yes for sure! I would recommend the experience to anyone. What you learn during your Au Pair time you can’t learn back home. But you have to be selective when choosing the family. Don’t just pick the first one.

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Mel

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