10 Reasons Au Pairs Need to Speak Your Language

Hiring an au pair who is a good match with your family is difficult. The ability to communicate effectively with your au pair should be an essential part of the decision making process. With that in mind, here is a list of reasons to hire an au pair who speaks your language.

1. Helping with homework – Unless the homework in question just happens to be the au pairs native language, they are not going to be able to help your children. By hiring an au pair who speaks your language, you can rely on them to lend a hand when you are not able to.
2. In case of Emergency – If you child becomes sick or has an accident, you need an au pair who can effectively deal with the situation. Whether they are administering medicine, contacting you or emergency services, an au pair who speaks the same language is better equipped to react quickly.
3. Grocery Shopping – Shopping for food and other household items is difficult enough. However, imagine if you couldn’t read food labels, recognise deals or even navigate your way around the store. An au pair who speaks the same language as you will not encounter any of these barriers.
4. Cooking Guidelines – A nutritional diet is a must for growing children. Preparing and cooking food, to a specified standard, is a difficult task for an au pair who does not speak your language. Additionally, if your child has food allergies, it is essential that your au pair can read ingredients; otherwise your child’s health is at serious risk.
5. Child Discipline – On occasion, your children will require discipline in your absence. The most important element of this task is effective communication. If they do not speak the same language as you, your au pair will not be able to reinforce the standard of behavior you expect from your children.
6. Dealing with School – Your child’s school may need to contact you while you are busy, so having an au pair who can pick up the message is a great help. Similarly, there may be times when you need to get a message to the school, and if your au pair speaks the same language they can take care of it for you.
7. Reading Instructions – From medicine and food labels, to cooking and cleaning, being able to follow instructions is an essential part of an au pair’s job. You trust your children’s health and well being to them, so make sure the person you hire is able to understand and fulfill their tasks to your requirements.
8. Running Errands – Running additional errands is one of the benefits of hiring an au pair. But if they cannot understand what you are asking them to do, you can forget about it. It will take you more time trying to convey the requirements of the task, than it would take to do it yourself.
9. Playing with Children – Keeping children entertained is difficult at the best of times. When you add a language barrier, it becomes almost impossible. An au pair who speaks the same language is not limited to basic games at play time.
10. Daily Reports – Although you have entrusted your child to an au pair, it does not mean you want to be completely excluded from their life. Hiring an au pair who speaks your language will allow you to keep up to date with your child’s daily progress. You can ask them to keep a diary of those all important moments, and use it to let your child know you are there for them, even when you physically can’t be.

The better an au pairs language skills, the more effective she will be in performing her duties and in relating with the children and the rest of the family.

Taken From Au Pair