A personal experience
Marta Martínez
María Moreno
What makes you think that being an au pair is the best option for your trip?
Working as an au pair ended up being and easy way of having a monthly salary, a room of my own, and covering food and all the expenses a home presumes, which were covered by the family. Also, I found it an interesting option because in principle I could combine the work with work at a language school.
Working as an au pair is the cheapest of all possibilities, and in some ways, the safest (of course this depends on the family you choose, but from what I understand, the online agency I used has a solid system for controlling each registrant, which implies that everything should be in order and under control. They also give you the option of changing families in case you feel uncomfortable or they do not fulfill their part of the agreement).
How did you prepare your trip and stay?
The truth is, my mother prepared it mostly, as she likes having everything under control. She was the one who was in contact with the mother of the host family to make the agreements. I was lucky that, in August, when everything was more or less arranged, my host family came to have a vacation in Barcelona. So I was able to have a prior interview, meet the children and establish the points in the contract.
Through an online agency at which I registered to be an au pair.
In my profile I explained in detail what my preferences were and what characteristics I was looking for in a prospective host family. Once I was registered, I started looking for families en England and Ireland, since, in my case, I was interested in perfecting my English. After many, many applications and Skype interviews, I said yes to the family I am currently with. Then the family and I agreed on my arrival date and I made my flight reservation (one way) to Sheffield.
What is the day-to-day like for an au pair like yourself?
I get up at 7:30, I have a shower, and at 8:00, I have breakfast. I finish dressing the getting the children ready in case they aren’t already, and I take them to school. First I drop off the two older ones, who are 6 and 8, and then I take the bus with the youngest to day-care. From 9:15 to 12:15 I’m free, so I go to the language school. At 12:15, I pick up the youngest, serve lunch and play with him until his mom gets home at 4 pm. Twice a week I have to babysit, or in other words, I have to be a nightly kangaroo, which is in the contract. Many Saturdays, despite being my day off, they make me work a couple of hours in the morning, or sometimes the whole day.
An au pair’s day-to-day can be very different from another’s because of the chores the family might assign. In my case, I have a nice schedule during the week, usually if I work in the morning, I have the afternoon off, and vice-versa, but there are always exceptions and many favors done, the vast majority of weekends are free but, like I said, the family tends to take more advantage since you’re living with them 24 hours a day. What I mean is working extra hours ends up being commonplace, since I’m living off them.
EXPERIENCE
The family’s reception was good, despite our slight discrepancies. But the truth is the family helped me in every possible way since the beginning concerning my studies and my First Certificate exam. I came back to Barcelona after four months with a much more robust vocabulary and fluidity in my speech. I passed the exam I needed to become specialized in my university, which was my greatest concern. It’s not good-bye forever, since I am very keen on going back there once I’m finished with my course.
It’s been over a month and a half since I arrived in Sheffield, which is situated right in the middle of England and about 45 minutes away from Manchester. Honestly, I have adapted quite well, it hasn’t been hard, and there’s a really good train system. A big disadvantage is the fact that they don’t have their own airport, so I have to go all the way to Manchester or Liverpool if I need to catch a plane.
EXPECTATIONS
I’ve been staying in my home town since I got back. I have started classes in an English school with native English-speaking teachers, with a special teaching method that helps you improve your fluidity and build sentences. Afterwards I will go to another school which is more focused on grammar and writing which is focused on passing the Advance. Along with this, I’m looking for work, even though next week I’m going to babysit a set of 4 year-old triplets with whom I will have to speak English. It will be a big job and very good for me, since I will have to prepare classes ahead of time. And finally, I am on registered on many web sites to find a linguistic partner to practice with.
Au pair stays, as far as I’m aware, are usually about a year long, as is my case. Towards the end of school or around mid-July I will pack my bags and return to my hometown of Barcelona. I intend to start university next fall, so for now I just have to make the most of this experience. I wouldn’t want another job since I’m already committed to the family, and it wouldn’t be worth looking for an apartment and a job when I have all that now and my plans for the near future take place in my hometown, where I will graduate from a course I enjoy.
