u/Gunseli_12

Ciao a tutti! Sono una studentessa internazionale e vivo a Roma da circa un anno. Quest’anno mi piacerebbe iniziare a lavorare, ma purtroppo il mio italiano non è ancora abbastanza buono per lavorare in questa lingua.
Volevo chiedervi che tipo di lavori potrei trovare a Roma parlando principalmente inglese. Ho già qualche esperienza lavorativa come cameriera, addetta alle pulizie e babysitter, lavori che ho fatto quando ero adolescente.
Avete qualche consiglio o suggerimento su dove potrei cercare? Grazie mille in anticipo! :)

Hi everyone, I’m an au pair in Italy for the summer. I already study in Italy, but I moved to another city for this job. I’ve now completed my first month here.
I was originally supposed to stay until mid-September, but after the first week I realized the situation might be too much for me. I didn’t feel comfortable explaining the real reason, so I made up an excuse about bureaucratic procedures, and they agreed to let me leave at the end of August.

I take care of 7-year-old twin boys. They don’t speak English, and my Italian is very basic. Before I arrived, we never clearly discussed working hours, breaks, responsibilities or privacy. I assumed we would do that once I arrived, but it never really happened.

On my first day, I worked around 12 hours. When the boys attended summer school from 9:00 to 12:30, I had the mornings free, but after that I usually stayed with them until bedtime, around 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. I estimate that I am working or on call for more than 55 hours most weeks.

The hardest part is that I never know when I am genuinely off duty. The children often watch TV or use their phones, so I’m not actively entertaining them every minute, but I still have to stay nearby because they suddenly fight, scream or have tantrums. I don’t feel free to properly relax, leave the room or focus on my own life.

One of the boys also repeatedly crosses physical boundaries. He has tried to touch my chest several times, especially when his mother is not looking. I told the parents, and they spoke to him, but the behaviour has not completely stopped. And I also believe that this kid has special needs, since he doesn’t respond to his name, struggles to maintain eye contact, speaks by sounding out words, and finds socializing with his peers challenging.

Privacy has also been an issue. At first, I discovered that my bedroom was also being used as part of the father’s office, even though nobody had told me. They stopped using it without permission after I spoke to them, but the children still sometimes enter without knocking.

The house is very isolated, and I depend on the family for transport. My day off is not fixed and depends on the mother’s Airbnb schedule, although they usually allow me to visit another city for around one or one and a half days each week.

I want to be fair because the family is also very warm and generous. They pay for my food, transport, trips and anything I need from the supermarket. They are interested in me and my culture, and they even letted me to invite one of my friends to stay with us during the family holiday. I genuinely like the parents as people.

That is what makes the situation confusing. Their kindness makes me feel guilty for complaining, but I am still constantly available, isolated and exhausted. Before this holiday, I cried in the bathroom because I felt like my body could not handle it anymore, and I struggled to calm my breathing.

Now that summer school has ended, I’m worried my hours will increase even more. I receive €350 per month. Does this sound like a normal au pair arrangement, or are they taking advantage of me, even if they may not be doing it intentionally?