Au Pair arrives next week!
First-time host here! My au pair from Germany arrives next week, and I’m starting to get a little nervous.
Historically, I’m a bit of an “over-host.” I always feel responsible for making everyone comfortable—cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and generally taking care of everyone. Even when I was 9 months pregnant and had family visiting, I still did everything.
My biggest worry is that my au pair will end up feeling like another responsibility instead of the extra support we’re hoping for. I go back to work in 4 weeks, and I’m already so sad about leaving my little boy—he’ll only be 15 weeks old.
I guess what I’m really asking is: how do you find the balance between making your au pair feel welcome and letting your home become her home, too?
Part of me feels like I need to entertain her because it’s her first time in the U.S., but I also have a 2-month-old. Right now, all I really want to do is soak up this time with my baby, go for daily walks, maybe do an outing or two each week, and figure out this whole parenting thing. I don’t have the energy to be a tour guide, and I don’t want to feel guilty about that.
She’ll have her own car, and we’ll be covering gas (within reason), so she’ll have the freedom to explore on her own.
I’d love to hear from other host parents or au pairs. How did you strike that balance? Did you feel pressure to entertain them at first, and how did you make your home feel welcoming without taking on another full-time role?