Au Pair
An au pair is in charge of taking care
of the children. He or she will get food and accommodation provided by the family
free of charge, and a small allowance in addition (sort of pocket money). Being
an au pair is an ideal way to get a first impression and understand the Indian
culture and lifestyle.
One thing to bear in mind is that Indians are fairly used to having maids on
a regular basis. The au pair culture is relatively new and more common in big
cities like Mumbai.
What the au pair must know
The au pair is an extra pair of hands to help you take care of your
children. Having said that, an au pair is not
a professional nanny. She will have some basic skills and can look after
children but for any specialized care or concerns, please ensure that you have
the right person on the job. In general, an au pair does the following:
- Speaks the language, at least enough to understand and talk with the family
- Ensure the children get up on time; dress the children
- Take them to school/nursery/activity classes
- Play with them, entertain them
- Be in charge of their meals
- Tidy up their rooms
- Be free to baby-sit them if needed, some evenings
What the family has to do
The family has to welcome the au pair in thinking that she is not an
employee but a home help for the children. Therefore they will make sure:
- The au pair has her own bedroom,
- An au pair is only expected to do light domestic work. Au pairs
may be asked to do some housework, especially related to the children,
- The family pays some pocket money
- It may be good to register the au pair with the family GP
Her possessions should also be registered on the house insurance.
Some addresses...
If you want to register as an au pair or as a family, you can
contact:
You can also consult:
Usually agencies will ask registration fees from the family, the au pair
or both.
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