What's it like to be an Au Pair in Cambridge?

​Hello everyone! This month on the blog I’m going to talk about being an Au Pair. At ABC Languages, we meet lots of Au Pairs who come to us to learn English in a classroom setting during their time in Cambridge. In fact, teaching Au Pairs was how the school began! I’m going to tell you about what it’s like to be an Au Pair in Cambridge, as well as busting some myths you might have heard about being an Au Pair.

What it’s like to be an Au Pair

• Au Pairing is a childcare role, so some of your day to day duties might be getting the children dressed and ready for the day, meal preparation, taking the children to school and other activities, playtime, homework, tidying up and taking care of bedtime.
• Living in Cambridge is likely to be different from where you live. If your family wants you to use a car, you will need to get used to driving here, being careful of the many cyclists flying around! ​

• You might even want to start cycling yourself, as it is the most common way of getting about in Cambridge. Another thing you will quickly realise about living here is what an academic hub Cambridge is, and how this affects so much of what’s going on – there are always academic talks for the public to go to, as well as excellent theatrical and artistic offerings.     
• One of the most common reasons for people to take jobs as Au Pairs is language acquisition. If your goal in coming to Cambridge is to better your English, then you must make sure that you apply to be with an English-speaking family. You’ll be surprised how quickly you learn!  
• Another way of improving your English while you’re staying in Cambridge is to come to a language school like ABC Languages! We run part-time courses specifically for anyone who is unable to study every day. You can choose either two or three mornings a week, and start any week. Because we are aware that parents and Au Pairs have to drop the children at school, our lessons start at 9:30am every day, so that we can fit around you. On our courses, you will study English in a small group and focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening. If you take our three-morning course you will be able to sit one of the Cambridge exams.
• As well as learning English, another benefit of taking a language course at a school like ABC Languages is making friends with others in similar situations to you. You’re likely to meet other Au Pairs who will understand best what your new life in Cambridge is like, and who you might want to socialise with in your free time. At ABC, we also run activities and trips that you can join in with, which is a great way to make friends with students from different classes to your own, and also to speak some English outside of the classroom. Another way to meet other Au Pairs in Cambridge is to join Facebook groups. You can use these to ask for advice as well, if you have a question about Au Pairing or Cambridge itself.

Myth-busting

• Myth: All Au Pair parents are mean and the children misbehave. Fact: Most families that you will Au Pair for will be perfectly nice! It is possible that you might be used to living in a different way to your Au Pair family, and there might be some new rules to take into account, but it is usual to take some time to become accustomed to living with new people. If the children are misbehaving, this is something to speak to their parents about, as they will be able to help you! It’s best to be open about anything that is upsetting you right away, as then it can be sorted out as quickly as possible.
• Myth: Au Pairs are treated like servants and given no free time. Fact: Unlike a nanny, Au Pairs are welcomed into the family as a new family member. Your duties should be agreed upon before you start working with the family and this should avoid any disputes over whether you should or shouldn’t be cleaning the house etc.
• Myth: Au Pairing is volunteering: Fact: Most Au Pairs are supplied with food by their new family and are also paid an amount of pocket money which they can use for going out and traveling on their weekends off etc. Of course, you're also benefiting from the experience as you are learning more English every day.
• Myth: The food won’t be nice. Fact: Your Au Pair family will most likely ask you about your likes and dislikes when it comes to food. There may also be the option to select and prepare your own food, or, depending on what you have agreed with your family, you might be the one who makes the food for the family.
• Myth: You won’t be told the truth about where your Au Pair family lives. Fact: You should make sure that you know the exact address of your family when you are agreeing to come and join the family. Ask them for their address and then you can look at where it is on a map and see how close it is to the centre of Cambridge and other amenities. If you’re happy with the placement you can go ahead and say yes!

Hopefully this blog has answered some of your questions about what it’s like to be an Au Pair in Cambridge, but if you'd like to know more, be sure to read about Au Pair courses on our website, or send us an email.

Allegra Goodwin, Student Experience Manager