How much time per day are au pairs expected to devote to cooking and cleaning?

Do Au Pairs Cook and Clean?

Au pairs are young adults, usually under 30 years old, who travel to foreign countries to live with a host family and help care for their children. These individuals are not professional nannies or housekeepers, but rather provide additional help to busy parents while experiencing cultural immersion and language exchange.

Roles and Responsibilities of Au Pairs

The primary role of an au pair is to provide additional support to the host family by assisting with childcare tasks. Au pairs typically work between 25-45 hours per week and may be required to:

• Supervise children during the day or evening
• Help with schoolwork and extracurricular activities
• Prepare meals for the children
• Take children to and from school, appointments, and activities

While some au pairs may be asked to perform light housekeeping duties, such as folding laundry or washing dishes, their primary focus should always be on taking care of the children.

Cooking and Cleaning Expectations

Whether or not an au pair is expected to cook and clean for the host family varies based on the specific job description and agreement made between the host family and the au pair.

Some families may ask their au pair to prepare meals for the children, while others may prefer to handle all cooking themselves. Similarly, some families may require their au pair to perform light cleaning duties, such as vacuuming or dusting, while others may hire a separate housekeeper to handle these tasks.

It’s important for both the au pair and host family to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Before accepting an au pair job, it’s recommended that both parties discuss and agree upon:

• Hours of work
• Childcare responsibilities
• Housekeeping duties (if any)
• Expected cultural exchange activities
• Payment and compensation

Au Pairs Are Not Professional Housekeepers

While some au pairs may be comfortable performing light housekeeping duties, it’s important to remember that they are not professional housekeepers. Their primary role should always be focused on providing quality childcare to the host family.

If a host family requires more rigorous cleaning services, they may want to consider hiring a separate housekeeper to handle those duties. However, it’s important to note that host families are responsible for paying their au pair a weekly stipend in addition to providing room and board. If a family decides to hire a separate housekeeper, they are responsible for the associated costs.

The Bottom Line

Every au pair job is unique, and it’s up to the host family and au pair to determine what expectations and duties will be associated with the job. It’s important to communicate openly and regularly to ensure that both parties are satisfied with the arrangement.

While some au pairs may be comfortable performing light housekeeping and cooking duties, it’s important to remember that their primary role should always be focused on childcare. If a host family requires more extensive household management, they may want to consider hiring a separate housekeeper to handle those responsibilities.

As an increasing number of families decide to hire an Au Pair to help with childcare, the question of what, exactly, an Au Pair does often arises. The first and most important responsibility of an Au Pair is to provide care and companionship to children. But another one of the tasks many Au Pairs are asked to perform is related to light household duties, such as cooking and cleaning.

When deciding if you would like an Au Pair to do chores such as cooking and cleaning in your home, it is important to remember that, no matter what tasks your Au Pair is asked to do, the primary job is to provide care for the children. Any additional tasks should be managed in a way that does not interfere with the main job. For example, if your Au Pair is asked to handle meal preparation and light housework, it should not take away time from caring for and interacting with the children.

In general, most Au Pairs are willing to help out around the home. In Europe, Au Pairs in particular are quite accustomed to helping out with the cooking, cleaning and odd jobs. On the other hand, in North America, the expectation may be different since the role of the Au Pair is mainly to provide care for the children, and not necessarily to do household duties.

The one exception is if you have negotiated a deal that includes additional duties such as cooking and cleaning. In this case, it is important to include the specifics in the contract. Furthermore, you must ensure that you can provide the necessary materials, supplies, and equipment that is required for the additional tasks.

In conclusion, while Au Pairs can be asked to perform additional duties such as cooking and cleaning, it is important to remember that first and foremost they are there to provide care for the children. It is best to discuss any chore-related duties with the Au Pair beforehand to ensure that all expectations are clear.