Au Pairing: Expectations vs Reality
So I have been in Spain Au Pairing for one month so far and have another month to go. Last year I was with a different family and stayed for almost three months. During this visit and last year I have learnt so much and allowed myself to grow as a person.
Au pairing is such a great summer job to do, or even a job to do if you are into travelling as it allows you to live in a foreign country as a local and experience all the culture, traditions and their language within a family environment. You'll get experiences tourists can't have as easily and it'll be one of the best things you do. You're also able to explore the new city and country that you live in in your free time whilst having boarding and food taken care of!
But what is it really like to be an Au pair? Before I came to Spain last year I wasn't really sure what to expect, yes I had an idea but not everything was how I'd imagined it to be haha!
Expectation: You are there to look after the children and teach them English almost as if you were a live-in babysitter
www.foros.vogue.es Reality: You can't help but get super attached, and the rest of the family will love you too and you will become a key part of the family, for me I'm like a third parent/older sister to my two host kids
Expectation: Bedtime will be quiet time
www.wifflegif.com Reality: It could take up to half an hour to say goodnight followed by intermittent screaming/crying for up to 3 hours from the little one after leaving the bedroom
www.cosmopolitan.co.uk
Expectation: On long car journeys they will fall asleep meaning you get some quiet time and can rest too
www.cutecatgifs.com Reality: They may sleep, but then as soon as you try and sleep you will be poked or shouted at haha
www.goodreads.com
Expectation: You will work during the day from 9am-3pm, it'll be a piece of cake!
www.giphy.com Reality: You are exhausted by the afternoon and then end up taking a siesta after lunch instead of the kids having one
www.ifunny.co
Expectation: You're fluent in English so you'll be a pro at teaching it too
www.snagajob.com Reality: You remember how bad you are at spelling and don't know what a preposition or adverb is anymore, because grammar rules were only something you learnt for your English GCSE and then forgot, after the exam like everything else (such as pythagorus' theorem)
www.giphy.com
Expectation: You will be away from home for however long the placement is, in my case just over 2 months. You won't see your family or friends and you will get homesick and feel lonely.
www.relatably.com Reality: Yes it can be lonely, but in loneliness you find yourself and I'm not really one to get homesick either so its ok for me, but even if I did get homesick I have such a great host family they are so lovely and supportive and when you're having a bad day the kids still make me smile, the sound of their laughter will bring brightness to your day. And out here I have met so many amazing people and made such great friends, which is one of the reasons I chose to come back to Bilbao this year, so you don't have to worry about being on you're own as there are always other Au pairs or people your own age to find and hang out with!
www.memegenerator.net
Expectation: The language barrier will cause you to be shy and misunderstood
www.deepdotweb.com Reality: It's great, you can learn another language but also remain isolated in your own thoughts when needed without having distraction. And when you sit somewhere like a cafe or a park you can just watch the world go by and start to read facial expressions and truly learn that sometimes what people say is not what they mean; you can take a step back from the world and instead of always talking, actually listen to people.
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