Au Pair: Zara Lisbeth Joansson from Sweden
Host Family: Pyle Family in New York
Our family lives in Staten Island, NY. We are a mom and a dad who work from home. We are parents to two beautiful, inquisitive and loving little boys ages 1 and 2. Asking someone to come and live with you for a year is challenge enough, but when the kids are so little AND when both parents work at home, it becomes a super challenge!
From the minute we saw Zara's application, we liked her. During the interview process we were sure to discuss things like the age of our children (their naps overlap resulting in lots of indoor time and it’s hard getting two kids in and out of car seats everyday when you want to venture out!) and the fact that both of us work at home. Being an au pair in a family where both parents are within ear shot is probably the hardest childcare position there is! You are constantly worrying about whether the parents will approve of your communication style with the kids and whenever one of them cries or screams it’s inevitable that one or both parents will come flying down the stairs. It’s hard!
But here’s the thing . . . Zara is AMAZING! From the very first day in our home she made it a point to create relationship with each person in the family. Not just our two children. She has created relationships with our friends and our children’s friends. And we’ve watched her coach other au pairs to try to do the same in their own families. I know of a number of au pairs she has helped get over home sickness and difficulties in settling in, all while she was trying to do the same herself! She’s not just here to experience America. She really loves our family and our children and is so committed to making our family work! And we appreciate her so much for that.
Practically speaking, Zara is open to doing anything and everything to help our family – even if that means taking the midnight driving shift to Florida! She’s connected to our kids in such a meaningful way – they are being emotionally developed in such a sweet way by this amazing girl! And we can’t forget the fact that she’s teaching my children Swedish! Having a Swedish mother-in-law, this fact is super important!
After meeting a number of au pairs in my area, it’s clear to me that many young adults take this au pair opportunity so they can see the world and then go home a year later with some great memories of places they went and friends they made. But this isn’t the case with Zara. Her goal was to become part of a new family and to make a difference. Quite simply we can tell you she has done that . . . and that’s why she should be au pair of the year.
From the minute we saw Zara's application, we liked her. During the interview process we were sure to discuss things like the age of our children (their naps overlap resulting in lots of indoor time and it’s hard getting two kids in and out of car seats everyday when you want to venture out!) and the fact that both of us work at home. Being an au pair in a family where both parents are within ear shot is probably the hardest childcare position there is! You are constantly worrying about whether the parents will approve of your communication style with the kids and whenever one of them cries or screams it’s inevitable that one or both parents will come flying down the stairs. It’s hard!
But here’s the thing . . . Zara is AMAZING! From the very first day in our home she made it a point to create relationship with each person in the family. Not just our two children. She has created relationships with our friends and our children’s friends. And we’ve watched her coach other au pairs to try to do the same in their own families. I know of a number of au pairs she has helped get over home sickness and difficulties in settling in, all while she was trying to do the same herself! She’s not just here to experience America. She really loves our family and our children and is so committed to making our family work! And we appreciate her so much for that.
Practically speaking, Zara is open to doing anything and everything to help our family – even if that means taking the midnight driving shift to Florida! She’s connected to our kids in such a meaningful way – they are being emotionally developed in such a sweet way by this amazing girl! And we can’t forget the fact that she’s teaching my children Swedish! Having a Swedish mother-in-law, this fact is super important!
After meeting a number of au pairs in my area, it’s clear to me that many young adults take this au pair opportunity so they can see the world and then go home a year later with some great memories of places they went and friends they made. But this isn’t the case with Zara. Her goal was to become part of a new family and to make a difference. Quite simply we can tell you she has done that . . . and that’s why she should be au pair of the year.