An
au pair (plural:
au pairs) is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use. Au pair schemes are subject to government
restrictions which specify an age range usually from late teens to mid
to late twenties. In Europe, where the concept originated, au pairs are
only supposed to work part-time, and they often also study part-time,
generally focusing on the language of the host country, but in the
United States, they are permitted to provide full-time childcare.
The title comes from the French term
au pair,
meaning "at par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is
intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member
of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a traditional domestic worker.
Although it is not as simple to acquire au pair status as it was in
1840, the expression was used to indicate economic parity between two
things such as the home and the job (economical parity).
The expression
au pair was used in this sense in 1840 by Balzac.
The concept of the au pair originated in Europe after World War II.
Before the war, an abundant supply of domestic servants had been
available to look after the children of middle and upper-class families,
but changes in social attitudes, and increases in wages and taxes after
the war, made the old system inaccessible to most middle class parents.
At the same time, social change increased the number of middle class
girls who needed to earn their own living, and rising educational
aspirations for girls made experiencing foreign cultures and learning
foreign languages more common aspirations.
However, due to the stigma attached to being a "servant", an
essentially working class status which even working-class people were
repudiating, this potential supply for domestic labour could only be
utilised if a new non-servant role was created. Thus the au pair was
born. The au pair was supposed to be treated as a member of the family
rather than a servant, and was not required to wear a uniform.
An au pair receives an allowance, and a private room. The usual
practice is that au pairs eat with the family most of the time, and join
in some of the usual family activities such as outings and trips.
However, host families normally expect to have some private time to
themselves, particularly in the evenings. During this time, an au pair
might retire to his or her room to watch TV
,
study, or go out with friends. Provision is often made for the au pair
to have time for studying, especially of the language of the host
country.
Some au pairs are now male, but females remain the overwhelming majority. Many governments impose limits as to how many hours an au pair is
allowed to work. I an America an Au pair can work 45 hours per week. Tasks can include taking children to and from school,
taking children to after-school activities, cooking, cleaning, ironing,
and babysitting. Each placement varies depending on the host family.
Duties of an Au pair
Au pairs can be expected to do a combination of child care and light
housework duties. They are not responsible for housework that does not
relate to the children’s or communal living areas that are kept tidy by
all family members. An au pair's duties may include:
- waking the children
- taking/collecting children to/from school
- helping with school homework
- playing with the children
- taking the children on outings to parks, playgroups and other activities
- preparing light meals for children
- doing the children’s laundry and ironing their clothes
- making the children’s beds
- cleaning the children’s bathroom
