Image courtesy of Evelyn
The Turners, of Scarsdale, NY, adore the unique cultural experience that Brazilian au pair Evelyn has introduced into their home. From teaching Spanish to South American geography lessons, the impact Evelyn has had on her host kids is undeniable. In fact, au pair Evelyn was sharing her Brazilian culture with her host family before she even arrived in the U.S.!
Host mom Irena tells us their story.
Evelyn’s unique background brings so much to our everyday life from keen organization to compassionate understanding and thoughtfulness.
She comes from Brazil and first made her impression on us when she created an art map with pictures of our countries that showed connections between the two. She shared this with us over Skype and we fell in love with her personality.
This was also the introduction of the Brazilian culture to our home. Evelyn teaches the children about her country and her language. She even helps with some Spanish which the children are taking in school. The children learned the location of Brazil in relation to the U.S. and learned that it has the biggest rainforest in the world. This learning has taught the children about geography and the world and introduced them to Portuguese and Spanish.
The children have learned that a country’s customs can be different and we need to appreciate all of our differences.
Evelyn gets to practice her English and learn about American culture which has its own nuances, and she gets to take the time to get to know how we live and learn about the U.S. My 7-year-old son enjoys playing soccer with Evelyn and she is familiar with the soccer stars of Brazil which he likes. My 7-year-old daughter enjoys doing art projects with her.
We are truly so lucky to have this cultural exchange experience and share this year with Evelyn who puts her whole heart into her role with our family. She is responsible and reliable and brings lots of joy to the house. We know that she will go home with stronger American English and we hope we keep this bridge between her and our family and countries.
The cultural exchange benefits go both ways, with au pair Evelyn stating,
The au pair experience has already been the adventure of my life. I love my host family and the area I live. The people here are amazing. Before coming to New York as an au pair I had never left Brazil! I’m grateful for the experience I’ve had as an au pair!
Evelyn made a video of their experience so far. Check it out below!
