Working from home is certainly a more flexible and desirable solution for most working parents. You’re able to gain back hours of commute time and use that time to spend quality time with your kids. You can stay on top of the laundry switching from washer to dryer in between meetings and folding during lunch. You can even take your dog for a midday walk instead of trying to squeeze it in between cleaning up dinner and giving the kids a bath after hours.
Working from home; however, doesn’t mean you’re free to multitask working and parenting all day. If you were a parent during 2020, when schools and daycares shut down, you know the feeling. Working from home without childcare doesn’t really work. There are lots of interruptions. There’s a ton of parental guilt. And there’s probably more screen time than you’d like.
Why is an au pair the right solution if you’re working from home? Here are just a few reasons why we (and our work from home host families) think so:
- Au pairs are more than just childcare providers. They’re keeping your kids safe, fed, and happy, and they’re also introducing them to a new culture and maybe even a new language. There is a huge educational benefit toward hosting an au pair besides the regular childcare component.
- Your home will be tidy. Au pairs are responsible for tidying up after the children and doing their laundry. One of the biggest blessings any parent can receive is coming home to a tidy home after a long day at work, even if you’re just walking 10 steps from your office to the kitchen, it’s nice to not have reminders of baby clothes that need to be folded or toddler toys that need to be put away.
- You’ll feel closer to your kids. Going back to work after parental leave can be challenging, especially if you’re physically far away from your new baby. With au pair live-in childcare, you have peace of mind that you’re not far and can get to know your childcare provider on a deeper level, sharing a home with them.
- An uninterrupted schedule. When your child is sick, you don’t need to cancel childcare. It seems rules are even stricter these days with keeping kids home or canceling childcare if they’re not feeling 100%. While this is beneficial and important, it can also be a huge challenge to a working parent who has deadlines, meetings, and clients relying on you. You won’t need to cancel your au pair if your kid has the sniffles or isn’t feeling well because chances are, that cold is running through all the household members in your family, including your au pair.
- Ready to go back to the office? If your work role does – gulp – return to the office or presents a hybrid model, you’ll be ready with consistent childcare at home.
If you’re working from home and ready to receive the consistent and reliable childcare you need, we can’t wait to help you get started in your au pair hosting journey. Start by applying here!
