Au pair

One friend of mine is currently an au pair (live in babysitter) in Berkeley. The daughter of a friend here in Iceland is an au pair in Italy. One of my Icelandic friends is thinking about trying to get an au pair from abroad when her second baby is born.

These are all of course wonderful opportunities for both the host families and the au pair. One friend of mine (well, a relative of a relative who I have known for a long time) was an au pair in the United States and became basically the adopted daughter of the family. Five years later she is still living with them, and they are helping her pay for her college.

I have mixed feelings about this, in a way it seems (and honestly no offense meant to anyone, just a thought) that this is some sort of voluntary form of human trafficking. Kind of like adopting babies from China (again, no offense). It is a system whose apparatus is only possible on the backs of a vast globalized network sustained by petroleum based travel, I mean just to be really freaky left wing about it. It is.

If you wanted a live in babysitter in the olden days, you found some relative that wanted to live with you, and you called it good. But when I asked Dave whether or not he would like his sister (who is in the process of getting divorced) to move in with him, he was just like "no way!". I guess in today's society it seems more odd to have extended family living arrangement than to flying a stranger half-way around the world to come live with you. Man am I out of it.

Comments

Ko-Leen said…
I think if it is a stranger, or at least not family, if it doesn't work out both parties can go there separate ways more easily. When your actual family is involved it is a little harder. If they are 'working' for you it is easier to fire a stranger then maybe your sister, if you dont like the way things are being done
October 26, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Lissy said…
That is a very good point Koleen, and of course supports the idea that this is like a business.
October 26, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Iris said…
This must be the weirdest view of au pairs I ever heard :) It's mostly a way to live abroad for a while right before college and get some experience in a different culture and learn a new language. You get paid to do this, there are strict rules (like the au pair has to have their own room, minimum of 12 sqm and windows, is only allowed to work X hours a week etc, etc, has to be free to take part in language classes) and if something weird happens you can turn to the agency in charge. So it is like any professional relationship. Employer, employee, contract, work.
I do think so that it is more natural for Europeans to do this after High School since most Americans I know have not even heard of it. And I agree with Dave before I would have my sister live with me I would take my chances ;-)
October 27, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Lissy said…
Thank you Iris! What good is a blog entry if it does not get people thinking and talking!
October 27, 2009 at 9:51 PM
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