Feedback from Host Families

We were delighted for all the support and feedback we received as part of our recent survey.

Please see below for some of the testimonials:

“I am extremely impressed both with the service offered and with my au pair. Not only is she fantastic with my children, she is also lots of fun to have around. It feels as if she has always been part of our family. I will miss her when she has to return home.” Clare, Surrey

“
I want to say a big thank you to both of you for finding me good aupairs and supporting me throughout. My experience with both of my aupairs has been great. My current au-pair Gesa is leaving in early April and we are really going to miss her. “ Seema, Longfield

“The smart au pair service has been great throughout. I know four families who have used smart au pairs and none of us have been disappointed!” Name Withheld

“Smartaupairs is a very professional and reliable agency that made me feel secure and confident about taking on an au pair for the first time. I would highly recommend their services to anyone.” Victoria, London

“The service I have received from Smartaupairs has been excellent. The well thought out information and attention to detail has made smartaupairs stand head and shoulders above any other au pair agency I have ever dealt with.” Jenny, Surrey

“We’ve had au pairs for a number of years but this was the first year I’d used Smart Au Pairs, having been let down by my previous agency. We’re delighted with our au pair and I found Smart Au Pairs very efficient and helpful with a broad range of potential au pairs to choose from – I will be using you again. “ Wendy, East Finchley

“I’ve had a lot of au pairs before but this is the first time I’ve used smart aupairs and Alex, our au pair is one of the best au pairs we have had. ” Kate, Salisbury

~~~

All of our customers rated our website and written information excellent or good. Our verbal communications were rated excellent or good by 97% of our customers.

94% of our customers are highly likely to use our service again & recommend us to their friends.*

Feedback from Families:

“I am writing to let you know how much we all love our au pair.
She is super sweet and really fantastic with the boys.
She seems to be settling in very well and has already met some other local aupairs she is becoming
friends with and enrolled at an english school.
I am grateful to find her at short notice, so thank you.” Host family,  Middlesex

“Thanks for all your help in getting our lives organised… Good au-pairs are mother’s saviour!
Denise”  Host Mum in London

“I was anxious, as a lone parent, as to how I would adapt to live-in help. But within weeks of our au-pair joining us friends and family have commented on how much happier we seem as a family. Help with the children and in the house has made such a positive difference to my life and as a result my children’s.” Name Withheld,Host Family

“I wanted to say how delighted we have been with the service provided by SmartAupairs, from the search to the handbook to the welcome pack and other little touches.
“We are also thrilled with the wonderful girl who has joined our family. She is everything we hoped she would be. Thanks so much.” Host Mum Suzie

“Jennie is leaving us tomorrow and I just wanted to say that she has been a HUGE success, thank you very much.
The last 4 weeks would not have been possible without her help as I had very big jobs on and we have been packing to move house. She came into our home when things were upside-down, I was preoccupied with work and was able to give her little guidance, and she took it all in her stride and just got on with everything, mastered public transport and just cracked on with life.
The children loved her immediately and are really sad that she is leaving, and my husband has voted her ‘best au pair ever’ (well, that includes our lovely Polish Aga who has helped us for years!) So thank you, it has been great having her and we are sad that it is not her staying in Sep, but we have high hopes for Elisa and look forward to seeing her” Thanks Beth xxx

“Thank you for the folders which I received yesterday for both myself and Kate. I have to say the professionalism with which this has been dealt is fantastic and I want to thank you all for your hard work and commitment to ensuring that this au pair placement goes well.” Kind Regards Samantha

“This was an extremely quick and effective process, thank you” Lennon Family, Tunbridge Wells

“We are delighted with our au pair and I am pleased to learn she is happy with us. We just need to help her find some dance classes! We have enrolled her on an English course.

I have been very impressed with the agency and it was nice to accompany our au pair to London on Saturday for the induction session (her first visit to the city). We also appreciate the packs you sent out. She was very pleased with the handbook and other information which I think was very well put together.//

She was pleased with the links recommended on the induction session.  Thank you again.” Best wishes Chiquita, Gloucestershire

Host Family With Single Dad

For any au pairs who are hesitant to consider a single father family, please read the feedback below from two au pairs, who had a very positive experience with a single father family who ensured the aupair received a warm welcome as a true member of the family.

From Carolin – Germany.

I felt totally at home, the minute I entered “The Boathouse”, no, actually even already when I got into David’s car at Heathrow airport. When he and his then 15 year old daughter Robyn picked me up, I immediately felt comfortable and although we had, apart from some telephone calls and webcam conversations, just met for the first time, we talked during the whole 2 hour drive from the airport to their home in Stamford.

When we arrived, my first impression was very good, I liked the family (I met Guy shortly afterwards), the house and the town very much and I didn’t have the slightest feeling of homesickness, which might otherwise have been quite likely.

My host father took me around the house and showed me were everything was and told me, that from now on, everything that belonged to the family would belong to me as well, as I was part of the family. I was introduced to everybody at once, relatives and family friends, and I felt as if I had been with them for much longer.

I really liked the atmosphere within the family; after what happened to them, you would not expect to see such a happy family full of humour about nearly everything. They are very close and affectionate to each other, and I loved having meals with them in the evening, when everyone was telling about their day and we were all having a laugh most of the time. It reminded me a lot of my own family which made me very happy.

Furthermore, I was very overwhelmed by the amount of trust I got from the family, especially the father. He gave me guidelines on what I had to do when he had to go off to work again for 2-4 days, for example when to send the kids to bed, but he told me that, after all, whenever he was away, I would “be the boss” and could make my own decisions.

He would also leave money for me in the kitchen, but didn’t insist on me leaving any receipts.

I knew how much responsibility I had caring for the children while he was away for days, but the whole family made it so easy for me and I never thought of it as a burden or weight on my shoulders.

I also enjoyed the time being alone with the children, it gave me much time to get to know them better, and as the three of us have very similar interests, it always worked out very well. I didn’t feel as if I had to be a strict au pair, I was rather like a bigger sister having a good time with the younger ones. As Robyn and Guy are both already quite old and independent, I didn’t have to be around all the time, but it was always a lot of fun just hanging around with them. They were always very kind and polite and offered their help ever so often.

For me, it never occurred as a problem, that I would be staying with a single father, as David sounded really nice when I first spoke to him on the telephone. He also offered me and my parents to speak to his sister and a female friend of the family apart from only talking to him, as he knew that it might be harder for a girl to stay just with a male adult. But looking back, my experience could not have been better with a single woman or even a couple. I had so much fun with my host dad and he reminded me so much of my own father.

It was clear from the beginning that I would have a lot more free time than other au pairs, not only because, as a pilot, David didn’t have normal working hours from Monday until Friday, but also because even when he was away, Robyn and Guy would always be at school from 8:30-16:00. David was quite worried, that I might get bored very quickly, as I didn’t take classes at any of the language colleges and it was therefore not as easy to make friends. So he asked at the school for me, whether there were any foreign language assistants, and found out the telephone number of a German girl in my age, living only two minutes away from our place. I’m very thankful for that, because otherwise I might not have found anybody to go sightseeing and shopping with and I might not have met other friends either.

He also helped me setting up my own bank account and went with me to the medical centre so that I could register myself there.

When I went home over Christmas, we still kept in contact by having webcam conversations, and it was really nice to see them on the screen. Even though I hadn’t been away for that long I already missed them quite a lot.

Shortly after, my sister was allowed to come over for a week and she really enjoyed her time with the family and felt as if she had been with us for much longer.

When I finally decided about going home again, Dave was really supportive and could understand completely that I could not stay longer. I think we are all a bit sad that my time here ends soon, and I will miss the life with them here so much, but I am absolutely sure that we will keep in touch afterwards, they have already offered me that I could come back any time I want, and I definitely will. But I hope that they might come and visit me and my family in Germany as well, it would really make me happy.

My time as an au pair in a single dad family:

I am Natasja from Belgium and since 6 months I am an au pair for two girls in a single dad family. I have to admit that some of my friends and family would have preferred me to go to a “normal” family, but I can’t think of any reason why I shouldn’t have gone. My host dad is a really nice guy, sometimes he is a bit of a workaholic but that is his only fault, if you can call it a fault. One time when he thought he was actually sick enough to take a day of, he was still walking around the house asking me if there wasn’t anything he could do. He is really well organised. He is not the kind of guy that will call you up during the day because he suddenly remembered something else that has to be done. When he is not at home I am the boss, he doesn’t try to check on me the whole time.

I can organise my own time as long as the children are picked up from school in time. I also have a lot of free time. The only downside is that I am sometimes alone with the children for a few days because the father has to go on a busyness trip. I actually don’t really mind that because the rest of the time, he is really careful not to give me too much work. The grandparents also are a great help, to take care of the children one time a week, and try to stay around whenever the father is on a busyness trip. And if they’re not there I have a list of at least ten other people I can call if something goes wrong.

The children are great, they are not perfect of course, but I never really mind looking after them because they’re fun to be with. I never really have the feeling I am working when I am with them.

I have a lot of friends who are also au pair and they always laugh with me because “I don’t have to work”. I really get the feeling I have the best job. It is sometimes even annoying when they are complaining about their hard work, or overprotective host mother I can’t really join in… I would recommend every-one to become an au pair in a single dad family, especially mine.

Natasja Lammens

NOTES FROM SMARTAUPAIRS on family ‘screening’. We speak in detail with every new family who would like to host an au pair. This way we get to know our families and have a chance to ensure they understand that the au pair experience is a cultural exchange program. It is important to ensure every au pair receives a warm welcome as a family member and has a change to learn from the experience through maximum exposure to the children rather than being overloaded with (boring!) housework.

We ask all new host families if any future au pair may contact their current au pair for further information and an ‘insight’ from an outsider!

In case of a single father family we always need this re-assurance. We want to give a prospective au pair (and her ‘real’ family) the maximum comfort prior to departure. We therefore ask the father to involve a female referee who is close to the family to be contactable by future au pair and parents of au pair. This female referee can ideally be a current au pair or babysitter, or a close family friend or relative for example.

Photo Source: MessyCreation/Deviantart

It NOT safe for au pairs to use the internet to find a family..

Please help me out, I just had a terrible experience with a family I contacted through internet, we weren´t doing the whole thing through an au pair organization but through a travel agency. Things where going great, to good to be true actually, but then when I was needed to pay for the ticket, they gave me a Nigerian address, it sounded pretty wired, though I paid. We still decided to have them check through a friend who lives in London, and she told us that besides everything was beyond wired, that the phone number the family game us was fake and the whole family as well.

I’m completely dissapointed, but still I’m not giving up, I want to have this experience in working as an au pair.

Is there anyway you can help me??

We received this message from Maite, from Spain – who has now found a lovely family through smartaupairs and is preparing for her arrival in June.

PLEASE let this be a message for au pairs to use only a reputable au pair agency to find a family!!!!!

Au Pair Feedback

We ask our au pairs to give us feedback towards the end of their stay with the host family. We are proud to share some to our recent au pair testimonials.

Feedback from our Au Pairs:

“I signed up for smartaupairs, and I got a call the same evening by Someone that spoke my own language! She helped me with my profile. And she found me a very nice family. I’ve been here for 2 months now, and I am really happy!” Adrienne – the Netherlands

“Dear Nicole,
Thank you for all you have done for me especially for calling the embassy to vouch for me.I was relieved when I got the visa.
And I would also like to thank you for all the information you’ve been sending me.” With kind regards Ivana

“Hi Nicole, It is really nice to see something from the country and I met a lot of new people in Cambridge. I met a Norwegian and a Czech au pair too and they were really nice I enjoyed the trip very much. I go to the English classes twice a week and I like it too. The teacher is really nice. I will go shopping tomorrow morning. I like the fashion here.“Thank you for everything. Britta from Germany

“Thanks for your work and your interest for me. I am really satisfied with your agency and with my Scottish family too. I wish you nice day…”Many thanks Maria from Slovakia

“I had a great time and learned a lot. I’m glad, that I was brave enough to do it.Thanks to the smartaupairs-team!”  Anna from Germany

“I am happy I found this agency when i decided to be an au pair because everybody does their job…….all the girls I been talking with are so nice, helpfull, honest and trustfull!! I must say I felt more confident to come to England through this agency…..i felt like protected…..I m sure I couldn t make it alone! Being au pair is exciteing is all the time something new…..but it s hard and not all the time nice moments…..but being a bit lucky and with some help it turns into a great experience!

I will never regret I came here, I changed myself a lot…I met new people, I have new friends, i saw lots of wonderfull places and for all of that I must say thank you to the agency…..the first step is always the hardest!!!!
Thank you for everything you done for me and keep going because you are good!!!” Laura from Romania

“I wish to thank all members of smartaupairs, especially Nicole Kofin, for your kindness an great support. I was really happy to have such a friendly and organized agency.” Angelina from Germany

“I was very happy with the family and I would like to thank you for your help. It was a great experience!”  Josephine from Germany
“The au pair adventure is a beautiful experience which brings you a lot and makes you grow up. I loved living with an English family and discovering their culture. There are tough moments that I think you can’t avoid, like feeling homesick and lonely ; however knowing that you have the support of smartaupairs and that you can talk to them if anything is wrong is reassuring. It helped me a lot to know that I went to England thanks to an agency which really cares about the people they help.Thanks Smartaupairs.” Fanny M. from France

“I’m happy to have found this family. Thank you very much for your help and your patience! You’re a very serious agency; I’ll surely speak good of you! Have a nice week end!” Barbara from Italy

Hey! So far I really love to be here! The UK is wonderful (as far as I got to know it..) and I think I couldn’t have found a family where I would be happier. Well, thanks to you as you “gave” me this family! And I love the people here in general, so much nicer and friendlier than I am used to, I really enjoy living here and I’m looking forward to doing some certain things I have planned for the next months in the UK. I hope you are well!! Annika from Germany

Photo Source:Alison_Dakota/Deviantart

Host Family Testimonial

We received this lovely feedback from Frederique, host family in London about Jessie, her Dutch au pair:

Hi Nicole – Actually I kept meaning to email you to wish you a Happy New year and let you know that things are going fantastically well with Jessie. She is such a sweetheart and is the best au pair we have ever had – and being forever the optimist, I am already worrying about the next one not being as good!

With Kind Regards

Frederique

Anina, 21, tells her story

We’ve received some feedback from Anina, and would like to share it with you!

My stay as au-pair in the small family from Chelsea (2,5years)

The most helpful in the beginning was the familie’s warmth. Chelsea is adorable and not shy at all, her mother Rachel is easy-going and encouraged me to make myself confortable. I felt as a family member very soon.

While my first days I missed proper instruction concerning Chelsea’s daily rituals (rules, nap, teethbrushing, eatingtimes) and my household duties. Little by little I found out by questioning the mother, who was just to busy to give me a the information. I experienced also that I am just used to a stricter daily course than this family. I missed that through my hole stay.

The good thing about Rachel’s easy going attidute is that she hardly complains about me forgetting sthing or doing something wrong.

My working presence is very changeable. Rachel has a fulltimejob with changing shifts. Most days I get up between 8 and 9 a.m. If Chelsea is already awake we firstly eat breakfast together, afterwarts I give her a shower and and finally get myself ready. If she sleeps longer I get myself ready first.

Then I usually wash all the dishes of the last evenings tea while Chelsea plays something on her own in the livingroom. She loves also to stick around me in the kittchen asking questions like “Whats this and that” or “Is this yours? mine?”. She is most of the time a really good girl, well behaving. I love her especially when she says “I miss you” or “I love you”.

On Monday and Wednesday I bring her to the nursery for three hours. If the weather is good we play outside in the afternoon. If not, we are just doing some drawing or crafting activities. Beneath the general dishwashing I usually do one extra cleaning a day like vacuuming, wiping the kittchenfloor or cleaning the bathroom. I get also a lot of help from Chelsea’s eleven years old sister Gwen, who just lives with them during her school holidays. She is a good babysitter for her age. My job isn’t that hard.

I am not visiting a language school nor were I attempting any other freetime activity being with other people. That made me feel very lonely. I didn’t want to join a language course because I had have enough of school. I came with the intention to join something like a dancecourse. But I found it hard to get the knowledge where to go just by the internet. My family couldn’t help me much either. When I realised I could also contact the au-pair agency, my stay was nearly proceeded to the end (It shortened because of my studyplace in switzerland). But I was lucky I could have my boyfriend and my sister visiting me. Next time I would join a luanguage course just for the fellowships sake.

Now I am looking forward to get home soon. During this stay I have learned to appriciate my home much more. I know can better imagine what it means to be a mother in a country you not know naturally from your own childhood.

I will miss many happy moments and jackies cooking abilities.

*Due to privacy reasons we’ve changed the names of the children and the mother.