Host Family and Au Pair Weekly Meeting Guidelines

The meeting should be held at a mutually agreeable time, when both the host parents and au pair
can attend.

Topics appropriate for the meeting include:

What your au pair/host family did the previous week that you liked or appreciated. Always start off the meeting being positive, everyone attending the meeting should have something positive to say. Ask your au pair if he/she is happy, are they feeling homesick, how classes are going, etc.
The weekly schedule and day-to-day childcare issues. Be sure you let your au pair know your schedule as far in advance as possible so that he/she can make plans for time off. If you know what weekend will be your au pair’s weekend off, tell them. Au pairs should also let host parents know, as far in advance as possible, of anytime that they would like off, such as for au pair outings. Discuss any upcoming birthdays, holidays, houseguests, and school activities. Set goals for what you want to accomplish for the children. Make a plan with your au pair of how to reach those goals. This is a good time for au pairs to share their thoughts and suggestions. Evaluate weekly.
Behavioral problems and how to handle them. Your au pair must be instructed in your philosophy of behavior management. Caring for the children needs to be a cooperative effort between the parents and the au pair. Suggest creative things to do with your children. This is the time for au pairs to express opinions too. If there are supplies you would like to have to do crafts and activities with the children, this is an opportunity to ask for them.
Health and safety issues. This is the time to mention anything bothering you about how your au pair is caring for your children and for him or herself. This is the time for au pairs to mention anything bothering them about the children and/or host parents. When you bring up a problem, talk about how the problem affects you. Avoid making accusations. It is also appropriate to ask car-related questions, such as has your au pair noticed any problems with the car, etc.
Some families use this time for demonstration. You could show your au pair how to change a flat tire, review what to do if you lose electricity, show how to react if there is a serious weather warning, have a practice fire drill, show how to call 911, review any allergy/medical information, review points in the au pair notebook, etc. Au pairs could teach the family some words/phrases in their own language, share something from their culture, ask if there is something they would like to know or learn more about, show host parents pictures they may have taken, show the scrapbook they are making, etc.

Weekly meeting are also an appropriate time to pay your au pair his/her stipend and to give the schedule for the coming week. These meetings should not be dreaded by host parents or au pairs, the meetings are to help make this the best possible year for all of you. For many working parents, the weekly meeting is the only time they have to talk with their au pair. Meetings can be kept casual to help ease conversation. An hour should be enough time to cover any topics.

Your meetings will not be effective if your au pair feels that you are only issuing orders. Meetings are also non-productive when the host family feels the au pair is taking advantage of them. The weekly meeting is a time to get problems resolved before they become unresolvable!

Regular meetings are an investment, a kind of insurance policy. The meetings should contribute to the continued communication and flexibility needed to make the au pair/host family relationship work.