what google won't tell you

what does it mean to be an au pair?
well if you google au pair it'll tell you this:

An au pair (plural: aux pairs) is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, aux pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance for personal use.

it won't tell you that it involves moving to a foreign country to be a slave. i mean nanny.

it won't tell you that you'll have to be the maid/chef/nanny/proofreader/garden worker/refurbisher/the list can go on and on. (2/5 of those aren't expected from yours truly. (yet) just examples of what i've heard.)

it won't tell you how difficult it is to expect to be "part of the family" but not being treated as such or figuring out how to do that either. (well unless you actually marry into the family you won't ever really be part of the family and that'd just be extremely weird and moving on..)

it won't tell you the awkward situations you're put in of trying to define the line of this is a job versus this is more than a job/there's more emotion with this. example: telling your boss something is wrong in a normal work setting, problem usually gets fixed and if it doesn't then you move on with your life. au pair setting: tell your boss something is wrong and if it doesn't get fixed then you have this awkward tension because you still live with them and eat with them and see them in the morning in your pajamas with leftover drool on your face. (although i don't drool and would never be seen with drool on my face.) same goes for quitting. quit a normal job and they say ok good luck with life. quit an au pair job and it's more than just a job it's "what about the kids?" and "how could you do this to us?" and things like that.

it won't tell you that you have to deal with the kids when they want to be little brats but as soon as the parents come home they're angels and then when you tell the parents about the bad stuff they did then you become the bad guy. 

rule of thumb: somehow it's always the au pairs fault. doesn't matter what it is. whether it's the washing machine breaking, the boy breaking the piano, there being dust under the bed, it's the au pairs fault. they might not come right out and say it but you can always kinda sense that they think you had something to do with it.

it won't tell you that you count down the hours to freedom from the children and you're given the ok to go do whatever but then once you get that ok to go do whatever you're a little lost on what to do...but i'm not complaining about being free.

however being an au pair has taught me one very important thing.

i'm never going to have kids.

the above isn't completely all about me and my situation however i won't tell what is and isn't.