If you genuinely have a love for children and wish to make a sea change in your life, au pairing in Australia is a great place to start. The location for starter – tops! Home to 10,000 beaches, reputation for being hard working yet laid back at the same time, and producer of superstar all round good guy Hugh Jackman. Perhaps the question should be why wouldn’t you au pair in Australia?
Is it for you?
Now of course this job is not for everyone. It’s not just looking after the kids when mum and dad are out, that’s just a glorified baby sitter. Au pairing is more encompassing as a job, and a lifestyle and it takes a certain kind of person to take the job on. You have to be prepared for change, work to guidelines, get along with everyone, multitask, be reliable as well as fun.
What does it entail?
Obviously the amount of hours one would be required to ‘work’ will vary on your host family, how many kids they have, how old they are, and what extra duties you’d be expected to perform. A lot of the time this will include school drop off and pick up, so best to get a drivers license under your belt. Maybe some housework, preparing kids meals, and perhaps even a little tutoring, so get your thinking caps on. But you will also get free time, this again, varies on your family, but some live in nannies can also find a secondary job along side their home duties if they wish.
Do I get paid?
So, you do all this, and what do you get? Well, quite a lot actually. Food and board are the main things that go hand in hand with au pairing jobs because if you’re not ‘in house’, you ain’t ‘a live in’. Plus you do also get a wage. When you take into consideration how and where you live and the fact you do actually like spending time with children, this kind of job works out rather well.
A lot of au pairs in Australia are travelers and often continue the adventure when a contract with a host family is finished, then start up again when they would like some solid ground to sleep on, and plant a foot in a nice family somewhere to build some relationships and get to know some great kids.
Be Safe
It’s important when applying for jobs online to be sensible and make sure you use common sense during the application process. Take a look at our guide to staying safe online for some helpful suggestions. Ultimately, don’t share any personal information. Make sure you speak to host families or potential employers on the phone before meeting up.
Au pairs, long term and temporary, male and female, are needed all over Australia, from the inner city to the outback. So just let your mouse to the scrolling to find a family that you think would be a good fit. You have to live with these people after all!
