One of the great benefits of having an au pair is that they can assist with child-related chores. And as members of your family, au pairs are expected to contribute when additional help is needed. However, the program guidelines set clear boundaries on what is appropriate in terms of household responsibilities.
What au pairs can do
Au pairs can help with household chores as they relate to the needs of your children. According to Cultural Care’s policy, these include:
Doing the children’s laundry
Helping to tidy their rooms
Preparing their meals
These tasks are considered reasonable as long as they are performed within the 45-hour workweek and 10-hour a day limits. Additionally, au pairs are expected to clean up after themselves, which includes tidying their own room, cleaning their bathroom (if applicable), putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and keeping the car clean (if they have access to one).
What au pairs can’t do
Au pairs should not be asked to do anything you wouldn't expect your own teenage daughter or son to do on a regular basis, or tasks that would be normally be performed by outsourced cleaning professionals or a handyman. These include:
Cleaning the entire house
Preparing meals for the whole family
Doing laundry for the whole family
Cleaning out the basement/garage
Doing yard work
Feeding and walking the pets
While an au pair might occasionally offer or choose to help with these tasks, it's not appropriate to require them to do so. Offering extra money for these tasks is also not acceptable, regardless of their willingness.
The "extra household help" you can expect
You can also expect your au pair to contribute to the household in ways that another member of the family would. If certain activities related to home upkeep involve participation from everyone in the family, the au pair can be included as well. Occasionally, or when asked, your au pair might help out by:
Loading and emptying the dishwasher
Wiping down kitchen counters
Taking out the trash
Vacuuming common areas
Grocery shopping
Helping to fold laundry
Again, your au pair should not be expected to fulfill these duties regularly; rather, these are common tasks that should be shared by all adults living in the household.
Tips and reminders
Regardless of what household help you expect from your au pair, it's helpful to consider the following:
If you are a particularly neat (or messy) family, be sure to share this with potential au pairs during the matching process. It's not ideal for au pairs to live in a household that requires habits very different than their own.
Write down what household help you expect from your au pair each week. Don't assume they will know what to do.
Take the time to walk through these tasks together so that your au pair understands what the task is, how you prefer that it be completed, and how to use the appliances that may be required for completion.
Weigh the importance of your au pair completing household chores versus spending quality time with your kids. It's hard to do both at the same time!