Look for these when becoming an au pair in Paris

It’s the time of year when families post job positions for au pairs in Paris. School starts up in just a couple weeks so there may still be some people out there looking for an au pair.

I moved to Paris 4 years ago to be an au pair and worked for the greatest family for 2 wonderful years. After that, I continued to work as a nanny and have found that it is really important for young women/men to know what they are getting into, and what to watch out for when becoming an au pair. Moving to France to be a nanny is a big decision, even if it is just for a year. If you are moving to Paris, this post is also very important because there is also a special dynamic here in the au pair world. There are many things to look out for when searching for the right family, but some are more crucial than others. Here they are:

Timing

If you are seeing job postings for an au pair after the month of July, it’s likely that this family is late to the game. Most families begin looking for their au pairs in May or June as the school year comes to a finish. This is also the time that a family might ask their current au pair her future plans, and if she’d like to commit to them next year. If you are seeing a job posting in late August, it is probably pretty certain that this family has run into a problem and needs someone fast. School in Paris starts the first week of September, so if you are seeing posts in August, something is up. 

My advice

Dig deeper and find out why the family needs an au pair. It’s possible their previous nanny’s visa didn’t go through. It could also be that their previous nanny up and quit on them. The only way to know is to ask, and trust me it’s important to ask on this one. Imagine if they’ve been looking for a nanny since May and are still looking? There is probably a reason and you don’t need to find out the hard way yourself. 

Hours

Most families will post how many hours they expect of you in their job posting. If they don’t – ask! Full time hours in France are 35 hours per week. You should never take a position with this many hours as an au pair. An au pair is meant to be an aid in child care, like an after school babysitter and friend. Expect an average of 15-22 hours weekly. Keep in mind that you are required to go to French classes during the week. Taking on too much will drastically change your experience. Most families ask that you babysit occasionally during the weekends or later evenings during the week. They might not include these babysitting hours into your normal hours so you need to be aware and ask questions. 

My advice:

Don’t take any au pair position that is more than 25 hours per week – this includes babysitting! If your family wants you to babysit on top of 25 hours per week, you should ask for paid babysitting. The family I worked for paid 10€/hour for any additional babysitting, even if I was just staying a few hours later than normal. Think about it: they would pay this to another babysitter if you weren’t available. You’d be better off financially going to babysit for other families! If the family won’t pay extra for babysittings, then make it clear in the contract how many hours you are willing to babysit for them per week (and don’t agree to more for free).

*Vacation time:

Part of the deal is that you’ll get paid time off as well – determined by the family, and usually only when they kids go away to grandma’s or the family takes a trip. You may be asked to come along on family vacation in which case that is your choice. You’ll still have some duties but significantly less work since the parents won’t be working. Be aware that there are a lot of school breaks and you may be expected to work full-time when the kids are out of school. Negotiate with the family extra pay in this case, or demand more paid leave in exchange for the heavy work weeks.

Pay (pocket money)

The sad truth is that au pair work is greatly underpaid in Paris. It is an expensive city compared to almost any other place you could be a nanny in. The “legal” pay is shameful (France really should raise it) but shockingly enough, there are families that still try to get away with paying under the legal amount! It is very hard to locate this number, and in some ways it doesn’t even matter. I’ve heard families argue that its 67.75€ per week (NO WAY) and other times that its 75€ or even 80€ per week. In my opinion, anything under 100€ per week is TOO LOW and should be the legal base amount in Paris.

Think about it – 100€ per week is only 400€ per month. To. Live. In. PARIS. Sure you’ll have expenses paid (see next) but trust me, you’ll still be living on a tight budget regardless. If your au pair job is 25 hours per week, that’s only 4€ per hour. Yes, you have a place to live but you know that you could literally go work at Mcdonalds for more money. You want to come live in Paris and you should! But trust me, 400€ per month is the lowest income sacrifice you should make for this kind of opportunity.

My advice:

Do not take any au pair job that pays less than 100€ per week, no matter how nice the family seems or what any other girl making less than that tells you. There are plenty of families offering more and if you are really a great fit, some will negotiate. It’s really not that much money for them, and neither you, so don’t take less.

Expenses

Families are required to provide you with housing (either live-in or live-out), meals, and transportation. They should also pay for your mobile phone as well. Let me get into each one individually.

My advice:

Your pay is very low because families are counting for expenses so make sure you have them all paid for before your pocket money earnings. You shouldn’t be required to pay for these basic necessities with your low income. Don’t forget that you are also required to go to French lessons, and they are not cheap. Which leads me into one more expense that never seems to be accounted for.

*School

This is your requirement for the visa, so families like to brush it off onto you as your responsibility. Here’s the blunt reality – it is not cheap. The average au pair French courses run over 1000€ for 3 trimesters! At the very least, you are required to enrol for a full year and show proof to get your visa. This is a huge expense compared to your wages as an au pair. Either save and plan to spend this as your visa process, or negotiate with the family to help. The family I worked for paid for my first trimester and registration fees to get me there. God bless.

References

To avoid having a terrible experience, it’s good to really know who this family is. Working with a family is a two way street and requires references on both sides, so you should look into their au pair history.

Beware of families that speak negatively about their last au pairs. Families that are still in touch with their previous au pairs are a good start, but shouldn’t be taken at face value. Your best bet is to find out all that you need to know from the previous au pairs. I had a horrible experience with a family in my 3rd year of nannying, and I still worry for the girl who went into that situation after me. They didn’t give her my information and therefore she didn’t contact me. If she had, she’d have discovered that they were paying her less than me and wanting more hours from her. I would have told her to RUN.

If you are talking with a family that hasn’t had an au pair before: you have the chance to set the terms. You should feel comfortable making things clear and asking for what you want. It should be noted that it can be uncharted waters for everyone since none of you know how things are supposed to go.

My advice

If you are a first time au pair, look for families with experience in having au pairs. Ask about their experiences and if you can talk with the girl that previously worked for them. They should give you her contact info if they are still in touch. I did this with the girl that worked before me, even asked her to send pics of the apartment that would soon be my home. I was happy to talk to with the next girl after me and tell her how lucky she was to find them. If you get negative feedback, weigh it very heavily, or walk away all together. This is a huge red flag and though may be different with you, do you really want to risk it? 

Let’s do it right, for everyone

Coming to another country to take care of kids can be a great way to live abroad for a year and also be really fun. It is a major decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly. I’ve been through ups and downs as a “seasoned” au pair in Paris. I don’t want you to end up in some of the nasty situations that I (or many other girls I’ve met) have ended up in. 

What I’ve learned in all these years is that the au pair program and culture in Paris needs reformation. Part of the problem is ignorance, which is why I’m glad you are here, educating yourself on what to watch out for. Taking these things seriously while taking your time will do everyone some good. It is partially up to us to get the jobs we want at the pay we want.

If you want to know more about what it’s really like to be an au pair in Paris, check out my other post here. I share the highs and lows that I personally went through, and some tips on making the experience a great one. My first 2 years as an au pair were life changing in the best way and I hope that you have one too. 

If you have any questions or want advice on becoming an au pair, leave a comment or send me an email! 

Xo Tamara ♡