What you love as a student you hate it as an au pair, the school holidays. The weeks before I had been happy that my children are still so young and do not even go to school when all the other au pairs told me that they have to work all day five days a week fulltime during the school holidays. But then I found out that preschools also have holidays. For me this meant that I only had to look after the 5 year old for two weeks. Fortunately he is a bit less complicated than the smaller one. Because he only cries very rarely and is also very calm. Nevertheless, it can be very exhausting if you have to work almost 10 hours with children for five days a week.

A rainy first day & tears in the cinema

Unfortunately, the weather was not so good on the first day. So I stayed at home with him in the morning and went to the playground in the afternoon. On Tuesday of the first holiday week I wanted to go to the cinema with him, but when I wanted to buy the tickets for the film he started to cry, because the film was probably too scary for him. Then I didn’t buy any tickets and we went to the playground.

A day on a special playground

On Wednesday I went to Darling Harbour with him to the playground. He loves this playground, but we can’t go there very often because it’s in the city and very big. So if I were there with two children I would lose the overview very quickly and that is too risky for me. It also takes almost an hour by train until we finally get there

On Friday I worked quite normally, because the three-year-old was also at home. When both children are at home I go to the Playgroup with them in the morning, which is like a kindergarten, but the parents or au pairs stay with them. In the afternoon we usually go to the playground.

Week two

In the second week I tried again to go to the cinema with him. This time he was totally excited because he could watch his favourite movie Paw Patrol. For the movie I bought him popcorn and apple juice at the supermarket.

On Wednesday the second week I only had to work in the morning and afternoon. My host mother had organized a babysitter so that I could have some time for myself.

I like to spend my time with the children and I really like them, but if I spend more than 30 hours a week with them I am happy to have time for myself in the evening.

Now the holidays are over again and I can work as usual.