Family meeting time! Tom and Tyler are my two youngest. From my first marriage to Jeff, I also have two daughters. Both are already over 20. Then I met and fell in love with Peter. We had the twins Tom and Tyler, and I was already 42.

I'm noticing that I'm no longer the youngest. At 46, I sometimes simply run out of steam in everyday life. My job at the news agency keeps me quite busy. I work freelance, but I still have to deliver on time.

An au pair seems like the solution to us. But we want to talk it over with everyone. The grandparents should be at the table too. Peter would love an au pair from Australia. He really wants to travel to that continent with us someday. Combining the practical with the useful makes sense to him. That way the Australian au pair could tell us about the country and its people. She also speaks English, which the children could benefit from.

The fact that she's actually supposed to be learning German slips my dear husband's mind. Men, right: practical, straightforward and mostly good!

Au pair from Australia

Hiring an Au Pair from Australia Through an Agency

We'll definitely go through an agency and hope there's an au pair agency for Australia. We're pretty green here and still have a lot of research to do. After all, our au pair is coming from the other side of the world. Sending her home on short notice isn't an option and would cost a fortune. I already know there are differences depending on whether an au pair comes from an EU country or from elsewhere:

  • Length of stay
  • Regulations
  • Age

There's a lot to keep in mind. But I'm convinced it will be worth it for all of us and make things more relaxed. On vacation too. Our au pair will come along, and then we as a couple can also enjoy an evening at a nice little wine bar.

Married life is just different with kids. Lovely, but quite different. An au pair from Australia would be the solution. It's important to us, though, that most of the family agrees on a positive decision.

We've Found the Agency

We're sure we've found the right agency for us. We got a quick reply and have already made contact over Skype. The agency wants to know everything about us so it can find the right au pair for us. We're open-minded, and in the end it doesn't necessarily have to be a woman. We'll see how the family feels about that. On the other hand, it's ultimately our decision, too. The adventure can begin!