Au Pair stories- Janka
“Being an au pair is such a good school of life” 
Janka would like to share her experiences with you. She is from Slovakia and is in her second year as an au pair for the same family in, what she describes as, a very pretty suburb of Chicago.
About the family:
She cares for two children, a 12 year old boy and a 10 year old girl. She acts like a big sister to the kids. They are well behaved because they have good parents who are good role models for them. She says the family is the reason she extended her time abroad. She feels very comfortable in her family. They are great and get along very well. The parents are very easy to talk to and rather than quarell they all have conversations when something is wrong.
She describes her typical day of work:
“My typical day of work is that I wake up the kids at about 7am. I make breakfast for them. and I prepare a lunch for school Then we make sure that they have everything they will need for both school and for their activities that day. After they leave, I do some washing.
From 9am until 3pm I am free; in this time I go to a gym or to school, or Imeet my friends.
From 3pm I startto be busy with the kids. Depending on theiractivities I drivethem to and from the different places around our area. Around6pm I cook them dinner. I also make sure that they do theirhomework and practice their musical instruments. About 7 or 8pmI am done with my work.
Some days I work longer if the parentshave meetings at dinner time.However, my schedule is veryflexible and many times there are sudden changes. Iam very okwith that because I dont like the same daily routine.” [grammar edited]
About the study aspect of the program:
Janka loves to learn. She says education, whatever or whereever it is, is very important for everyone to have. In the U. S. especially, there is a variety of subjects you can study. She goes to a community college and studies English. She says they have many more interesting topics, but she wants to pass the TOEFL test next year, so she picked English. She also notes that going to school is a great way to meet new friends.
During free time:
During her free time Janka often goes to the gym. She has a lot of friends there and loves working out. She has always loved sports. She also sometimes goes to lunch or for coffee with other au pairs that have become her friends, or friends from school.She enjoys school and studies English in her free time as well. She also likes to go to a bookstore and browse the magazines.
About her home:
She thinks that the bedroom is very important for the au pair because it is where he or she will stay for their entire stay. She says it is important to have a private place that is seperate from other members of the family. It is nice to have a quiet place to relax and have a good night's sleep. Her bedroom has a TV and a radio and all thttp://www.coolagent.eu/mtform/img/_mtedit/cancel.gif
zavříthe other basics that she would need so she does not miss anything from home.
Her Advise:
Her advise is to make sure that you and your family respect each other. It is the best way to ensure you will have a wonderful time in the US.
She also says it is very important for au pairs to be social. When you are in a different counry alone you really appreciate the value of friendship. Friends are an important part of your life. The sad part is that many of the friends you will make as an au pair will leave soon.
