the average Aupair's year will meet or exceed his/her expectations, it is likely that most will also experience some difficulties. Minor disagreements about scheduling, telephone use, car use, social life and methods of childcare are common and do not usually cause a match to break up. Many Aupairs experience homesickness and culture shock and are able to get through these periods without leaving the U.S. prematurely. Most Aupairs are able to resolve any problems that they have communicating well with their Host Family and with their Local Coordinator.

One of the most important roles of the International Co-operator is to make sure that each Au Pair who is interviewed has a realistic idea of what his/her year will be like. Similarly, the Local Coordinator sets realistic expectations with the Host Family at the time of their interview. In this way, Aupair USA can be sure that both the Aupair and the Host Family have the same understanding of the program and that expectations are compatible with one another. The Aupair should have good understanding of:

·        The number of hours she will be working,

·        Her childcare duties (playing, supervising, driving to activities, feeding, etc.),

·        The energy, creativity and patience needed to take care of children,

·        His/her household duties (children's laundry, helping around the house like other family members)

·        The stresses of living in a different country, homesickness and culture shock

·        The stresses of living in a different family, having compatible personalities, respecting and giving privacy, being responsible and caring for the Host Family's property

·        The importance of self-reliance and independence; being able to make decisions, stick to a budget and plan his/her time effectively.

Homesickness and Culture Shock

Culture shock can be defined as the reaction that a person has when introduced into an environment in which the tasks of every day life are very different than their home environment. Almost every Aupair will suffer from culture shock during part of his/her year in the United States and this is an important topic for discussion during the interview. The Aupair's ability to successfully move through the feelings of loneliness, self-consciousness and anxiety and find a level of comfort while living in the United States are important to making the Au Pair's experience enjoyable and memorable.

Culture shock can occur at any time during the year. Most symptoms of culture shock occur within the first three months. Holidays such as Christmas and Easter and the Aupair's birthday, are common times to experience homesickness, especially if they fall within the first half of the Aupair's year.

Symptoms of culture shock include, but are not limited to:

·        Reactions that are out of proportion to an event, including sadness or anger

·        Feelings of loneliness, missing friends and family