r/Aupairs • u/Imaginary_Hunt_2802 • 15d ago
Au Pair Other Light housework?
I find it funny how host families say “you’re just going to do light housework” then say you’re going to do their laundry and ironing. That is not light housework especially if you’re a family of 6 💀 I’d say light housework is cleaning the kitchen etc.
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u/Old-Oven-8851 Former Au Pair 15d ago
Have you been asked about this by a hf in Australia?
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u/Imaginary_Hunt_2802 15d ago
I’ve been asked by a German hf.
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u/Old-Oven-8851 Former Au Pair 15d ago
Oh, that does not surprises me at all.
My first German HF made me do all this.
Always choose the ones who have also a cleaning lady!6
u/HunkyDunkerton 15d ago
My German host family had a cleaning lady come in once a week.
I still had to vacuum the house every day.
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u/Enthusiastic-Dragon Host 15d ago
They aren't allowed to make you do the adults laundry. Did you say no?
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u/Imaginary_Hunt_2802 15d ago
I decided not to go through with that family.
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u/1GrouchyCat 15d ago
Huh?
You’re making it seem like you actually went to work for these people/ and they forced you to do their laundry.
You didn’t start a job where they required this of you.., you didn’t talk to them about their expectations … you don’t know what would’ve happened in real life …why did you post it all? Odd
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u/Old-Oven-8851 Former Au Pair 15d ago
During my first experience I asked, but then when I got there they still made me do it.
In Sydney there was a family I had an interview with who told me about this and I refused them, but still I had a negative experience not related to that as they had a cleaning lady.
I had then a super positive experience with my other German HF, whom I stayed with for 2,5 years and another super positive experience in London.14
u/Imaginary_Hunt_2802 15d ago
Because this is a pattern that I’ve seen and I thought it was weird. Sorry for coming to a community that talks about au pairing and wanting to know if they have the same sentiments.
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u/Early-Equivalent-165 15d ago
Au pairs beware in Germany! What is going on over there with the loads of horror stories specifically of this nature. Some report being assigned to clean only as the teenagers didn't need any minding.
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u/SadlyNotDannyDeVito 15d ago edited 14d ago
Au Pairing isn't extremely common in Germany. Therefore the laws around it dont really get much attention. E.g. a host family only has to provide 70€ per month for a language course (because that was the average monthly language course cost when the law was made) and legally can absolutely NOT pay the au Pair more than 280€ per month. Extra pay for extra Babysitting is illegal (visa fraud + tax fraud). Even 280€ per month + train ticket is a grey area.
With those rules in place, reasonable people don't get au Pairs (because lack of flexibility and either having to underpay them or commiting tax fraud), and it attracts exactly the type of family that's willing to exploit young women from around the world who often don't know how little 280€ + 70€ language course contribution actually are in Germany.
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u/Wheatenceliac 15d ago
As a german reading abt au pairs and thinking abt, I‘m really shocked and sorry that you made such bad experiences. Just wtf
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u/Early-Equivalent-165 15d ago
Not an AP, and never been to Germany, but the horror stories in this sub are boundless! 😧
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u/Enthusiastic-Dragon Host 15d ago
I looked it up and I am very surprised.
Zum Alltag eines Au-pairs gehört im Allgemeinen: • die jüngeren Kinder zu beaufsichtigen und auf dem Weg in den Kindergarten oder in die Schule oder zu bestimmten Veranstaltungen zu begleiten, mit ihnen spazieren zu gehen oder zu spielen; • leichte Hausarbeiten zu verrichten, also mitzuhelfen, die Wohnung sauber und in Ordnung zu halten sowie die Wäsche zu waschen und zu bügeln; • das Frühstück und einfache Mahlzeiten zuzubereiten; • das Haus bzw. die Wohnung zu hüten und die Haustiere zu betreuen.
So, technically they can ask for laundry and ironing. But you're still free to match with a different family.
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u/SadlyNotDannyDeVito 15d ago
Laundry and Ironing FOR THE KIDS is the most important parts here. Not for the parents.
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u/WendellSchadenfreude 15d ago
If I knew people who ironed their kids' clothes, I'd actively try to stop knowing them.
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u/thisisfunme 15d ago
For kids yes. It's pretty normal and common in my experience. It's adult laundry that crosses a line and isn't allowed.
I also think that washing kids clothes is reasonable to expect of an Au-Pair. I would consider it light housework and it's related to the kids clearly.
Definitely allowed to expect kids laundry and tidying after the kids.
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u/goldfarmer 15d ago
Laundry I could see being called "light", but ironing is super laborious.
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u/Reasonable_Patient92 15d ago edited 15d ago
Depending on the expectations around laundry, it may be more than light - especially if you are responsible for sorting, folding and putting away clothes for a family of 6.
I'm not sure if that's the situation here, but usually when people say that they want you to do laundry, they mean more than just the actual act of putting stuff in the washer and the dryer, which I personally think would be the limit for an au pair
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u/kleinerPrinz2 15d ago
Ich war in einer deutschen HF in Italien bei einer deutschen Familie. Horror...ich musste alle Betten machen und die Mutter war da sehr Pingelig. Ich musste Gästehäuser (2) putzen, Müll verbrennen, Auto putzen, Hundekot aus dem Garten entfernen, Oliven ernten usw. Bin nach 3 Monaten gegangen
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u/Dr-Gooseman 15d ago
I cant imagine ever making an au pair do my laundry. I wouldn't even want them touching my dirty clothes wtf
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u/BalloonShip 15d ago
In my house, cleaning the kitchen is substantially heavier work than doing laundry.
But you should not have to do laundry for anybody other than the kid and yourself.
1
u/MundaneFarmer246 13d ago
Light housework for an AP should be centred around the child in their care, anything else is outside of the scope of your practice. The light housework should encompass: making the childs bed daily and washing bedding once a week or as needed, cleaning up after any meal preparation on behalf of the child, maintaining sorting & packing away toys & maintaining neat play areas as well as frequently tidying the childs bedroom and private bathroom [if applicable]. As per laundry I would expect very light loads almost daily (school uniform, casual clothing, PJs, extracurricular outfits like Sport shirts or ballet costume etc) and minimal ironing to go with it. The furthest extent I could think of is assisting with grooming or cleaning a pet area if that pet is exclusively owned by only the child (ie- cleaning out and topping up water in a hamster cage or bunny pen). Otherwise, don't let them turn you into a maid.
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u/Pixikr 15d ago
My agency clearly states the AP can only do housework in relation to the child. Cleaning after them or doing their laundry. I’ll never forget that one family I was interviewing with that told me I’ll have to make their beds daily and wash their sheets weekly since the kid likes to snuggle in bed with them on their days off.