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Description
Availability: Looking for people for early 2025
(see our reviews for other workaways views on how our holidays feel)
Being a single dad, running my own business can be hard, school runs, feeding kids, cleaning up after many dogs.
I am mainly looking for people to come and chill and chat and help with domestic stuff, cleaning dishes, entertaining the kids and general house tasks. also where possible to help trim hedges, weeds etc
We prefer to accommodate female workawayers for the holidays as its more activity based for my daughter as my son does his own things most of the time.
The good stuff:
We are Harry, Quentin (15) and Temperance (13) and several dogs , and our random friendly doggies at the dog hotel.
If you are fun, open, and friendly to be around and love to spend time with kids and dogs in a chilled-out crazy house, and have a great sense of humor then please read on.
We can only consider single/double travelers at this time so long as your okay sharing a double bed
The daytime is your own time and the days off are flexible . The evenings are mainly making sure my daughter has completed her homework (my son is away at school during the weekdays then onto activities. Most weekdays the time is only 2 or 3 hours long, I prefer days off to be taken during the week so that you are free on the weekends
During the summer holidays/school holidays the hours are during the day, generally afternoon and evening so the morning is yours to do as you want 3 hours afternoon 2 hours evening). Activity-based, with my teens.
FYI: Theme park days are an all-day thing and are more of a fun day out as a family so are seen as one of your days off (we pay for all tickets, passes, food) During school holidays we try to keep days off to the weekends but we can be flexible if your here for a longer period and want to go places during the week sometime. (theme parks are a summer holiday thing when I can manage to get away)
School holidays the days off are flexible and again for long stay visitors if you want to take a couple of weeks days off in one go thats acceptable. We try to be very flexible with the days off.
(Optional tasks if you have some DIY skills) We are also looking for people to help me put up shelving, build a chicken house and fence ready for some battery farm hens we are going to be rescuing once we have done the tasks, plus we have other building tasks going on all the time, walls, fencing, Decorating, etc.
We are primarily a host family. If you are not looking to socialize for a few hours a day we are not the place for you so please be sure you are happy to socialize before agreeing to visit. While 75% of our language in the house is spoken in French with thew kids they are both fluent in both English and French. I have a very good understanding of verbal French but still, today struggle to actually speak French. We can offer to mainly converse in French with the kids and we can help you learn both French or English (or both). We cannot offer FULL English or French immersion as we are a bilingual family but we can work to converse mainly in one language most of the time (apart from me I only speak a little French)
Good French would be beneficial (BUT not a requirement) for helping with homework and also for visiting places as many places you might visit on your days off may not speak anything but French. While we will take people who speak no French, we would prefer people with some French as French is the natural language for my children and nearly all their friends speak little or no English. (90% of our house guests have not had more than basic or no French and have managed very well)
Our preferred period for visits is 1 month but we will look at 2 weeks for the right Workaway, as we feel you cannot get to know people properly until you have spent a few days in their company and we feel it is a very good starting point. We do a trial for a few days at the start to make sure all is okay on both sides though.
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English speaking is essential but your actual level is not an issue so long as you can communicate.
You can be either Fluent in French and Basic/intermediate English, or English (intermediate and upwards) with any level of French so long as you can speak some English. There will be plenty of opportunities to practice your French and English if you want to as well. We would discuss this on our video call.
MEALS / FOOD:
We cater to all main meals only on your helping days. We can cater to vegetarians, but we cannot cater to extremely fussy eaters but we are always happy to discuss this. We ask all meals be taken with the family where we are eating together or with the kids (sometimes I do not always eat in the evenings) If you can cook even better as we can share the task of cooking
Breakfast: Cereals or toast/ croissant with butter, jam (when we have them)/ marmalade or chocolate spread/powder
Lunch: We eat our main course hot meal as the kids have a 3 /4-course lunch at school
Dinner: Normally a lighter meal on school nights but there is always food available to cook.
Any questions regarding anything else please do discuss them before booking.
Our house is 100% a smoke-free environment but you can smoke outside including vape / ecigs
We have lots of dogs (it is a dog hotel after all). The dogs do all live in our house so being very comfortable around gentle dogs is a must. You are welcome to cuddle them and spend time with them and give out free belly rubs.
if you have any questions please do reach out and we will give you our whats-app / Facebook messenger details for a video chat
Warmest Regards.
Harry, Temperance, Quentin and (Dogs)
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This next part is essential so please do read this as it's important. Sorry if it's repetitive.
.
* We can only accommodate solo/double travelers.
* We CANNOT help get you a work visa, but we are happy to accept travels with work visas in place.
* 100% we will need a copy of your ID/passport
* We require to see booked tickets before we accept any bookings.
* A sense of humor is 100% a must in our home if you are easily offended we are not the place for you.
* Please be aware we are a regular house and have our quirks like any family (we are also a huggy family)
* We have lots of dogs so an allergy to dust or dog hair must be considered.
* We 100% video chat with Workaways before we offer a space in our home.
* The minimum period is 2 weeks. (we prefer 4)
* For me Punctuality and communication are key when it comes to being ready, setting up video chats, some tasks that have time frames, IE kids shower, food times, etc and while we are very relaxed I see this as a key thing we look for within a Workaway when we need it.Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You can learn some French, I can teach you about dogs if you want and how to handle many dogs from many different families in one space. (it is not easy if you do not understand dogs)
We do ask that if you are looking to come to stay with our family that you are able to socialize with us. Helping and eating and spending the rest of the time in the bedroom upstairs is not what we are about and honestly, we want this to be a cultural exchange and for it not to feel like all people do is work and nothing else.
They can learn French and/or English with my children and can experience life in the area we live and get to see the sights and Pic du midi (if they are interested), learn about life in France and share experiences with us, can also talk about the business and how it runs and I am open to most discussions.
If there is anything, in particular, you would like to ask me please do, I am very open minded and no matter what your orientation we are happy to chat.Au Pair Help
Further details can be found here
Help
Like living in your own family home, general help around the house, dishes, cleaning, helping with food if you can cook, any other little tasks we have going.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Spanish: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
English and French and my Son (plus my daughter) would welcome Spanish speakers.Accommodation
Bedroom with a double bed and other furnishings. You have your own shower room with a toilet but others do use the toilet (mainly at night). The shower is just for you. it is not connected to your room.
What else ...
there are lots of places to go and visit, bus / train car rides away. Toulouse, Lourdes, The mountains and many other places.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can possibly accept pets
Pets are limited to dogs only and provided they are gentle and able to mix in a pack. (no intact males)
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (18)
She was always doing something, forever washing our dishes and helping clean up, playing ghames keeping the kids active, going out for walks and always in good spirits.
It was a pleasure to have her aaround… read more
The kids are… read more
She arrived sick after discovering on route she was allergic to SHRIMP!!!
Even being ill and having to get medication to sort it out she still wanted to get on with doing things.
Yesterday we went to the water park (the third workaway we have taken) and she was so helpful with doing things… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
She was always doing something, forever washing our dishes and helping clean up, playing ghames keeping the kids active, going out for walks and always in good spirits.
It was a pleasure to have her aaround… read more
The kids are… read more
She arrived sick after discovering on route she was allergic to SHRIMP!!!
Even being ill and having to get medication to sort it out she still wanted to get on with doing things.
Yesterday we went to the water park (the third workaway we have taken) and she was so helpful with doing things… read more
Abi signed up to workaway just as I went to pause my profile and dropped me a message and I have to say right from her profile I knew she would fit in within our crazy house. Especially as she signed up just to send us a message.
From the… read more
She fitted right in and even with the dogs who she was not sued to so many (mainly laughing allot) she sat down and got greeted and played with them all.
With my kids, she was brilliant, always up for a challenge (and it was a challenge as she has never played a console) but sat there getting owned by 2 small kids (BTW I do… read more
Julia did her best to settle in here, unfortunately before she even arrived she was homesick as she had already been travelling she had arrived here as this was her first time even… read more
She was active in tidying the house on a… read more
She is a type 1 diabetic and it has not stopped her doing anything at all.
Spending so much time with the kids, helping me move 3 bedrooms round and many other jobs around the house.
We had another workaway arrive on cross over and the 2 of them made short work on a room at the back of the house that had become a bit… read more
Benedicte is a wonderful mother and host and I was impressed by her ability to motivate herself through singing (which she loves)… read more
Temperance and Quentin are wonderful kids, with a lot of energy, and they always want to play and have fun! We use to playing with… read more
Dayanne contacted us after we were let down and she was a breath of fresh air, worked supper hard, loved to cook and have fun.
Cam with us on her last day to the water park for the… read more
I am glad I decided to contact her and sort out time for her to come to us.
She was very nervous to start as we had not had much time to get to know each other with it being so last… read more
She is always busy looking for things to do around the house or with the kids, loves cooking as well.
We have had some really long deep conversations and many just funny chats, she is highly intelligent and while she thinks her English is not great at times I think her grasp and sentence construction is great.… read more
She may be only 19 but acts much older in her behaviour. She has a very good grasp of English and is always available to talk and laugh with.
We have a very crazy house at time and she has had no problem in fitting… read more
She is like a little sister to me and best of friends with my wife and children.
Calm, patient and understanding. She is a very hard worker, putting everything into every task she has been given, never complaining about any job or task, great with my children getting them ready and doing the showers, washing the hair… read more
She has been great with all our dogs and I think she will be missed by quite a few of them.
She has been… read more
I… read more
What an incredibly nice and caring family they are! We could not have felt more welcome.
Also the loving four-legged members of the family, Ella and Tilly must be mentioned!
In our time there we worked on the property with firewood (also making a huge fire in the… read more
So hard working every day, often having to ask them to stop as the were going over the 5 hours required and working super hard already.
Super easy to talk with and they love the dogs so much and they would love to do more but the laws here in France restrict that.
My kids love… read more
I enjoyed it much of the fact that I was missing my own family due to my time abroad, and everything here felt like I was involved in the family. Harry, Bene, Tempi and Quentin, all of them (also the dogs) are very generous and kind; since this was my first time doing something like this at first I was a bit shy and… read more
Kids have enjoyed playing games and making pizzas, doing a little greenhouse garden and crystals.
She has spent lots of time cuddling dogs and often took our own dogs to bed with her.
She has helped loads with the land clearing and also with removing a large amount of outdoor tiles and… read more
We enjoyed hosting her for a short period.
The kids loved her and she was a great help with them and spending more than enough time with them.
She came to Aqua Bearn with me and the kids to help out as kids never want to go together and it gave me time to sit and relax also.
She liked taking my own dogs to sleep in her… read more
They are an amazing family who make you feel so welcome, you think you're part of the family. Harry is a proper wind-up merchant and always… read more
My kids cried when she left.
she was great with the dogs and the kids and good conversation too.
I am not great at writing reviews but just to say we would definitely have her to stay again.
I was made to feel a part of the family and actually felt really spoilt. I loved spending time with all the dogs and hanging out with Tempe and Quentin was good fun. It was so nice getting so many kisses… read more
It has been amazing having her here, kids and dogs have loved her (even though kids are loonies and don't listen. So have we.
She is hard working, excellent conversation and full of good knowledge and she loves to work. If we could keep her we would but alas shes off to italy now and has even stayed a couple of extra weeks for… read more
I'm going back again and this time for two months. Do I have to say more about how great they… read more
Matilda, where to start...............
OKAY Matilda is AMaZING!!!! She has left a big big hole when she left after coming to us to fill a last minute cancellation / no show.
She was brilliant not only with my children (who are a handful) she was brilliant with the dogs as well,… read more
Absolutly brilliant with the dogs, walking, playing or just sitting having cuddles.
Great with our children who are a handful at times.
Very tidy and punctual for work and my wife had some good conversations with her.
Our door is always open for you to return.
So Caitlin arrived and imediatly everything was good. Hard working, polite, wanted to work more and more but we kept it within to a few hours a day and Saturdays to look after my 2 monsters, erm children (which… read more