France
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====== SORRY NO COUPLES ANYMORE ======
We had a few negative experiences with couples who ended up spending their time together instead of with the kids and using our place like a free hotel prior to obtaining their permanent place, and hence not committed to the mission we need a workaway for: help our kids enjoy international homeschooling while having fun with people coming from all around the world to spend time with them. Our kids will give you true, innocent and beautiful love and have been hurt and felt used by some workawayers who did not show the same respect towards them in many different ways.
Workawayers coming for a short period of time and then leaving is fun for the kids but also a source of sadness each time they leave. The balance is still positive though as long as the moments shared are true and respectful to the kids (we adults can understand all situations but not our kids). If you do not genuinely like children and do not feel able and comfortable showing them respect (kids are people not puppets or animals you can just turn your back on when it suits you), then please tell us so from the beginning and we can think about it, and either not invite you or if we do, adjust your mission and explain the kids so they don’t get attached to you by raising false expectations.
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We are a married couple with 2 kids. Our kids are born in 2012 and 2014 and speak french, spanish, english and german. To keep up with their progress they have fun learning more and more every day. Very young they noticed the magic of switching from one language to another and loved it :)
Emma, 38, is hypnotherapist (after having worked for multinational in strategic departments) and Reiki practicioner.
William, 41, works in Audit, Finance and Strategy departments for international organizations.
As a polyglot family (We all speak 4 to 7 languages) we put a lot of focus in that in our every day life. In addition, we are trying hard to use non violent communication techniques and other educational rules in what we believe to be the best interest of the kids. Our goal here is to make sure our kids are as happy as possible and that does not mean spoiled.
Babysitting and creative play
Help around the house
Language practice
Are you looking into learning the secrets of learning languages in no time ?
When we say in no time, we mean it and we can prove it! Our previous Au Pair (Marta) learned french with us in 30 days and german in 2 weeks !!!
Stay a few months with us and if you are motivated enough, you can learn up to 1 language by month! we speak 7 languages at home but even if you want to learn a language that we don’t speak, we can help you with that too
Your role will basically to speak and play with our kids your native language ONLY. It is extremely important that the kids don’t know that you speak any other language that would be easier for them to switch to. Depending on when during the year we would need to discuss when during the day. We are quite laid back and flexible so we hope you will be flexible too as we like to adapt to what the kids feel like doing here and there.
We do not expect you to speak French or whatever language that would not be your native language, although you will have the opportunity to practice whenever the kids are not around :).
IMPORTANT NOTE:
We try to not use our cell phone or tablets in front of the kids. When you are playing with the kids, you should not have another activity at the same time as the kids notice it and lose interest if you do. No cell phone, whatsapping or whatever while playing with the kids. Interacting with them means entering their world and fully BE WITH THEM sharing the present moment of fun.
To progress in their languages skills, they need REPETITION, CORRECTION, IMMERSION, INTERACTION... We hope that you will be creative and enjoy the moments with our kids, showing them that YOU HAVE FUN with them.
We don’t expect you to get up at 7 am or things like that but if our kids are up at 8h30 for example we expect you do so too to show a dynamic example and to show them your motivation to spend time with them.
If you have any question please don’t hesitate to ask :)
Also we expect you to participate to maintain our place clean and peaceful, as you would do with anyone you share a flat with. That is you would not be our cook or maid but we could share the preparation of meals sometimes and set up / tidy up the table together. The priority will be playing with the kids though so most of the time you would not be involved in cleaning the house (just bring your plate to the dishwasher and things like that when you are done as the kids bring their own too, natural things like that). We try to keep the apartment clean.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
This host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
Please contact them directly for more information.
We are living in a flat in Spain, and we would offer you to share the flat with us. Depending on when during the year, our kids can be in France (mainly during skiing season in the french alps) or in Spain too so let us chat in advance when you want to come as for us it makes sense that you come and stay where the kids are :) we travel a lot... in spain we are living in our flat in front of the sea and in the alps 10m away from ski slopes...
We don’t smoke, we have no pets although we love animals. We have unlimited internet although we ask not to use smartphones or tablets in front of the kids as we see this as a bit anti-social and it makes the kids nervous (generally speaking all the kids I mean). Of course we use these but in privacy of the room for example.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
4/5 heures par jour max, 5 j/sem.
