France
Favourited 228 times
Update may 2021
Before we tell you a bit more about us, please note that we are a nomadic family, and the work we would need you to help with may vary depending on when and where you join us and also what you like to do best! :)
Let me try to summarise a bit our lifestyle:
Winter from december to march we are in the french alps (Briançon), skiing almost every day. The kids are part of a ski club.
Summer (july and august and maybe more) we are in Spain (Valencia) either by the beach or in a recently purchased house with orange trees and chicken...
Finally we are planning to buy a sailboat now in 2021 to settle on it during or after the summer and spend 5 to 8 months a year on it to sail around the globe step by step. at least that's the plan...
the help we need varies a lot depending on where you would join us.
We are a married couple with 3 kids. Our kids are born in 2012, 2014, and 2019 and speak french, spanish, english, german, mandarin, italian and portuguese (the last 2 are either rusty or learning in process). 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 :) Our kids are homeschooled and
Emma, 40, is hypnotherapist (after having worked for multinational in strategic departments) and Reiki practicioner.
William, 44, 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.
====== IMPORTANT NOTE MAINLY FOR COUPLES ======
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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Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
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 !!! ask me about the video of how she speaks and i can gladly send it to you.
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
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Depending on where you join us, the type of help we need can vary. We have been welcoming workawayers for 5 years now and we know how different profiles can be so we respect that and want to make sure that you help us with stuff you enjoy too.
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Main help needed:
LANGUAGES (german, mandarin and english - also italian portuguese and spanish (maybe polish or greek soon).
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS (violin, guitare, piano and potentially other instruments?)
SAILING since we are going to travel around the word sailing if you have sailing experience or are very motivated to learn and help that's great too!
COOKING and home maintenance: specially when we have several workawayers at the same time...
SNOWBOARDING - KITESURFING - CAPOEIRA - TAEKWONDO etc... :) come and teach us and our kids!
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In the french alps, we mainly need help with languages for the kids (priority on German, english and mandarin but the other languages are great to have too now and then italian, portuguese and even spanish mainly). In addition any help in teaching them snowboarding etc are welcome! even skiing if you are really good... ;)
In valencia we are generally in our summer appartment by the beach, so the main help we need is with languages for the kids. However, any help in teaching them surfing or other skills are greatly appreciated. Since it's a summer appartment, there is a big terrace in front of the sea with a great view on the mediterranean and if we welcome 2 or 3 workawayers, then potentially 1 of the workawayers could be in charge of the cooking for everyone "in party mode" more fun but again that's if you like cooking and you are good and making more than just pasta every day as we try to eat healthy :)
In valencia we also are buying a small house that used to belong to my uncle and it needs a bit of DIY mainly to make it a paradise with veggies, chicken, hanging hammocks and playing music in a multicultural environment. There we have a few ideas based on languages too we can chat about it. so help around languages, as well as permaculture, compost, some basic maintenance and renovation and why not somme less basic renovation if you are up for it :) there is a small swimming pool too and things like that to keep an eye on specially since we are not always there... probably a few days a week i am guessing. Depending on the work to be done there and since we wont be there that often it can also be that in the house we only provide basic food (rice, pasta etc..) the rest would come from the garden or you would need to provide it yourself. Of course that also means you won't be working 6 hours a day 5 days a week but much less and will have plenty of time to relax, meditate or play the guitare. :) This house is new to us so we are testing how workawayers can help us with that, and we will see with time :)
For the rest of the year but every year will be different, on a sailboat we need help with languages for the kids, music instruments and all other activities including logistics and cooking for exampple
Our priority remains foreign languages for the kids though.
Your role will basically to speak and play with our kids your native language ONLY. It was 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. the 2 older kids are now ok to speak fluently any language even if they know that you speak other easier languages but our last baby born in april 2019 should still be kept out of that secret!
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
Italian: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
This host offers a language exchange
I am a foreign language coach currently working on my website to help people use our magical method to learn any language in less than a month. You can find more info about it on if you are interested to know more...
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...
in spain we would either be in the beach appartment, where the kids sleep in the living room (ikea beds that hide during the day) so you would be sharing the space by sleeping on the couch, or on a hammock on the terrace if you prefer or on a couch on the terrace since the weather is great in summer in spain :) depending on if we have 1 or several workawayers but we would let you know and make sure you are ok before making arrangements with more than 1 workawayer.
in spain there is also the small house, with 1 bedroom, on bed in the living room, 1 mezzanine and even a couch and hammocks. several options there.
in france we are in 2 appartments so depending on the situation you might have your own room or not. If not, don't worry you will have your own bed. (not a couch)
On the sailboat well.... every island is different and every situation is different. The lack of intimacy on a boat can be such that we would make sure we only invite here workawayers who are really open minded and laid back, and if possible we will try to meet them before they join or we would make sure we ask each other as many questions as possible before hand. We prefer a "ok no it won't fit" based on conversations rather than a difficult situation once on board.
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
we would need to discuss this on a case by case basis, don't hesitate to mention it and let's talk :) we are quite laid back.
again, since we are nomads it depends but everything is possible and we already have had a workawayer travelling in her campervan.
case by case but we just had a fantastic experience with a workawayer and her Hulsky, the kids loved it!!
More than two
approx 5 hours a day (5 days a week)
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