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Description
Come live with us in the French Alps and experience mountain life at its finest!
We are Nalani and Léo, a young multicultural family living in Mont-Saxonnex, a lively mountain village perched at 1,050 metres between Geneva, Annecy, and Chamonix. We have two little ones: Jasmin (our curious 2-year-old boy) and Miri (our sweet 6-month-old baby girl).
About us:
Nalani is a trained chef, of Hakka Chinese heritage, who grew up in Tahiti. She’s home full-time with the children and brings a wonderfully warm and multicultural energy to our home. She speaks French, Hakka, English, and some Spanish — she learned Mandarin at school and is eager to get back into it. Léo is a psychiatric nurse working in Switzerland a few days a week. He’s French, loves the mountains, and is passionate about sustainable living, rock climbing, and good wine.
We’re looking for someone to help Nalani with our two young children and daily family life, especially on the days Léo is at work. You’ll never be left solely in charge — Nalani is always home. This is about teamwork and shared family life, not solo babysitting.
What makes us special? We genuinely believe in cultural exchange — we want to learn from you as much as you learn from us. If you speak Mandarin or another Asian language, that would mean a huge amount to our family. If you love to cook and want to share your dishes and food traditions, our kitchen is yours. And if you love mountains, you’ve landed in the right place.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Books
Carpentry
Drawing & painting
Winter sports
DIY & crafts
Photography
Plant care
Cooking & food
Gardening
Music
Languages
Adventure sports
Mountain
Hiking
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Outdoor activities
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Our family is a genuine cultural crossroads. Nalani, of Hakka Chinese heritage, grew up in Tahiti and speaks French, Hakka, English and some Spanish — she’s also getting back into Mandarin. Léo is French, rooted in Savoyard Alpine culture, passionate about rock climbing and local wine.
Workawayers will improve their French through daily family life, discover mountain living across all four seasons, and explore the rich food culture of the Alps — organic, local, and lovingly cooked. In return, we genuinely want to learn from you too: your language, your cuisine, your traditions. The exchange goes both ways. 🌿
Au Pair Help
Further details can be found here
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
🛠️ WHAT YOU’LL HELP WITH
Around 4–5 hours a day (mainly mornings), on days when Léo is working:
With the children:
• Play and organise indoor/outdoor activities with Jasmin (2 years)
• Help with Miri (6 months) — feeding, diaper changes, settling her to nap
• Take Jasmin out for a walk or to the park while Nalani is with Miri
• Help with the morning and meal routines
Around the house (children-related):
• Children’s laundry and tidying toys
• Light cleaning of areas used by the kids
• Meal prep for the children
Occasionally (rare extras):
• Small DIY or handyman tasks around the house
• Light help in the garden
(These come up very rarely — just good to know!)
A typical morning looks like:
07:45 — Help with breakfast and getting the day started
09:00 — Outdoor walk or indoor activities with Jasmin / help settling Miri
11:00 — Lunch prep, light tidying
13:30 — babies are asleep so you can have the rest of the day for yourself
Days off:
• Minimum of two days off per week
• We do our best to group your days off so you can really travel and explore
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
🏠 Your own private apartment on the garden level of our home — completely separate, with your own entrance. Includes:
• Private bedroom
• Private bathroom
• Fully equipped kitchen (all yours)
• Living room / lounge area
🍽️ All meals included — homemade, with organic vegetables and locally-sourced farm meat. Nalani is a chef and cooks beautifully. And if you want to cook your own dishes and share your food culture with us, you’re more than welcome — we love discovering new flavours!
💰 Pocket money: €400/month — we offer a monthly allowance in addition to room and board, to help you explore and enjoy your time here
🚗 Car access — use our manual transmission car on your days off to explore the Alps, visit Annecy, Geneva, Chamonix, or hit a train station for further adventures. You cover petrol, we cover insurance.
🌊 Annual family trip to Brittany in June— once a year we head to the ocean to visit Léo’s family. You’re warmly invited to join us and discover a whole other side of France.
🏔️ The Alps on your doorstep — skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, trail running, swimming in alpine lakes, local markets, Savoyard food and wine culture. Four extraordinary seasons.
What else ...
We are in a lively mountain village at 1,050m — no public transport
from the village itself, but just 15 minutes by car you reach
Bonneville or Cluses, both with train stations and bus connections
to Lyon, Geneva, and the rest of France and Europe.
You'll have access to our car on your days off, which makes everything easy to reach.
🏔️ NEARBY:
• Annecy & its lake (~40 min) — one of the most beautiful
towns in France
• Geneva, Switzerland (~45 min)
• Chamonix & Mont-Blanc (~1h)
• Ski resorts in winter (<30 min)
• Lac Bénit — stunning alpine lake, accessible on foot
from the village!
🎿 ACTIVITIES:
• Hiking & trail running (trails from the door)
• Rock climbing (world-class routes nearby)
• Skiing & snowshoeing in winter
• Swimming in alpine lakes in summer
• Local markets, Savoyard cheese & wine culture
🏘️ THE VILLAGE:
Mont-Saxonnex has a grocery store, bakery, post office, and a local sports association — it's a real living village, not isolated at all.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have starlink internet
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
My animals / pets
Photos
