Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
8 Sep 2025
Reply rate
80.0 %
Usually responds within 3 days
Feedback
37
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Despite what is indicated on the website, we are not looking for an au pair.
We live in a house in Thonon-les-Bains, a small city of 35 000 inhabitants, by the Geneva Lake and just next to the mountains (french Alps) : a beautiful area.
(Easy connexion from Geneva, international airport)
There is always lots to do : renovation in the house, cleaning, gardening, ...
We have a garden with fruits and vegetables and a henhouse.
500 m from the lake side : in summer swimsuit essential :)
The family consists of
- I (Marie-Cécile), the mom (widow).
- Marie-Adélaïde ( a girl), 18 years. She likes reading books and goes to Geneva University…. She learns english and spanish.
- Pierre-Gaspard ( a boy), 16 years. He likes create 3D objects with Blender and reading. He is a real teenager ;)
- Josselin (a boy), 13 years. He is very active. He likes to play football, do gym, play with Lego, be outside, cycling, jogging ... He likes music. He plays the piano.
- two cats doing their life inside and outside.
- Chicken in the henhouse.
We cook a lot by our own (less as possible industrial food).
We are ecoresponsible as much as possible, and try to make no waste (food, clothes, water, energy, ...). We use the more we can the plants, fruits, vegetables coming from the garden.
Lunch and dinner are shared with the family, sharing a meal together is an important thing in France. We are an omnivorus family (meat, milk, butter, cheese, egg, wheat, pasta, rice, fish, vegetables, fruits, ...) :) So think about if you can not adapt your diet...
Workawayers came several times at home, others come and visit us when in the area, ...
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Movies & TV
Pets
Music
Languages
Books
Outdoor activities
Mountain
Gardening
Cooking & food
Animals
Hiking
Camping
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Living the french way of life, learning french language and taste french food :)
Help
Priority to GARDENING / DIY during September / October
Looking for a handyman/woman autonomous who have capacities in renovation/DIY.
The things to do includes
- gardening : mowi, clear the garden, cut the edges,
- sweeping the yard,
- sand and paint wood (shutters,, ...),
- General maintenance and fix small things,
- paint walls inside,
-clean a cellar
- ...
___________________
Eventually
ENGLISH TUTOR or ITALIAN TUTOR (if you are native speaker for one of these languages)
-Pierre-Gaspard (16)
Tutoring for 30 minutes a day. The main quality of these person will be patience and faith!
-Josselin (13) needs a tutor to train everyday (20 mn per day) in a structured way.
Tutoring does not occupy all of your work time, so it will be necessary to do something else like gardening, DIY, cleaning, wood work...
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You are welcome in the life family (a mum, 3 kids, two cats...). You need to be kidfriendly, they like to interact with you too :)
Thank you for taking part in daily tasks (set the table, help store the kitchen after meals, clean up after you, ...).
We love optimistic and smiling people :) If you are not, we are not the right place.
As we have a piano in the livingroom, you can practice everytime you want.
You organize your volunteer tasks like you want, except tutoring. We will ask you to 25 hours a week.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
French: Fluent
English: Intermediate
Italian: Beginner
Accommodation
In Thonon-les-Bains
Own room, shared bathroom
What else ...
We're near Geneva Lake and just next to the mountains (french Alps) : a beautiful area.
(Easy connexion from Geneva, international airport : bus T71 or train with Leman Express)
Bus connexions to the ski resort (Châtel, Avoriaz, Les Gets, ...)
Boat connexion to Lausanne
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
My own office is in the house. There is a desk left and a professionnal access to the internet.
Space for parking camper vans
Small camper can park in the yard.
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
My animals / pets
rooster and hens
Poukie
Loustic
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (20)
marie- cecile is a really nice person, always available, ready to help you and explain everything.
I worked mostly in the garden, but sometimes I also had conversations in Italian with pierre gaspard , who turned out to be not only very kind and willing to learn new things but also very… read more
Easygoing, smiling, funny... with an interesting conversation, he was a member of the family during his stay. And at the same time, he was autonomous.
Really thank you for your stay at home and be welcome… read more
Marie-Cecile's children were very receptive to what I was teaching them in English, and I hope they will all continue to… read more
He played footbal with the boys all the time. They were soooo happy !
It was perfect. You are always welcome… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(4.7)
marie- cecile is a really nice person, always available, ready to help you and explain everything.
I worked mostly in the garden, but sometimes I also had conversations in Italian with pierre gaspard , who turned out to be not only very kind and willing to learn new things but also very… read more
Easygoing, smiling, funny... with an interesting conversation, he was a member of the family during his stay. And at the same time, he was autonomous.
Really thank you for your stay at home and be welcome… read more
Marie-Cecile's children were very receptive to what I was teaching them in English, and I hope they will all continue to… read more
He played footbal with the boys all the time. They were soooo happy !
It was perfect. You are always welcome… read more
Her main task was to teach German to Marie-Adélaïde and English to Pierre-Gaspard and Marie-Adélaïde. The result was excellent: it restored Marie-Adélaide's self-confidence for German and she get better. She did a wonderful job with Pierre-Gaspard to show him he was capable. He is now more comfortable in… read more
She's an amazing cook and the food is heatlthy and really delicious!
She lives in an absolutely stunning town, with a small harbour, a beautiful forrest and mountains nearby.You can reach… read more
Being close to the lake in summer was fantastic and fun for the whole family.
There was lots of work in the garden but none too hard, Marie-Cécile was understanding and gave me tasks of my ability. I was asked to take the kids to the library and the beach which was a good opportunity to practice my French and was very easy as the kids are so… read more
It was very nice to have him at home. He is playfull with the kids. He cooked amazing fish and chips.
We hope to welcome him on his way to the great St Bernard !
Thank you for your stay :blush: You are always welcome at home...
His work was stripping wooden shutters and paint them. The job was well done.
He is careful and meticulous.
Ryan is easy going and we had a great time together : nice conversations, good connections with the kids,... and so much more ! It was perfect.
He is a real good person. He is always welcome at home !
We hope Kurtis comes back at home :) (Josselin has a revenge to take !)
Très calme, de bon contact et efficace, elle a débroussaillé courageusement ! Un excellent contact aussi avec les enfants. Nous avons passé de bons moments ensemble.
A bientôt pour de nouvelles aventures à la maison ;)
Très calme, elle a bien su les coacher :)
Nous avons beaucoup apprécié sa présence et son aide précieuse. Merci Kerstin.
A bientôt peut-être ;)
Nous serons ravis de l'accueillir à nouveau si ça route la mène de nouveau dans le coin :)
Encore merci à toi Rosheen !
Bon continuation à tous et j'espère qu'on se reverra!
Hope to see you and your kids again… read more
While Friedrich painted the kitchen, Lea took care of the children. Marie-Cécile is a host helping you when you need help but giving you all the freedom you need, welcoming if you do things differently than her.
We stayed with… read more
She is now a friend of the family ;)
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Francesca est une perle rare comme on en… read more
If i found myself… read more
He made his work in a autonomous way: cut hedges, clear the undergrowth from a field, sand and repaint woodwork, correct a report in English, … It is a multi-task guy :)
I appreciated his friendly side and that he shared our good… read more
