Join our multilingual family with kids, animals and a big garden in the sunny Algarve, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Hi and welcome to our family!
  
  I'm a single mother of three children (7, 10 and 12 years old), and we live just outside Portimão in the Algarve in southern Portugal.
  
  I work as a language teacher, and life at home is usually quite busy! We live in a detached house with a large garden, a swimming pool, four dogs and a few other animals, including chickens, ducks and geese.
  
  The children are growing up with three languages: I speak German with them and they with me, they speak English with each other and Portuguese at school and with their friends. We really like meeting people from different countries and learning about their languages and cultures.
  
  And then we love music! We play different instruments and enjoy listening to music. We have a piano and guitars you may use if you like to.
  
  Then there is our gardenwith lots of fruit and nut trees, including oranges, lemons, figs, grapes, avocados, anonas (custard apples), almonds and walnuts. Depending on the season, there is plenty of fresh, organically grown fruit to enjoy. We also grow vegetables depending on the season, such as tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers.
  
  I'm looking for friendly, reliable and independent people who would enjoy being part of our everyday life and helping out in different ways.
  
  Some Workawayers enjoy cooking, helping around the house and spending time with the children. Others prefer gardening, looking after animals or doing practical jobs and small DIY projects. Both are very welcome, and I'm happy to have people with different skills and interests.
  
  One thing that's particularly important to me is that you genuinely like children. You don't necessarily have to be involved in childcare, but my children are at the centre of our family life, so you should feel comfortable around them.
  
  We enjoy spending time together, sharing meals and having interesting conversations, but I also appreciate a peaceful atmosphere, independence and everyone's need for personal space.
  
  If this sounds good to you, then I'd love to hear from you!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Staying with us means experiencing everyday family life in Portugal, not just visiting the Algarve as a tourist.
  
  I'm German and have been living in Portugal for several years, after living in the Netherlands and several places in the USA. My children were born in the USA and are growing up speaking three languages, so there is an interesting mix of languages, traditions and perspectives
  
  You can practise/learn German, English or Portuguese with us, learn about life in Portugal and experience what it's like to raise a family in a multicultural environment.
  
  If you are into gardening, you can learn about growing fruit and vegetables in our climate.
  
  I also love learning from you! Whether it's a recipe from your home country, a language, a gardening technique, a practical skill or simply a different perspective, I find that there's always something interesting to share!
  
  We all enjoy good conversations, cooking together and exchanging ideas. Sometimes the most interesting cultural exchange happens while talking over a cup of coffee or tea!

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  Au Pair Help

  This host is looking for Au pair help.

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  Help

  There are a lot of different things you can help us with, depending on your skills, interests and what needs doing at the time.
  
  House and family:
  
  - Preparing meals (I prefer vegetarian food, but we're flexible)
  - Helping with the kitchen, tidying and general household tasks
  - Spending time with the children, playing games, creative activities
  - Helping with school runs and afternoon activities, if you have a valid driving licence and are an experienced driver
  
  Garden and property:
  
  - Gardening, weeding, pruning or general garden maintenance
  - Harvesting fruit and nuts when in season
  - Helping with the animals
  - Organising and maintaining outdoor areas
  - Small repairs, painting and DIY projects, depending on your experience
  
  You don't need to be good at everything! I'm happy to find tasks that suit your strengths and interests.
  
  What matters most to me is reliability, common sense and initiative.
  
  I normally arrange help over five days a week, with two days off. We discuss the schedule and tasks together in advance, on a weekly or daily basis.
  
  There may be one or more Workawayers staying with us at the same time, sometimes helping in different areas.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  French: Intermediate
  Dutch: Intermediate
  Persian (Farsi): Beginner
  Russian: Beginner
  Turkish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This is truly a multi language home! German, English and Portuguese are part of our everyday family life. I also speak Dutch, French and Spanish, and have studied several other languages. At the moment, I'm particularly interested in learning Persian and improving my Russian. The kids are actively learning another language each, too. I'm happy to help you practise German, English or Portuguese, and I'd love to learn some of your language too. You just need to be able to communicate comfortably with us in German, English or Portuguese.
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  Accommodation

  I offer a private bedroom and bathroom in our family home.
  
  Besides the large garden, there is a swimming pool and lots of outdoor space.
  
  I provide food, and you're welcome to join us for family meals or prepare something for yourself when you prefer.
  I like a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at home, where everyone feels welcome but also has their own space and privacy.

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  What else ...

  We live in a quiet area just outside Portimão, surrounded by nature but close to the city with shopping malls, all kind of stores and the beautiful beaches of the Algarve (Praia da Rocha for example).
  
  There is plenty to explore in your free time: beaches, hiking, sightseeing, small villages, local markets and historic towns such as Silves, Lagos, Alvor and of course lots of touristic places.
  
  There is a public bus and we also have bicycles available.
  
  A few things about life in our home:
  
  My children are very much at the heart of our everyday life, so it's important to me that you are comfortable being around children, even if your main tasks are outdoors.
  
  We have several animals, so you need to be comfortable living with dogs and other pets.
  
  If you have particular skills, interests or projects you enjoy working on, please tell me about them when you write. I'm always happy to hear new ideas!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Rico

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