Au pair Selection Advice

Drinking and NOT driving into the New Year

Written by mv Thursday, 31 December 2009 00:02

New Year’s Eve is around the corner and every year host parents have the same worry coming up.  What is the best way to make sure that my au pair doesn’t drive after she has been drinking.  This really applies to those au pairs that over 21 years and those that are under 21.  Let’s not kid ourselves.  In most countries young adults can drink at age 18.  And your au pair is 20?  Likely she would want to party, dance and have a couple of drinks or more.

So, what are host parents to do to make sure that she doesn’t end up driving your car after having had a couple or a few drinks?

If your au pair is a non-drinker, you are in good shape.  You can let her have the ‘au pair car’ or allow her to drive one of your cars without any concerns.  Do make sure though that she absolutely is not planning on having even a single drink, or will refuse any alcoholic drink that is offered to her.  And keep in mind the peer pressure that your au pair might be under, especially during such a huge party nights as New Year’s Eve.  Even if she is a non-drinker, she might feel urged into having a drink, a glass of wine or a shot of something.

So what about your au pair, age 19 or 22, the girl that is wonderful with your kids, the girl that is (visibly) loves your kids, keeps them busy and is a caring, nurturing young lady.  The very girl that has taught your youngest the alphabet and how to count not only in English but also in her mother tongue.   You’d want to make sure that she enjoys a holiday such as December 31.  A time to go out party and dance the night away.  If she gets the sense that you care about how she spends her free time and that you want to make sure that she has a great social life, that the USA is a great place to have a good time on New Year’s Eve, that is the best way to continue the great relationship that you have with her.

Here are some suggestions to help her enjoy herself with her friends and be safe at the same time.

1. Offer to drive her to the party, the club, or to downtown so that she can meet up with her fellow partiers.
2. Give her money for the cab fare back to your home.
3. Allow her to drive the car to her au pair friend, the one that lives downtown or near the club scene, her party grounds.  Make sure that she parks the car, and spends the night with a friend, one that is known to you.  Verify with he host parents of that au pair that your car is parked at their house over night.
4. Rent a hotel room for her near that club, so that she can spend the rest of the night there.

Do you have any other suggestions that have given you a worry-free mind concerning your au pair during the biggest party night of the year?
Please let us know how you have done to enable your au pair to enjoy the night and give you peace of mind at the same time.

Comments

Patsy

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If my husband or I didn't have the time to drive our au pair to the party or the club, then I have asked one of her friends to pick her up. I paid them, gave them a or bill. You are only young once and want to have a good time, want to party hard into the New Year. I get that. Your youth is there to be enjoyed. Weren't we all the same way at that age? Keeping your au pair happy is a good thing. Makes for happy kids.

A Happy New Year to all!

Patsy

Thursday 31 December 2009, 12:23

working mom of 2

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At the beginning of the school year, my son was asked to sign one of the ‘I won’t….’ contracts and he was proud that he did so and wanted everyone else to sign some kind of contract as well. So, shortly after our Au Pair came into our home and I saw the growing bond between her and my children I thought this would be a great way to get the family involved into our own contract. I obviously had a long talk with our Au Pair before I did any of this, but she thought it was a great idea. And so it began. All of the adults in the house signed an ‘I will not drink and drive’ contract and the children acted as witnesses; they all thought it was great. I know that sounds a bit corny, but it worked. It got the children involved in a more adult matter, (yes, they understand what it means to a point) and gave us all a real treat. But on a side note, that is not the only way we handled this issue at our house. We have asked our Au Pair to be very honest and open with us, and that we will not judge her in return. And thankfully she has been. She lets us know whenever she plans to go out to a club or some other big party and we make sure that either my husband or I pick her up or we give her money for a cab home if we can’t. This arrangement has worked out beautifully for us all.

Sunday 03 January 2010, 21:46

New Au PAir

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I think host parents should really get involved with this like mine do. Any time I plan on going out to a party for a special occasion or something like that they always make sure that I can stay over at a friends’ house or make sure that I have enough money for a cab and if I don’t they give it to me. If I end up staying at a friends’ house all they ask is that I call them when I get there so that they know I’m ok. I love them! They care enough to worry about me like that, so I have no intention of doing something as foolish as drinking and driving. I have much more important things to worry about…like the rest of my life.

Monday 04 January 2010, 08:01

DC mom

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My last 2 au pairs have been great. We have been considering ourselves lucky. And I wanted to make sure that both of them had a great time when partying on New Year's Eve in 2008 and 2009.
I had my little brother, he is just a few years older then the au pair take them out to the local club. He is not a drinker. Which is unusual in our family, my parents still keep their wine cabinet well stocked.
Toby made sure that they had a great time. And he dropped them off late at night.

Patsy hit it right on the nose. The girls are here to have a good time, especially on such a big party night, they are here to enjoy everything the USA has to offer, that doesn't include only sightseeing and visiting the vacation spots, but also being able to go out and dance. A lot of young girls love to dance. I did at their age.

Monday 04 January 2010, 19:18

Chicago mom

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If you have a designated driver, make sure you can trust him or her, or at least have a backup plan.
Our second au pair went out to party with a fellow au pair and friend of hers. Both girls where of drinking age and Nadija's friend rarely ever had a drink and assured us that she would have no issue to stay sober on new years eve. My husband and I stayed in, had a glass of Champaign and went to bed after the ball came down in NYC. At three thirty in the morning Nadija called very upset. Her friend had met some guy who convinced her that it would be okay to have a drink...or two...
While Nadija was crying on the phone, her friend was sleeping absolutely drunk in the lounge of the party. Nadija could not drive because she had been drinking herself and didn't have a penny to call a cab. So, my husband and I got back up and picked up Nadija, her friend and her friend's car and returned everyone to their homes.
Needless to say, Nadija did not designate her friend as a driver again and kept always extra cash in her purse for just the case that she needed to call a cab.

Tuesday 05 January 2010, 10:50

Gaelle

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I have to confess that this was a very unusual new years eve for me. I am 20 years old and my best friend Mimi is 21. We grew up together and we both are lucky and placed as au pairs in Houston. We have been going out to drinking together back home, but now here I'm "under age" and the driver always. So I was also the driver for the new years party. It dosn't bother me not to drink, it just bothers me that everyone is treating me different. Now I'm looked at like a little girl. Guys offer me drinks and I had to say no. And they just walked away and they ignoring me for the rest of the evening. And Mimi now calls me little girl. She thinks it is funny but I find it very annoying.
I do like being a au pair in the USA but I am looking forward to be home and an adult again.

Tuesday 05 January 2010, 13:58

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