The term “au pair” is French for “on equal terms with”, and working as an au pair will usually be an enriching experience since your relationship with your host family will be based on mutual respect and love of children and family life. Au pairs are generally females between 18 and 30, but there is nothing to prevent young men from being au pairs and in fact this is becoming more and more common. As an au pair you do not require any special qualifications (as a nanny would) or any special psychological training. An au pair's duties normally include taking care of the children, perhaps a pet, doing light housework such as vacuuming and dusting, as well as helping with preparation of meals. You will usually have to pay for travel costs to get to your host family and any necessary language classes yourself.
Many families hire au pairs to watch their children and accompany them on their summer vacations. You should have some experience with children and be able to provide references.
Note that in the Brazilian culture family values are of great importance: family members typically live close to one another and interact weekly, if not daily. Brazilians are therefore always able to rely on family for support, guidance and friendship. Traditional Brazilian values are honesty, organization, and freedom of speech. Brazilian parents are generally affectionate, tolerant and performance oriented.
The best internet-based agencies for finding au pair work are:
Update 13/12/2010
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