Goodnight Mom

This is part two in a series about our experience hosting an au pair through Au Pair Care. You can read the first part here . In October, 2022, we welcomed our au pair, M, into our family. She lived with us for 4 months. In that time, she provided excellent childcare. We got to know her and learned so much about Turkey. I started Turkish language lessons on Duolingo so I could say good morning and “how are you?”  in her language. I think my attempts to remember the pronunciations tickled her. I was also learning strange sentences, like “Tavşan kaplumbağayı yedi.” It was a fun thing to bond over!  M brought us a beautiful Turkish coffee set when she came and would often brew me a cup while I was working in the apartment. Keeping me caffeinated! I especially loved the Turkish food she occasionally prepared. I still like to cook lentil soup (Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası), which was her favorite, and a tomato and white bean stew (Fasulye).   Being an Au Pair Mom There were a lo...

In October, 2022, we welcomed our au pair, M* into our family. M, a 24-year-old from Istanbul, Turkey,  lived with us and provided childcare for Nico and Max (when he wasn't in daycare). Steve and I loved having another adult in the house and we enjoyed getting to know M. She taught us a lot about Turkish culture, made us some delicious Turkish meals and of course, Turkish coffee. And she was great with the kids! There’s a lot that can be shared about our au pair experience, so I’ll split this post into two parts. Part one will be about the process and general experience of having an au pair. Part two will dig into some of the challenges and why we ended up with a broken match after 4 months. I won't be sharing photos of M here, because that feels too personal and like exposing her to something. Anyone who knows me personally will have either met her or seen photos on my social media. I emphatically want to say how much I appreciate M and care about her happiness. Our au pair m...