I have had 9 au pairs in 14 years but I constantly get asked what an au pair is by my friends!

Officially, an au pair is a young foreign person who helps with housework or childcare in exchange for food, a room, and some pocket money.  For me, an au pair is someone older who joins our family and takes care of us, making our dinner and taking us to our after school clubs, like a big sister.

I have sat down with Raquel, my current au pair, to find out more about her and why she wanted to be an au pair.

Raquel is from the Spanish island of Grand Canary and is 28 years old; she’s studied to be a teacher and wants to stay in England for 9 months or maybe a year.  Raquel wanted to learn English without paying a lot of money for courses and trying to work full time. Raquel also said that she had “never been to England before and a good way to get to know a country is by living with a family”.

Raquel has been staying with me for almost 6 weeks and she is enjoying her stay but there are days that she misses her family and her island.

Raquel’s not lonely as there are loads of au pairs living in Horsham.

In all my years of having an Au pair the only bad part is the awkward first week of getting to know them but soon they become part of our family.


Lara Mitchell, Millais school