Here at Au Pair in America, we often receive wonderful feedback from our host families about their experience hosting an au pair. We’d love to share a recent letter from a host mother about her family’s excellent relationship with their South African au pair, Rosemary. In the almost two years that she has spent with her host family, Rosemary has made an indelible mark on their lives and on the community around her due to her caring nature and enthusiasm for sharing her culture.
Read her host mother’s sweet account of the ways in which Rosemary touched her host family’s life:
“Rosemary joined our family nearly two years ago, and we love her so much that we are helping her to make the transition to becoming a college student in the U.S., where she will pursue her B.A. in Early Childhood Education. We hope to never be separated from our au pair ‘Ro-Ro,’ who has truly become a family member.
Rosemary’s ability to be the best au pair ever is unrivaled. For example, during the summer, we spent most of the summer doing what we lovingly call ‘Ro-Ro Camp.’ During Ro-Ro Camp, Rosemary is 100% in charge of planning amazing weeks of fun for the children, often including neighborhood friends in the fun. I never know what I will see when I come home from work, but it is always a fantastic surprise. I might come home to find the kitchen full of home-made slime… a water balloon fight… a complex, staged play complete with costumes and sound effects… a fort in the living room… and more, and more. She is like a magical person to my children and the neighborhood children. There is no one like Ro-Ro!
Rosemary is also a support to everyone in the neighborhood. Whenever anyone has a problem, they come and talk to Rosemary. Whenever anyone needs support, they come and look for Rosemary. Rosemary is always there to help. Her most important and shining qualities are true care for the people and places in her life, and a genuine desire to always be helpful. I honestly do not know what I would do without Rosemary in my household at this point!
One of the greatest pleasures of having Rosemary is the level to which she has connected my children to her homeland. Rosemary is always helping my children to understand what her life is like in a foreign country. She has connected them to the music, daily life customs, news stories and mythology of South Africa. We are planning a trip next summer, and I know that my children will feel as if they are visiting a country they already know in their dreams.”
Rosemary truly exemplifies the ideals of our cultural exchange program! By sharing a piece of her life, culture, and heart with those around her, she has helped to bring the world together. We wish her well on all her future adventures!
Is your family searching for a unique, intercultural child care experience with a fantastic au pair like Rosemary? Learn more about hosting an au pair today!
