Au pair 2 be...your best guide to au pairing!

Example of "Dear Family" Letter. I figured it makes little sense talking about the "Dear Family" letter and its do's and don't's, if you do not get to view an example of a "Dear Family"letter, that one could consider worth sending to or being viewed by potential au pair host families. In the "Dear Family" letter below, you will notice that I have indicated the prospective au pair's preferred destination (France). When preparing your "Dear Family" letter, this (specifying your destination country) is something you should avoid doing, if you are open to becoming an au pair in any given number of countries. The reason is obvious, but let us say it anyway: if you claim to be open to becoming an au pair in any given number of countries, and yet in your "Dear Family" letter you go on and on about one country in particular, then you are bound to scare off potential host families living in those other countries where you would also not mind becoming an au pair.

Dear Family, My name is Naida. I am a 22 year-old (female) Tanzanian student. Although I currently live in Dar es Salaam, where I am one month short of completing my undergraduate studies in education and psychology at the University of Dar es Salaam, I actually come from Moshi. Compared to Dar es Salaam, (which is Tanzania's largest city), Moshi is a small town (approximately 145,000 inhabitants), and is situated on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. I come from a family of 6: My parents, Fasaha and Busara, are self employed and run a small tourist lodge in Moshi. I have 2 sisters and one brother. My eldest sister Nuru, is 24 years old and is a secondary school teacher in Arusha. My youngest brother and sister Haki and Hafsa, (who are fraternal twins) are 7 years old, and are in their second year of primary school in Moshi. In about a year or two I plan to pursue a masters degree, but I am yet to make up my mind concerning my future area of specialization. So, at the moment, I would like to take some time out of academics to have a different life experience, and to have time to calmly reflect on my future academic/professional orientation. To this end, I think spending a year abroad would be particularly interesting. My first language is, of course, Kiswahili, and I am also fluent in English. I started learning English in primary school, and it was also the language of instruction in the secondary school I attended. I have in addition been taking courses taught in English at university. I speak an intermediate level of French. I begun learning it in high school and have been taking French language classes at my university for the last four years. All in all, I have learnt French for 8 years. I am nevertheless aware that learning a language within a classroom context is by itself, incomplete. So, in order to really be at ease in French, I feel that a cultural immersion would do me a lot of good. Through my language teachers, (most of whom are French) I have learnt a lot about France, the French and life in France. Hence my desire to have first hand experience of French life. I am particularly interested in experiencing family life in France, since it offers a cultural context that is undoubtedly different from mine. For this reason, I would very much like to find a nice family to live with and work for in France. When it comes to child care experience, I have looked after children in both formal and informal contexts. Last year, as part of my university studies in child psychology, I spent a six month internship period working in a children's home in Arusha. Among others, I provided after-school tuition to children aged between 5 to 10 years. I also organized for them and took part in recreational indoor and outdoor activities: we sang, danced, played games, role played, drew, painted, and narrated stories. We also visited the public library, the local animal park, went out on picnics and a camping trip. I have helped my parents look after my brother and sister since birth. Although my looking after them is now restricted to my university vacations, as a teenager, I was nevertheless much more involved in caring for them on a daily basis. In addition, my two younger siblings, also spend a lot of time playing with our neighbour's two children Kibibi and Jozi ( aged 6 and 8 years), so from time to time I find myself in their ever animated company. I can comfortably say that I sincerely enjoy spending time with children. When it comes to leisure, I take pleasure in the simple things in life. I enjoy being outdoors, being with my friends, going for walks, visiting places I have not been to, and reading a good book. I also enjoy painting and on dull or rainy days, I often propose drawing and painting activities to my brother and sister and our neighbour's children whenever they come for company. Did I already mention that I love to read and write? At my university, I write a monthly article, for the students' magazine. I also serve as an editorial committee member for the magazine. As far as preferences are concerned, I am looking for a live-in arrangement with a host family, that would be happy to have me stay with and work for them for at least 6 months. I would also prefer looking after children aged between 6 months to 10 years. Lastly, although I am quite flexible, I would prefer to have working hours that would allow me to attend day time French language classes. I would be happy to have the opportunity to speak with you: to answer whatever questions you may have about me or my childcare experiences; to learn more about your family; your interests and to know more about what you expect from the au pair arrangement. Thank you very much for your interest in my application! I look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely, Naida XYZ. "Dear Family" Letter Do's and Don't's Step 8: Selecting Your Photos