Holy Stroopwafels, I've been here for two months?!?
Hello again! I know it is hard to believe, but it has already been two months since I first arrived in the Netherlands. So much has happened, and yet at the same time the summer has flown by. I’ve learned a lot during this first period with the host family. I’ve heard from several people back home that they are very interested in my routine as an au pair, and now that the summer is coming to an end, I finally feel like I’ve been here long enough to talk about my “normal routine”.
Being in a foreign country can be scary. Being in a foreign country and being expected to help take care of your host family’s kids can also be scary. I feel very lucky for where I am at, the parents are very nice and understanding. I can’t imagine being in this situation, in a new place without friends or family, and having troubles with my host parents. The mother spent a year in the States when she was 17, and I think that experience really helped her prepare for my arrival. Plus it gives us the chance to talk about the things she misses from her year abroad.
Luuk and Julie love to pose when I pull out my cell phone. They don’t know English, but they understand when I tell them to “say cheese!”
I have a different routine from most au pairs. The usual au pair schedule includes a few hours on most weekdays and maybe some time on the weekends. Every week is a different schedule for me because of the parents changing work schedule. I knew this before coming, they were looking for an au pair that would be flexible with their time. I actually like it a lot, because I get more than just weekends off and every week is different. It’s never boring, and the parents are very flexible when I say I want to spend time traveling.
Julie may be tiny, but she loves riding her bike.
The family has two kids, a boy named Luuk (aged 5) and a girl named Julie (aged 3). Right now the kids are on summer vacation from school. School begins again in the beginning of September, but until then the kids have a lot more free time.
A typical day with the kids starts out very early. They wake up around 7, but usually aren’t ready to do anything yet. If I’m alone with them in the morning, they come up to my attic bedroom to hang out while I wake up. Then we eat breakfast and the kids get dressed. Sometimes I’m with them all day, other times I have them for morning/evening shifts. It all depends on the parents ever-changing schedule.
As an au pair, I make sure that they eat, are dressed, have brushed their teeth and are ready for the day. It’s summer vacation for them right now so their days are filled with play dates, trips to the park or the zoo, seeing their grandparents or just playing at home. If we are at home, then I usually try to find some activities to keep them active. Puzzles, legos, playmobiles, dress up games and even pillow battles on the couch are all ways that I’ve been spending my time with the kids. Though Luuk being older sometimes enjoys it when he gets to play on the wii or the iPad. When it’s raining I let them pick shows or movies on Netflix. I enjoy this too because I get to listen to the Dutch in the shows, it’s helping me get more used to the language. I start Dutch lessons in September, hopefully by then I will know basic phrases that I’ve picked up from around the house. I’ve been using the Duolingo app since I arrived which has also been helpful.
The hardest thing about being here has been communication with the kids. Sometimes when I’m trying to communicate with the kids, a certain image comes to mind. Holding a crying baby and asking it what is wrong or what it wants, even though the baby can not answer yet. It describes my situation perfectly, except these are kids who do use words to say what they want, they just don’t use any words that I know. It’s frustrating for both me and them when we can’t understand each other. The parents speak English, so when they are around they usually just translate. When it is just me, the kids and I have to be a little more creative when we try to talk to one another.
School starts for Luuk on September 2, and I think we are all relieved to get that routine back into our lives. Julie will be attending a preschool on Thursdays and Fridays. They will also be restarting classes and activities such as judo and swimming. As an au pair, I will sometimes be the one taking them to school and their activities, something the parents helped me prepare for when I first arrived.
Being an au pair is not all about my relationship with the parents or the kids. I also have to deal with getting used to being away from my family and living in the Netherlands. Being here is amazing, and I already have fallen in love with the area. Sometimes though, you just miss things that are familiar. Being here presents all sorts of challenges.
I don’t have my car anymore and when I need to get places I have to walk or ride my bicycle. Riding a bicycle is so common here, I feel like a child when I wobble or swerve. I haven’t ridden my bike regularly since I was young, but for a typical Hollander it is as easy as walking. Most people in the Netherlands speak English, but there are still times when I feel like there is a huge language barrier. I’m still getting used to the food, the public transportation, the jokes and the culture. It’s hard to not feel like an outsider, but at the same time I love the challenge. It’s not always simple. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, but that is easier said than done.
An example comes to mind from just the other night. I had just gotten back late from visiting a Dutch city and had to ride my bike home from the station in the dark. On top of that it was pouring down rain. The route from the train station in Leiden to home is something I’m still working on, which means I tend to get lost. I was riding my bike, avoiding puddles and squinting to try and see through the rain. I kept thinking that any second I would be carried off by the current into the nearest canal and they would have to fish me out in the morning. At the time I was thinking to myself “I can’t believe this is how I die,” but now, days later, I can’t stop thinking this is something that I wouldn’t have done at home. I have been immersing myself during these past two months, and that comes with challenges that I didn’t prepare for. Those challenges are also experiences. Memories that I will keep for the rest of my life.
These different challenges, these new experiences, are a big part of why I wanted to come to Holland. Hopefully they will keep coming my way. I would hate to be bored.
Until next time- tot ziens!
