An au pair couple is a pair of people who are attempting to share a job caring for children, typically far away from home. Conventionally, an au pair is a single person who lives with a family and provides childcare in exchange for room and board as well as a small salary. Many young people who love children use this type of job as a chance to explore the world. When working as a couple there are many considerations that must be taken into account, including the chances of breaking up during the period of employment. Many families find that an au pair couple is the perfect solution to caring for several children, but others find the experience of employing a couple too risky.
Most of the time, an au pair couple performs the same work that a single au pair might do. The couple is responsible for caring for children, meal preparation, and sometimes cleaning and errands as well, although the job requirements in each situation may be different. It is typically assumed that both people will have the same work hours and time off so that the couple can spend time together. This makes determining a salary tricky, but for families who would have to hire more than one au pair anyway, this solution is perfect.
One of the benefits of hiring an au pair couple is that the couple typically stays in the same room, cutting down on the need to provide lodging space. This may mean that the family employing the couple saves money, but some families feel the need to pay a couple the same as two individuals for the sake of fairness. A couple in a healthy relationship can provide positive role models for children of both genders and may even make children who do not see their parents very often more comfortable. This can also make the children's parents uncomfortable, which is one reason many people do not choose to employ couples.
Choosing to become an au pair couple is a risky venture because one's livelihood becomes dependent on staying in a romantic relationship with another person. For this reason, most au pair couples are either engaged or married, although it is usually not permissible for the couple to have children. Some families have concerns that the couple will be physically affectionate with one another in front of the children or in the provided housing, which can also make it difficult to find a job. Working as an au pair couple can be a wonderful experience but involves first finding the perfect family to work for. Explaining not only the skills of each individual but also the skills of both people working together can be a great way to get a job working together as an au pair couple.