Talk:Au pair/Archive 1

Typo in nationality?
"In the UK, an au pair must be a national of the one of the European countries of Andorra, Faroe Islands, ..."

Is this a typo that should read

"In the UK, an au pair must be a national of the one of the European countries or Andorra, Faroe Islands, ..."

(i.e. "or" instead of "of")?

Or is this made up?

Can a family in the UK not have an American au-pair?

--JimmyTheWig 16:30, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Ok, I've confirmed things from the Home Office website and have clarified the text in the article. --JimmyTheWig 13:14, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

Useful NYT article on demand for Chinese Au Pairs in US
This was in today's NYT: To Give Children an Edge, Au Pairs From China. I'm sure the editors interested in this can use it. --Bobak 02:44, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

1
Au pair éshté njé vajzé apo njé djal i/e cili/a punon per njé familje né njé shtet té huaj, i ndihmon per kryrjen e punéve te shtépis edhe i shikon fémijét e vegjel, aty mund ta mesoj njé gjuh té re(shembull English).--90.146.185.107 (talk) 16:05, 21 October 2008 (UTC)

2
Plural is AUX PAIRS in french language.

In singular : A + LE PAIR = AU PAIR In plural :  A + LES PAIRS = AUX PAIRS

A + LE = AU A + LES = AUX

it is abreviatude format. (89.24.82.224 (talk) 23:59, 21 January 2009 (UTC))

3
Doesn't au pair mean in pairs? Done in pairs? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.225.35.37 (talk) 00:38, 14 November 2009 (UTC)


 * Completed article with Balzac. Each of Pair and au pair have several different meanings in french (see http://atilf.atilf.fr/ for instance). Although those word are still commonly used separately today, using them together might be somewhat idiomatic. In french, Au pair means à parité. So I assume english translation is nearer to the parity word, defined by http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parity as «3. The equivalent in value of a sum of money expressed in terms of a different currency at a fixed official rate of exchange. 4. Equality of prices of goods or securities in two different markets.» which is the original meaning in France, with the value of the job payed by the value of the home and limited difference.

Article needs additional citations for verification
I added the refimprove tag. The article consists almost entirely of un-cited assertions, which look like the opinions of some person or organization.

Please add cites for all of this material, in order to demonstrate that it is indeed | NPOV and | reliable.

Thanks. - 189.122.91.31 (talk) 07:29, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

added information
The problem of sexual abuse might be mentioned in the article though I have no first hand knowledge on it or how it might be included. It can be both ways. If it is included, it should be short since this is only a small part of the subject, not the main part.

Abuse of the au pair by one of the parents
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-15202122-wife-found-photos-of-au-pair-in-bed-with-husband.do

She had found the photographs, including two showing oral sex, in an envelope with her partner's name on it when she went searching for nail clippers in the au pair's room at their home in Staines and opened a drawer.

''She and Patrick Diavewa, who have been together for five years, had hired Italian Valerie Del Franco, 23, to look after their children aged two and seven months. Within three months the affair had begun.''

Abuse of the child by the au pair
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_528573.html

''AN INDONESIAN maid had sex with her employer's 11-year-old son after fondling and touching him, a district court heard on Wednesday. The court heard that the accused pulled him into her room and performed oral sex on him.''

Indonesian, Italian au pairs were involved. Suomi Finland 2009 (talk) 20:33, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

This article is being discussed on ANI. Suomi Finland 2009 (talk) 20:36, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

Contradicting Origins
This article states that Au Pair originates from the French title 'Au Paire' meaning 'For the pair/couple' (it actually means 'the pair' -- we are missing 'pour'), but also says it stems from the French term 'au pair' meaning 'on a par' or 'equal to'. The first meaning seems to contradict the second, and even excepting this shouldn't the origins be merged into one sentence to prevent repetition? -- Nik Rolls (talk) 10:26, 9 October 2011 (UTC)

Regarding Norway — links are needed to improve the article.
The following is a link that might lead to improvements in the section about Norway,

(- Was open about the au pairs being supposed to participate in the host family's sex life. A chiropractor in Oslo and his samboer charged with having exploited economically disadvantaged women)"- Var åpne om at au pairene skulle delta i familiens sexliv.Oslo-kiropraktor og samboer tiltalt for å ha utnyttet fattige kvinner.".

Does anyone know of any other notable links?--85.166.141.247 (talk) 14:06, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

Published November 22, 2011: (Au pair says she was refused a key to the door to her room. — The man of the house moved in with the au pair: Even when using the toilet, she was not allowed to lock the door, explained the Philippino au pair.)"Au-pair sier hun ble nektet nøkkel til rommet sitt. — Husfaren flyttet inn hos au pairen: Selv ikke på toalettet fikk hun lov til å låse døren, forklarte den filipinske au pairen.".--85.166.141.237 (talk) 10:53, 23 November 2011 (UTC)

November 28, 2011: (The chiropractor said: We have had personal relations with those who we have employed.) "Kiropraktoren: - Vi har hatt personlige forhold til dem vi har et arbeidsforhold til"--85.166.141.237 (talk) 10:53, 29 November 2011 (UTC)

China
Is there any reason why China is listed in the Europe section? TRiG (talk) 05:30, 8 December 2013 (UTC)

Gender
This article is very gender neutral. Do you ever get male au pairs? If so, then can someone find some stats? Squire55 (talk) 22:06, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

The rising number of au pairs in countries like Norway has been linked to what's called "feminisation of migration", a general trend in current, global migration patterns. Don't have specific sources on this at the moment but it's a well established term in studies on migration. A quick search should yield some reliable sources confirming this. (Other factors also matter of course, such as the wealth gap between host countries and the origin countries of the workers. Political factors include the governments of the Philippines and Indonesia, among others, have focusing considerably on export labour in recent decades.) Kald høst (talk) 09:42, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Risky side of au pair work offers

 * Hong Kong domestic workers treated as ‘slaves’
 * “Be aware of au pairs and maids who are forced into sex slavery,” Ludwig said. “If something across street looks odd, something is probably going on.” Amnesty International brings awareness to human trafficking
 * According to Britain's Guardian newspaper, al-Koronky has since returned to Khartoum and maintains Nazer was an au pair, not an unpaid slave.
 * British couple face claims of keeping their au pair as a 'slave' in France
 * "Today’s slaves are predominantly female and usually work in private households, starting out as migrant domestic workers, au pairs or “mail-order brides”. Most have come voluntarily, seeking to improve their situation or escaping poverty and hardship, but some have been deceived by their employers, agencies or other intermediaries, have been debt-bonded and even trafficked. Once working (or married to a “consumer husband”), however, they are vulnerable and isolated. This creates ample opportunity for abusive employers or husbands to force them into domestic slavery." - PACE Recommendation 1663 (2004) - Domestic slavery: servitude, au pairs and “mail-order brides” (2004)
 * In Ireland: "Au pairs 'treated like slaves' as job market dries up"
 * Exploited and Far from Home, Some Au Pairs Are Mistreated
 * Philippines had a ban on au pairs to Europe because of the numbers of confirmed reports of slavery (reprint of a dissertation published in a Netherlands magazine
 * Many working Au-Pair women in Norway complain of being treated as slaves.
 * Recently the Philippine have lifted the ban on Norway and Denmark  97.85.163.20 (talk) 07:19, 1 April 2014 (UTC)

This is a very important point. It raises the question of whether this article on au pairs should be more closely related to the one on domestic workers. Though many au pairs enter countries as au pairs, they are treated as domestic workers. Maybe this should be stated very early on in the Wikipedia article? Kald høst (talk) 09:45, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Australia - the CAPAA constantly contradicts the NOPV by deleting information about AAPFA
It is just unacceptable that the CAPAA, a trade organisation, allows the text for Australia constantly being changed in a way of removal of the reference to the APFAA. The CAPAA only represents au pair agencies and has said in a public hearing to consist of 5 or 7 members. This cannot be representative. The APFAA is an association of hosting families, therefore without any commercial interest. The APFAA has adopted international accepted standards, however, families do not suggest that agencies need to be involved in the matching process.

Removing the information about the AAPFA on a continuous basis with the only benefit to support the commercial interest of those members of the CAPAA should be banned.

It is worth mentioning that the heading for Australia had been introduced by an AAPFA family and it is just sad to see that CAPAA seemed to have started a deletion and changing information contest to push the interests of the AAPFA families out of the way for their own profit but not for the benefit of au pairs.

NPOV please — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.170.94.101 (talk) 13:38, 12 October 2015 (UTC)

A How-to guide?
Some of the information on specific countries read like how-to guides, which Wikipedia is not. See the example of Italy specifically. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.55.116.194 (talk) 05:03, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

uniforms
Do some people force their au pair to wear a uniform, like a maid or a servant boy? If, which kind of clothes are the au pairs forced to wear? Skirts or blouses for girls and white shirts with ties for boys? (OK, I know most au pairs are girls, but some are also boys). (unsigned)

I don't think so. The normal relationship between an au pair and her host is more equal than a uniform would suggest. I think you are thinking more of the sort of au pairs that you might find on other internet sites! --JimmyTheWig 16:33, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

Maybe someone who has been or is a a real (not thoose on the Internet sites) au pair, or hosts or had hosted an au pair can answer this question? Again: If, what kind of uniform? (unsigned)

We are currently looking for an au-pair. My wife used to be an au-pair. So I think my comments are at least partially informed. I am not aware of au-pairs wearing uniforms. --JimmyTheWig 08:21, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

The au pair shouldn't be forced to wear a uniform, because she (or he) is not to be a servant - but a part of the family, an equal. There are however some that will force them to wear uniforms as well as treat their au pair like a servant or even like a slave in different ways. This is very unfortunate.

I'm an au pair currently in Norway. I'm not forced to wear a uniform, nor are any of the au pairs that go to my language class. The laws are very, very strict in this country pertaining to how au pairs are treated. http://www.udi.no/templates/Tema.aspx?id=4661 That link is to immigration services in Norway, specifically, the au pair page. There should be a link to the contract, ect as well from there to verify what I've said. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.202.51.143 (talk) 07:45, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Many of the sections for each countries also read like adverts for those countries and au pair agencies. It's very dubious indeed. Kald høst (talk) 09:43, 20 September 2015 (UTC)

Apparent internal inconsistency
From the History section:

"Sylvie Rogron fut envoyée à cent écus de pension en apprentissage....Deux ans après, elle était au pair: si elle ne gagnait rien, ses parents ne payaient plus rien pour son logis et sa nourriture (BALZAC, Pierrette, 1840, p.17)."

From the Concept and Conditions section:

"The concept of the au pair originated in Europe after World War II."

Either (1) The Balzac quote is invented (which, presumably, can be verified by anyone who has the book (I don't)); OR (2) The Balzac quote is incorrectly dated; OR (3) The concept of the au pair must date back at least as far as 1840 and therefore long *before* WWII. Of course, I could be wrong, because there is another possibility: it may be that WWII began much earlier than anyone had hitherto suspected! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.232.224.153 (talk) 09:22, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Au pair
« Au pair » 2600:1006:B120:E469:E51B:A4F0:9746:6E6 (talk) 04:22, 28 June 2022 (UTC)

No Table of Contents?
Is there a specific reason that there isn't a table of contents?

Edit: Nevermind. Apparently there has been a change in both the wikipedia and firefox browser placement of the ToC. 2603:6010:C100:827B:4C01:53A3:E4F7:D40E (talk) 21:50, 24 July 2023 (UTC)