An Interview with Charlotte. A Swedish Au Pair in Bucks County.

The following interview is of Charlotte, an au
pair, who is new to the Central Bucks area. She is from Stockholm, Sweden. For
those not familiar with au pairs, they are caring, committed and educated young
people, ages 18-26 years, from many different countries worldwide. They are
eager to experience American culture while sharing their own unique
backgrounds. They live in a host family’s home while providing up to 45 hours
per week of personalized childcare. They have decided to venture out of the safety
of their home and culture in order to grow and develop, to improve their
English and to widen their horizons, both personally and professionally.
Participating in the au pair program is a life-changing experience for these
young people and they are excited to find a kind and supportive American host
family to work and live with during that year.

How did you come to
be an au pair in Bucks County, PA?

From the beginning, I asked Cultural Care Au Pair to live in a state that is warm all year long (since I'm from Sweden and have to deal with the cold 6 months of the year), or in New York. I remember I said "I would never choose a family in like...Pennsylvania." But then this family popped up, and where in the U.S. I was
going to be suddenly became less important! And now, I am very happy about my
choice! My family is great and I love the area! It is very nice and peaceful.

What do you like about this area and being an au pair?

Working as an au pair is so much more than a regular job.  I love working with children, which is the main reason I chose to work as an au pair. I also get the opportunity to live in another country for one year. I feel that I have become part of a family which I think is a great experience. I have made many friends from all over the world, and my English has definitely improved.  I love to travel, see new places, and meet new people. That is exactly what this job offers me. There are a lot of things I enjoy about this area including, the beautiful nature and that it's close to big cities.

How is this area different or similar to where you lived in Sweden? What is the town like where you are from in Sweden?

I am from Stockholm, the capital and the largest city in Sweden. It's a very safe city and very beautiful, there is a lot of nature and water. The only similarity with Doylestown is the nature and the weather. There are a lot of differences though, for example I am not dependent on a car in Stockholm.  We
have busses, subways, and trains that run all day and night. Another big difference is the activity that occurs during the late evening and night. There are always people outside in Stockholm, no matter what time or day it is. But that's
pretty obvious since it's a big city!

What assumptions do some people have about Sweden or Swedish people, do you think? What ideas did you have about the US before you got here? Have your ideas changed since you arrived?  

Since I got here I noticed that a lot of people think that
Swedish people love the winter since we are so used to it, but I would say it's
the opposite. Another thing people all over the world thinks is that all
Swedish people are blonde, that we have polar bears walking around on the
streets, and that we have winter all year round, which is not true.

My grandfather is from the US and I have relatives here, so I knew pretty much about the US before I lived here. But, some of the things I didn't know, and that was shocking to me, is that you have so many rules that we don't have. For example, the curfew law in the evenings for teens or the law saying that children under 12 years old have to be accompanied by an adult.

What advice would you give families who need childcare and are thinking of hiring an au pair?

I think one of the most important things is to choose an au
pair who you feel the connection with from the beginning. Someone who has the
same interests as your family, and who you think would get along well with your
children. Let the children meet the au pair on Skype to see what they think
about her/him. The au pair is going to live with you for a whole year, so it's
important that you get along and have easy 
communication with each other.

What is your favorite
saying in Swedish? Could you say it in Swedish and English for me?

I have a lot of favorite
sayings in both Swedish and English, here is one of them:

"Låt ej ditt liv formas efter rädslan för dess
slut." / "Don't let your life be shaped by the fear of its end"

Thank you for sharing
your story with us, Charlotte!

No problem.

If you are in need of live in childcare, would like to experience another culture
in your own home or have further questions…Please contact Heather O’Donnell,
Local Care Coordinator at Cultural Care Au Pair,  via email at Heather.ODonnell@lcc.culturalcare.com