HOUSEWORK DUTIES OF AN AU PAIR
List of housework duties accepted as light housework:
• Washing dishes, including loading and unloading dishwasher
• Preparing simple meals for children
• Keeping kitchen tidy and clean, including sweeping and mopping floors
• Loading and unloading laundry into washing machine
• Ironing for children
• Putting washed clothes away • Vacuuming
• Dusting
• Making and changing children’s beds
• Cleaning children’s bathroom
• Everything to do with keeping their own room/bathroom clean and tidy
• Light shopping (not the entire household shopping)
• Walking and feeding pets
• Emptying bins
List of duties considered unsuitable for an au pair – Please remember, it is a cultural exchange programme, giving a young person the opportunity to learn about British culture and improve language skills through interaction with children.
• Gardening
• Window cleaning
• Spring cleaning
• Cleaning the oven, other than simple wiping out
• Washing carpets
• Washing the car
• Weekly shopping
• Pet training
• Clearing up after untrained pets
• Making parents bed*
• Ironing for parents *
• Cleaning parents’ en-suite bathroom*
• Polishing silver and brassware*
• Cooking the family meal, unless the au pair enjoys cooking and has chosen to do this for the family
*These duties can be included where there is less childcare and the children are out of the house for most of the day, if this is agreed in advance.
Au pairs should not be required to do housework such as ironing, when looking after children of primary school age or toddlers, due to safety reasons.
• Washing dishes, including loading and unloading dishwasher
• Preparing simple meals for children
• Keeping kitchen tidy and clean, including sweeping and mopping floors
• Loading and unloading laundry into washing machine
• Ironing for children
• Putting washed clothes away • Vacuuming
• Dusting
• Making and changing children’s beds
• Cleaning children’s bathroom
• Everything to do with keeping their own room/bathroom clean and tidy
• Light shopping (not the entire household shopping)
• Walking and feeding pets
• Emptying bins
List of duties considered unsuitable for an au pair – Please remember, it is a cultural exchange programme, giving a young person the opportunity to learn about British culture and improve language skills through interaction with children.
• Gardening
• Window cleaning
• Spring cleaning
• Cleaning the oven, other than simple wiping out
• Washing carpets
• Washing the car
• Weekly shopping
• Pet training
• Clearing up after untrained pets
• Making parents bed*
• Ironing for parents *
• Cleaning parents’ en-suite bathroom*
• Polishing silver and brassware*
• Cooking the family meal, unless the au pair enjoys cooking and has chosen to do this for the family
*These duties can be included where there is less childcare and the children are out of the house for most of the day, if this is agreed in advance.
Au pairs should not be required to do housework such as ironing, when looking after children of primary school age or toddlers, due to safety reasons.
Au Pairs in the UK & Au Pair Agency UK: Sussex, Kent, Surrey, London