Before their twin girls were born, Mike and Marc met a neighbor down the street who had hosted au pairs for years. “We were skeptical at first,” Mike admits. “But a few weeks after our first au pair, Oliver, arrived, we realized how perfectly he complemented our lives. We were thinking, ‘Wow, this really works for us!’” Oliver, who arrived when Kate and Eliza were just three months old, was responsible for caring for them during the week while the couple returned to work.
Mike and Marc have since welcomed another au pair, Alessandra from Italy, to care for their daughters. “Taking care of twin babies is challenging for anyone but Alessandra is amazing. She does all of the necessary day-to-day stuff—feeding them, bathing them, taking them for walks and playing with them—but she also tries to make each day special, by doing an art project with them or taking them to the library for a sing-along.” They also appreciate that Alessandra is teaching the girls Italian and are hopeful that they will start speaking it along with English.
Relying on consistent, one-on-one care during the week means that these two dads can relax on the weekends and focus on their girls. “Our au pairs are on-duty Monday through Friday and have most weekends off. They are always welcome to join in on what we’re doing, but they also spend time on Saturdays and Sundays with friends. We’ve loved the program so far and would recommend it to any parent who is open to a live-in option. “Having an au pair has been a mutually beneficial experience for our family and our au pairs.”
