Meet LauRen Merola, a North Carolina mom who juggles life with two active boys, runs her own blog All of the f-words, and hosts a popular radio show on Charlotte’s Kiss 95.1. Her impressive background also includes dancing for the NFL and NBA, winning Miss Pennsylvania in 2008, and placing in the Top 5 at Miss USA that same year. Oh, and one more thing—in 2019, LauRen and her husband Dallas welcomed their Cultural Care au pair, Elena, into their family.
We sat down LauRen to learn why her family has loved being a part of the au pair program and what it's like to embrace a new extended family member from another culture.
Why host an au pair?
“When I tell people we have an au pair to care for our sons, I get all kinds of reactions and questions. Isn’t that crazy expensive? Is it weird having someone else live in your home? How did you find her? And I think the most popular question…Do you like being a host family? The honest-to-goodness answer to the last one is, no—I don't like it, I love it!
Having an au pair has not only enriched our family’s life by exposing the boys to different cultures and giving them stability in a caretaker, but it has also made our lives more manageable. Thanks to Elena, our household now runs like clockwork. The stress I used to feel trying to schedule care for the kids while I was at work and Dallas was on the road is now a thing of the past."
Au pair Elena has not only bonded with the Strager's immediate family unit, but with their entire extended family as well
Deciding on an au pair agency
"We have been extremely happy with our decision to become a host family, but that doesn't mean it was a commitment we took lightly. I spent months researching programs and following au pair agencies on social media.
After doing my research to find an au pair agency that was right for our family, we decided on Cultural Care Au Pair. They had the largest selection of countries to choose from when matching with au pairs, and I loved their "takeovers" on Instagram because it gave me a better understanding of what to expect as a host family, as well insights as to what the experience would be like from an au pair’s perspective."
Breaking down the benefits
"I used to think au pairs were for the super-wealthy. But for us, the cost of hosting an au pair is comparable to what we were paying for childcare with our nanny—and we were getting a lot fewer hours from the nanny. Plus, having someone who becomes a 'big sister/ brother' figure to your child is invaluable. This person becomes someone who is caring for your child with your ethics, principles, and disciplinary beliefs in mind."
Host mom LauRen wanted someone who would become a part of the family and not a "distant roommate"
What it's like to have someone live in your house
"I could see why a family would be concerned about this topic at first. Questions like, 'will we ever have our own private family time again' did come to mind. But as the host family, you set the tone. Different families will be looking for different candidates.
We happened to want someone who would become a part of our family and not a distant roommate. Other families might want an au pair who is a little more independent and who spends less time at home when they're not working. That's why the interview process is so important and why it's essential that both parties are open and honest throughout it."
Advice for future host families
"Once your au pair arrives, the faster you can make them feel welcome and settled, the stronger your bond can become. Think of it as your niece or nephew coming to stay with you for the first time. They will need to know where the grocery store is and maybe how to use the washer and dryer. Little things that we take for granted and do every day might be a first for them.
I knew as soon as I met Elena at the airport that we had made the right decision. Now, that is not to say that things will always be easy. There will be a learning curve, as well as times your au pair may feel homesick, but if you make an effort to work through things together as a family, this will be a successful in this experience."
Discover more
Curious to learn more about what it's like to welcome an au pair. Watch the Strager family's experience here.