Beyond the endless benefits of having a reliable and trustworthy childcare provider living with you at home, the beauty of hosting an au pair is that you can fully immerse yourself and your family in a new culture, language and way of life.
The best part? You have an active role in selecting where your au pair is from—which means you can choose to expose your children to a new language you’d like them to learn!
Many host families choose to welcome a Spanish-speaking au pair, since Spanish is such a widely spoken language. It’s also a gorgeous language—one that can help children with learning other, similar languages like Italian or Portuguese.
Of course, the benefits of hosting an au pair from Spain go beyond simply the Spanish language. Spanish au pairs bring with them a deep pride in their home country, and an attachment to their culture. They’re eager to share aspects of their life with their host families, and introduce their host children to everything from lullabies, to traditions, to sports teams to foods!
So, how do you find a Spanish-speaking au pair?
You work closely with a Cultural Care Matching Specialist, who can filter au pair profiles for you and help you zero in on perfect options for your family! Your support team will look for au pairs from our Spanish-speaking countries like Spain, Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, giving you advice and feedback every step of the way.
But what are Spanish-speaking au pairs really like?
Friendly, energetic, passionate and fun! Spanish and Latin cultures are vibrant and filled with opportunities to showcase home country pride. The language immersion alone will keep your children occupied and interested. Unlike a Spanish nanny, a Spanish-speaking au pair will live with you in your home, meaning they’ll have more chances to teach your children words.
“When Angelica first arrived, she labelled a number of different items in Spanish with Post-its around the house so my daughter could learn them. My daughter’s homework is always done before I wrap up with work for the day, and I almost never hear a battle over it!”
—The Lemieux family in Newtown, Connecticut
What else?
Spanish-speaking au pairs usually have a great generosity of spirit, bringing new life and a fun new dynamic to any host family’s home. They involve the whole family in opportunities to learn, and regularly lead the kids in activities that get them learning and growing.
“Andrea has made piñatas with the girls for their birthdays. She also prepares her favorite Mexican dishes for our family dinners—even extended family! For example, for my father’s birthday, we invited my sisters and parents to the house and all had amazing enchiladas.
Andrea has taught me how to take tomatillo salsa, and she has brought back precious Mexican dresses for our girls. She is so generous with her time and her talents.”
—The Fernandez family in New Orleans, Louisiana
Au pairs from Spanish-speaking countries are empathetic and natural born caregivers. They like to pitch in and help the parents in any way they possibly can.
“As we started this process, I worried that an au pair might treat me differently because I’m blind. I thought this might be even more challenging due to cultural differences. I expect that it typically takes people time to get used to my disability, but Romina never made me feel like anything but a capable mom who needed someone to care for her kids while she and her husband worked. This alone makes her not only an exceptional au pair, but an exceptional human being.”
—The Blumenthal family in San Mateo, California
Don’t forget one of the most exciting cornerstones of Spanish and Latin cultures—sports! Specifically, fútbol (soccer)! Cheering for the same team can be a bonding experience for entire families, and a fun way to channel the children’s energy on weekends and weeknights.
“We are a soccer family (fútbol, per Rubi), and luckily Rubi was with us during the World Cup this past summer. The girls at first couldn’t decide who they wanted to root for—the USA, of course, but also Mexico, and even Colombia, as we have become quite close with one of Rubi’s local au pair friends from Colombia. We spent a lot of time watching a lot of soccer with Rubi and her friend this summer, dissecting shots, plays, and well, even the players. The issue was solved when Rubi’s boyfriend visited on their return from a vacation week this winter. He brought a Mexico team uniform for all 3 girls, and now there’s no denying our family’s support of the Mexican National Soccer team (and #14, Chicharito!)”
—The Collins family in Littleton, Massachusetts
No matter where you live, how many children you have or what your schedule looks like, a Spanish-speaking au pair can infuse your daily lives with warmth, humor and lots of fun!
