Swedish au pair Erica Rosander is happy, bubbly and full of life—and her 3-year-old host child is the same way! Erica, who just ended her year with her host family last week, says: “We were clearly just a good match for each other.” Below she shares why Julia is her “mini-me” and how she was able to be a great role model to her and her other host child during her year in the U.S.
Gap sweatshirts? Check. Hair in buns? Check. Biggest smiles around? Check!
How does Julia act like you do?
Julia copies me by trying to be independent. Everything that I do by myself, she wants to be able to do herself. She wants to get dressed by herself, put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher by herself and put nail polish on all by herself. I find it really cute and I can’t help smiling and giggling when she’s trying to do something and it is not really going her way (if this happens she usually tells me to stop laughing and that it is NOT funny). Her determination is so adorable cause when she’s trying to do something she cannot do she says: “I can do it, I am a big girl, just like Erica.”
This pair is so cute, they gotta wear shades!
Does she copy what you say?
The funniest words I have taught her are “woop woop”. If we are going to do something really fun I usually say: “Can I get a woop woop?” Of course she has picked up on this so when she gets excited about something she stands up and says: “Can I get a woop woop?” while she waves her hands up in the air.
How is her personality like yours?
We are both jumpy and happy. She has even started to walk like me, with her hand in one pocket or one hand on the hip. She is so open, social and not afraid to speak up, just like me. I think she was born that way and it did not have anything to do with me, but I still encourage it. We were clearly just a good match for each other.
America-loving girls showing their ever-present smiles.
What have you done to be a good role model to Julia and her brother?
I do my best to be the best role model for them as I can. I do the basic stuff like putting dishes away, cleaning up after myself and always try before I ask for help etc. The world we live in can sometimes be superficial and I always try to remind Julia that she can be whatever she wants to be. If she wants to be a firefighter, that is okay. If she wants to be a dancer, that is okay and if she wants to be a housewife, that is okay too. I believe that planting that seed into her head will make her bloom when she is more mature and realize that her Erica was right, she can be whatever she wants to be. I wish everyone on earth could have a Julia in their lives. I love her.
Thanks Erica for sharing this sweet story with us! If you are or host an au pair with a mini-me, we want to hear about it! Share your story here.