One of the things that I hear a lot from women with kids is that they would love to workout, but they just don’t have the time because they are very busy all day taking care of their little ones.

They also tell me that even though hiring a babysitter is an option, looking for a babysitter can be frustrating and expensive.

Well, recently I had a conversation with a friend of mine who works for the Au Pair Foundation and she passionately talked to me about the program and its benefits. She told me that this program helps loving childcare providers from other countries experience life in the US while at the same time providing flexible, consistent, and affordable childcare.

This conversation got me thinking that maybe this could be a solution for some of those busy moms who want to add exercising to their lives but can’t because of the busy schedules they have.

I decided to interview my friend, Maria Cortes, so she could give us a little more information about the Au Pair Foundation and the benefits of hiring an Au Pair over a regular nanny.

Maria Cortes is currently a representative of the Au Pair Foundation in Boston. Let’s start the interview.

Aimee: Hello, Maria and thank you for taking the time to sit down and do this interview with me.

Maria: Thank you for having me, Aimee! I am so excited to tell you about our foundation, and how it can help busy moms make their lives a little less busy.

Aimee: As you know, I’m a fitness instructor, and my passion and mission in life is to help women lose weight and get in shape. Women with younger kids often tell me that they would love to commit to working out regularly, but they just don’t have the time, because they are too busy taking care of their kids. Maria, do you think that hiring an Au Pair could help solve this problem? But, before you answer that question, could you please tell us what an Au Pair is?

Maria: Thank you for your question, Aimee! Well, an Au Pair is basically an international nanny. Our Au Pairs come from different countries, mostly from Europe and South America. There are female and male Au Pairs, as well. Parents can choose whoever fits their needs. Au Pairs live with the host family here in the US and take care of the family’s kids for a year. They can work up to 45 hours per week. So if you need to do errands, have a date night, or take an hour or two to catch up with a personal trainer to finally lose all that baby weight, no problem! An Au Pair will take care of your little ones while busy mommy gets some time for herself!

Aimee: That sounds wonderful! Please tells us more about the Au Pair Foundation.

Maria: Absolutely! All of our Au Pairs are very experienced with kids: all of them have at least 200 hours of childcare experience (many of them have more!), so you know that your child will be in good hands! Our company, Au Pair Foundation, runs an extensive background check on each Au Pair, so you don’t have to worry about your kid’s safety with Au Pairs! Many Au Pairs want to become teachers and pursue early childhood education in their countries. They also speak good English. And the best part – Au Pairs are very affordable! An Au Pair will cost around $350 per week for up to 45 hours of quality childcare, compared to $700 – $800 for a regular nanny. Especially here, in Boston, the cost of childcare services is extremely high, so Au Pairs can save you a lot of money!

Aimee: Sounds like a great deal to me! Now, Maria, please tell me, can Au Pairs take care of infants, as well?

Maria: Yes! Some of our Au Pairs are certified to work with infants, so if you have one, you still can get a quality care from our Au Pairs and save money, which is so important for a family who just had a baby, right?

Aimee: Of course! Maria, now getting back to my original question, do you think hiring an Au Pair could help busy moms out there have some more time to exercise?

Maria: Of course, Aimee! One of the great things about having an Au Pair is that when the busy mom is at the gym, they don’t have to worry about getting home on time as they would with a regular nanny or babysitter. An Au Pair is always at home with your child, and Au Pair’s hours are very flexible so the parents can arrange for almost anything! Date nights, gym time or even late hours at work.

I want to share with you a testimonial we received from a family who hosted an Au Pair through our program: “The au pair program has provided our family, especially our children, with a wonderful international, multi-cultural experience. Our children are exposed to a foreign language every day. There is a wonderful exchange of cultural information between our family and our au pair. Having a live-in au pair makes our household run more smoothly. My husband and I can complete our work knowing that our children are well taken care of in our home by an experienced au pair who loves and cares for them deeply.” (Family R. Seth)

Aimee: Awesome testimonial Maria. Can you tell me what to do if I or any other parent out there decides to get an Au Pair? What do we do?

Maria: Well, first, you would need to fill out an application.

After a family fills out an application, we begin the process of choosing the Au Pair! Parents can chat and Skype with Au Pairs to pick the right person for them! After the choice is made, all the documents are filled out, financial arrangements are discussed and the family can expect their Au Pair to arrive in about a month. If parents have any questions before filling out the application, they can visit our Facebook page and listen to one of our webinars and get all of their questions answered! You can register for the Q&A webinar here: http://22s.com/022hv8/ag0j

Aimee: Lovely! So, where can people follow you to get more information about the Au Pair Foundation?

Maria: Parents can email me directly at maria@aupairfoundation.org or simply visit our website at www.aupairfoundation.org

Aimee: Maria, thank you again for this great interview! I’m sure this information will be helpful for busy moms out there who are trying to find more time for themselves, so they can work out more often and also be more productive in other areas of their lives!

Maria: Thank you, Aimee! Best of luck to you!

That concludes our interview. If you are a mom struggling to find the time to exercise, then maybe having an Au Pair at home might be the answer to your problem.

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