During their time in the USA, an au pair's first responsibility is to take care of their host children. Au pairs spend up to 45 hours per week and up to 10 hours per day fulfilling their childcare duties, so it keeps them busy.
However, au pairs also get lots of time off, including at least one full weekend off per month and two weeks of paid vacation. At the end of their term, au pairs are also entitled to spend an extra month in the USA traveling!
There is so much au pairs can do during their off-duty time—and staying busy is the best way to make new friends and combat homesickness. Here are the top five ways au pairs spend their free time in the USA!
1. Hanging out with friends
Much of an au pair's free time in the USA will be spent with friends—and it's very easy to make lots of new ones as an au pair!
Pamela, an au pair from Mexico, has made a ton of friends by attending au pair meet ups in her area: "Now I can really say I have friends from around the world! I have good friends from the Czech Republic, France, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Germany, China, Bolivia, Ecuador and England." In her opinion, the best part about having a network of au pair friends is that "they will always support you 100% because they are experiencing a similar process at the same time."
Au pairs may also find American friends to hang out with during their free time. Miriam from Italy has found an American "bestie" during her second au pair term: "When I moved from Florida to the West Coast, I met my best friend here on Bumble. She's American and we have a lot of fun talking about the differences between Italy and the U.S."
2. Traveling
Traveling in the USA is a popular way for au pairs to spend their free time! Au pair Luciana from Argentina says, "If you told me a few years ago that I was going to be traveling around the U.S. I wouldn’t have believed you. But this program has taken me to amazing places I never dreamed of visiting."
Weekend road trips are popular and allow au pairs to visit nearby cities or states in just a couple of days. Vilma and Sarka, two au pairs living in Utah, spent the most recent 4th of July weekend on Lake Powell and had a blast! "We started to drive down to Lake Powell on Friday afternoon and camped. Saturday, we rented kayaks so we could see the Antelope canyon. And Sunday was the 4th of July,” they recapped, “We got a boat for almost the whole day, and it was the best idea we could have ever had—we had so much fun!"
Because au pairs get two weeks of paid vacation during their year, many also take longer journeys to visit somewhere special. Italian au pair Elena had dreams of visiting Hawaii and finally checked it off her bucket list earlier this year. Alaska is another favorite destination for au pairs to visit. Emmanuel, an au pair from Mexico, made it a priority to get there: "The week spent in Alaska with 6 of my best friends was one of my favorite trips. We swam in the hot springs, went snowmobiling, and hiked a glacier!"
Incredibly, French au pair Rémi was able to visit all 50 U.S. states during his time as an au pair in the USA! On occasion he traveled with friends, but most often, he went by himself and gained maturity and confidence through his solo adventures: "You say, 'Oh, I don’t know if I can do that.' And then later you can say 'Yes, I did it!'. After that you’re much more confident."
3. Taking classes
Au pairs are entitled to take classes during their free time as well, and host families contribute to the cost! Taking classes is a great way to improve your English, learn a new skill, or further an area of study. Au pairs can earn the required 6 credits by attending classes at a local accredited college or university, or by signing up for a specialty weekend course designed especially for au pairs.
Au pairs who stay local usually opt for courses at community colleges nearby, but some are able to attend classes at larger universities, like Viviana, a Colombian au pair: “From the beginning, I knew I wanted to take classes at Georgetown. The fact that I could take classes as an au pair really motivated me, and it was great. I took intensive English, Business Communication, and TOEFL preparation courses.”
Mexican au pair Mane really enjoyed the weekend course option. "It gave me the opportunity to visit a new place and to get all my credits at once. And it was so fun! Besides that, I met these amazing people and now I have more countries to visit after my au pair time."
4. Pursuing a passion (or finding a new one!)
Au pairs arrive to the USA with all kinds of interests and hobbies, and will often dedicate part of their free time to doing things they love. Brazilian au pair Luan is interested in pursuing a career in film and has had the opportunity to work on video projects while here in the U.S: "As a filmmaker, I was really excited about learning more about the industry of filmmaking because Hollywood is Hollywood all around the world."
Mathilda, a former au pair from Sweden, discovered a new passion while she was an au pair on the West Coast: long distance running. She trained for and ran the New York City Marathon alongside her host mom and has plans for more marathons in the future. "I'm running because I want to challenge myself. I want to do something I didn't even think I was capable of."
5. Bonding with your host family
Bonding with your host family is another way au pairs love to spend free time—especially after they first arrive. Sharing some off-duty moments with your host family every week helps you get to know them on a personal level and builds trust.
Ebtissam from France particularly enjoyed this off-duty family time: “My host family is amazing. They include me in the family, understand perfectly the goals of this experience, and do everything to make me comfortable. My host mom teaches me so many things, and my host dad has invited me to go fishing with him. And my host kid is so cute—she's a very happy and easy baby. It's so enjoyable to spend time with her.”
As an au pair, there are so many great ways to make use of your free time in the USA, so take advantage of them all during your own unique American experience!