We are a family of 4 based in San Francisco. We are currently hosting Regina, one of your granny au pairs. She arrived almost a month ago and it already feels like she is part of the family. Aside from being amazing with the children, she is warm, flexible and has the kindest of a thousand angels. I wish there was a way she could stay forever! I worked in the au par industry for years in Ireland so I know how difficult it can be. You have given us a friend for life.

Thank you!

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Having a Granny Aupair has been such a blessing in so many ways. When I was first looking for an Aupair and then found Granny Aupair, I was thinking mainly about our 16 month old and how he gets so frustrated when I can't take him outside just when I'm starting dinner. Well, he has loved having his Oma take him for walks and he has made huge developmental progress thanks to the many playgroup visits they have made, but a huge benefit has also been for me, just to have someone HERE. For me. As soon as she arrived I relaxed. It's like I've been missing having a Granny around since I was a little kid. It helps that she's caring but not pushy, she accepts me and the family. But I also think a family of two adults is just too small to feel safe. It's natural to have a wise older person around who is a bit more relaxed and available to fill in and smooth things over! This has really helped me heal and I look forward to the other Grannies who are planning to come over the year. It's like an infusion of family wisdom and caring.

She (our Granny Aupair) is absolutely wonderful. She has become a part of our family, and we appreciate her help so much. Her being with us has been peaceful transition, and from what I can tell, I think she is enjoying her stay with us as well. We hope to keep in touch with her long term.

Dear N. and E.,

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your family's life for 3 months.
I have observed and experienced a lot and we have also talked about some things that are easier to do or where changes are needed.
I had a wonderful time here, which I would not want to miss in my life.

I was very lucky to have found you as a family. We understood each other very well in German (unfortunately not in English).

Thank you for the many excursions to Washington and the surrounding area. I would never have been able to explore the city myself. It was a very beautiful spring that I was able to experience in Maryland.

I remember E. his birthday round, also my birthday was beautiful, again many thanks that my daughter with her 2 girls were allowed to come. Also for your understanding that I was allowed to be with my daughter for 1 week at Easter.

The beautiful cherry blossom will stay in my memory forever, as will the fun we had on the safari trip to Nova Wildpark. We explored your forest and did some spring cleaning together. Your neighbour was delighted with the flower decoration in the tree stump. Our Sunday walk along the Potomac River to the gigantic waterfalls was also enjoyed by everyone after initial discussions.

I spent wonderful hours with friends of yours and never felt like an outsider, I belonged to the family as I wished. The Sunday excursion to the temple in the neighbourhood was very interesting and tasty, only the time for yoga is a bit too early. Unfortunately I didn't manage to do it at that time. Pity....
I still remember Yayoi Kusama and her art, Dr. Seuss, the view from the Washington Monument and the discovery of one of the 10 largest churches in the world and the visit to the Mormon temple. There is so much more to tell, I enjoyed every trip and am very grateful that I experienced so much in these 3 months.

I kept fit with S. on her midday walk. We have discovered some animals on the way and know the sounds of the aeroplane or the birds in the sky. S. has learned to walk and run during this time. She knows finger games, shows you how big and strong she gets when she eats well and how good it tastes. Knows the animals and other objects in her books.  Responds when asked to do something in German and Spanish. She likes to play in the fresh air and enjoys exploring her neighbourhood and everything that crawls around on the ground. She likes to listen to music from her big brother and her little bottom wiggles along. Goldilocks has a strong character and a strong voice. She also needs this to be able to assert herself with her brother.

And L. and I, that's a chapter in itself....we both have a strong will, but unfortunately not in the same direction. Nevertheless, I have grown fond of him in his own way. But it was Junior with his constant diets that made me smile again and again. Even in old age, a woman learns something new.... But he was not at a loss for excuses when he said he was wearing L.'s swimming trunks because they didn't close.

Dear N., don't let your men get you down, take care of yourself. Thank you for everything, you were a great cook, guide and chauffeur. But I also learned to love and appreciate you as a friend. It was a wonderful time in your "crazy" and sweet family.

I hope you keep me in good memory and I could support you a little.
I look forward to seeing you again...somewhere...sometime...somehow.

Sincerely

Your Granny Andrea
from Germany

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We have had many great experiences with each Granny. We learn a lot from each other and remain friends for life. We collect recipe from each Granny.
A Granny is not an employee, she is a temporary grandma and you have to treat her that way. It's a great concept that I can recommend to everyone.

My family has already had three wonderful Granny Au Pair experiences and are thrilled about the experienced help to raise children together.
We can only recommend it to all parents, an enormous enrichment.

Hello Mrs Hansen and team,
I would like to get in touch with you again.
As this is the 4th time I have stayed with the K. family in Innichen - South Tyrol, I don't think I need many words to explain why I have been there so often.
Let's assume that it wasn't the last time.
The contact to the family came from you, of course.
Greetings
Anni

Dear Ms Hansen, dear staff,

a few days ago I said goodbye to my host family in Cairo and arrived back in "Good old Germany".

Yes, it was a powerful experience, 97 days I spent with my family there with 2 small children.

It took a lot of courage for me to take this step, and beforehand I was very unsure whether I would succeed!

Now I just wanted to get in touch with you to tell you how good I think your Granny-au-Pair portal is.

I am already thinking about how I want my future to be!

I wish you all the best and remain

with kind regards

Andrea Maria

Dear Mrs Hansen,
My first granny aupair assignment is starting. I'm flying to Washington tomorrow to a lovely host family with 2 children (0 and 2 years old). I am really looking forward to the little ones, the family, the culture, the city and everything. My motto in life: "just do it" and solve the problems only when they are there and not before they even, if at all, possibly.... show themselves.
I realise that it might take a few days to settle in, yet I know it will be good.
I had never studied English in my life before, only since I took part in their seminar have I been learning every day and am now looking forward to hearing and speaking English and learning a lot more .
I am so grateful that your association came to my attention.
After days of uncontrollable excitement ;), I am now absolutely calm and happy.
I wish you and your team a wonderful time.
Kind regards Elke

Muraho (Hello) to Hamburg,

I have now been in Kigali and the surrounding area for 8 weeks and have to say: A dream!!!!!!

Everything worked out. The family was very pleasant and helpful. Despite the challenging tasks, they supported me very sensitively and gave me time to settle in. It was good that they had just moved from Hanoi to Kigali shortly before me. So we all had to get involved with new things, gather new experiences, make new contacts. I was immediately involved and so the connection with the children (3 and 8 years old) was quickly established. After a week, one can say that trust prevailed. My respect for the family, they did that very well, after all I was the first Granny.

During the few weeks I was also allowed to get a taste of the normal everyday life of the locals. I went to the most famous market here with the gardener (luckily), together with Jackie, the young and inquisitive housekeeper, we did small cooking classes, my English teacher Angelique told me a lot about the hard life. She was alone with 5 children, refugees from the Congo. Chapot !

The friendliness of the people is staggering, but you have to approach them and put yourself at eye level. One should always keep recent history in mind. The UN and the EU have not covered themselves with glory.

Oh, I could write so much more .... Because it was simply great and eventful and I still had so many plans.

Murabeho

Marion

A sunny MURAHO (Kinyarwanda, one of the 4 national languages) to Hamburg,

After a good 3 weeks I finally want to report how great everything is here.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous before leaving. Central Africa was a big unknown for me, with lots of question marks. The family allayed some concerns beforehand, but still, I was totally excited. But it didn't help, I had agreed to go, so we started as planned. By the way, I am the first Granny in Kigali ;)), right?

Arrived here and after 3 weeks of experience, all concerns were dispelled. The family was really helpful and understanding as it took a few days of acclimatisation. I was just amazed. It is quite simply a different world from what I have known so far.

There was no pressure and everything came together calmly. The tasks are similar and manageable, just like in the other countries. I was warmly welcomed into the family and things are going very well with the children (boys, 3 and 8 years old).

The biggest challenge for me was getting into THIS traffic. At first it was a shock to see how it is on the streets, but you "feel your way in". Actually, there is only one rule: everything flows, however, go, go go! In fact, everyone drives considerately even if it doesn't look like it. In the meantime, it's even fun and now I even dare to get on the "motocycles" during my excursions. Even for having to jump over my shadow now and then, I do this wonderful job.

This weekend we will go on our first excursion and have rented a room in a great resort outside Kigali. And if the opportunity arises, I would like to do some more trips in this wonderful country. But first we have some tasks ahead of us, e.g. moving within Kigali, designing a garden and so on. It will not be boring.

MURABEO, Ni byiza, (Bye, it's going well)

Best regards

Marion

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Dear Mrs Hansen, dear Grannyaupair Team,

I had a wonderful time with the family in Tyrol. I am now home for 2 months and will visit this family again in October and stay a little longer. I am looking forward to the quite small boys that I am looking after there, it is an enrichment for me every day to experience how the children develop and we have a lot of fun and joy together. Besides, mum also needs a lot of support in everyday life as a single parent of such small children. We get along very well and the small animal zoo consisting of 3 cats and two dogs works very well.

Again and again I am asked by strangers what I do. Everyone is enthusiastic about your project Granny-Aupair and I recommend your website wherever I can.

At the end of the month, a good friend of mine from Gifhorn will take part in your workshop; I have infected her!

Now I am looking forward to my time at home and soon to Kiel, where my 5 grandchildren live. They are already longing and so am I.

I wish you a wonderful summer time.

Kind regards

Eva

Dear Mrs Hansen,

...I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that I will be flying to Egypt from 11.08-26.08.2022 - the Egyptian family has invited me to their beach house. I will be in Cairo from October to speak German with the family's 5-year-old daughter - the girl is due to start school at the German school in Cairo in February 2023.
At the moment, the plan is for me to stay in Cairo until then (and learn Arabic if not too difficult ). A longer visa for this
period for Egypt is the next challenge.

Other plans: 3 months stay in USA (Conneticut) with a single mother of a 3 year old son.
After that: Visiting a sympathetic lady in the Eifel who is looking for a companion for health reasons.
Further contacts for 2023 have been initiated.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team once again for the great idea of this platform and its implementation - not least, you are making a valuable contribution to the understanding of different nations and cultures!

Kind regards from Forchheim,
Karin

Dear Granny-Aupair Team,

after a very short time I have already found my family - I am also incredibly happy about the fact that it is exactly this family that was the deciding factor for my registration with you: the family from Buguggiate/Italy. I had read the - very appealing - report in "TV für mich" about Monika and remembered that I had heard about your placement before. But as it is: if you don't take action immediately, you just forget about it again.

Now I will travel to Italy on 23.06. and I am already looking forward to the coming time - although I have a very good feeling after the video calls with the family.

Many warm greetings from Bavaria!

Eva

Ready for something new!

Granny Monika is in the process of turning her life around. Since the end of 2020, the 66-year-old has been in Italy, taking care of the two children of her host family. Since then, she has been overcome with a feeling of happiness. The beautiful house. The pool. The view of the deep blue Lago di Varese, with the mighty Monte Rosa massif in the background. Postcard idyll. And a few days ago she wrote to us: "I am just buying a small house on Lake Maggiore and will therefore stay in beautiful Italy for a few more years. I will continue to take care of "our" two children: we have really become a family and I am more or less an elective grandmother. Everything was not originally planned this way - but it has become all the more beautiful.

Living with a Granny Aupair
Living with a Granny has been a very pleasant experience so far, however the main challenge could be in making sure that everyone is enjoying their privacy. On our first Granny experience, the Granny used to come to our private spaces like bedrooms and study rooms. Her intentions were good and it was her first Granny experience so we didn’t take it personally. But we noticed some cultural inconveniences and personal space discomfort on our side.
On the following Grannies’ visits, we started to explain - from the beginning- that the family needs its privacy to manage their personal interests and affairs. In return the Granny has free access to all the ground floor but not to our bedrooms and work areas. The ground floor includes the kitchen, the living room, TV, and access to patio and house yard.  This proved to be a good organization of space and made everyone comfortable.

Cultural differences are not a myth , especially when it comes to cultural uniqueness related to women status for example across societies. The Grannies usually come with certain views of how women are treated in Arab and Muslim culture and it is very difficult to convince them that not all these views are real. With time our family realized that it is not easy to change their perspectives.  Now we overlook negative views / comments and leave it to the Grannies to see the realities by themselves.

There are many happy experiences with our Grannies to be honest. An example is when we took one of our lovely Grannies to meet our great grandmother, and our grandmother gave her Burga (Battoulah) and asked her to try it . We took photos of the two as they were communicating with signs and laughs, it was really a happy moment and a warm human interaction.

We really appreciate our lovelyGgrannies and their help to improve our kids’ German language. We stay in touch with almost all of them. Some of them are so kind and generous that they post gifts for the kids. The Granny experience is not only a cultural encounter but a unique human encounter that is warm and full courageous exploration. We admire the courage in every lady who made the decision to be a Granny Aupair in a totally new culture from her own. Their courage keeps on impressing us! 

Dear Mrs Hansen, Dear Granny aupair Team,

Last weekend I came back from California after 2 months.
It was wonderful and exceeded my expectations. I experienced something new almost every day and sometimes I couldn't get out of my amazement.
As soon as I have a gap again, I will definitely become active with you again.

Many thanks and best regards
Beate

“I am feeling very comfortable in China and with my Wangs. On May 1st I will be flying back to my old life with mixed feelings. Especially leaving the children will make me sad. I have felt really well here in China and what I have seen, smelt, heard, tasted and felt, was so unbelievable that it has eclipsed all my expectations.

At home again I will have quite a lot to do: My youngest daughter has celebrated her Abitur, my husband has turned 50 and so on.  Plus something really great is happening, my host family from China is here in Germany and tomorrow they are coming to visit! I am so looking forward to seeing Peidi and Haodi, those are the children’s names again.“