Glacier Au Pair｜Ten years of experience in solving the culture shock problem of foreign au pairs, and getting along with intercultural families!

Following the last issue, Glacier (an international education company providing one-stop au pair/summer school/young adult study abroad services) focuses on a more central cross-cultural challenge - culture shock. Based on the experience of hundreds of au pairs, we have summarized 7 common cultural conflict points and provided customized solutions to help families and au pairs get along with each other from “friction” to “tacit understanding”!

 

 I. 7 core manifestations of au pair culture shock  

Through ten years of data precipitation, Gerlach has found that when foreign au pairs first join a Chinese family, the cultural conflict mainly focuses on the following 7 dimensions:

1. Differences in living habits: Differences in dietary preferences, work and rest routines, and hygiene habits can easily lead to minor conflicts;
2. Conflicting values: Differences in perceptions of family roles (e.g., whether au pairs need to take care of household chores), children's education (e.g., whether children should be allowed to play freely), and respect for elders (e.g., whether to offer to give up one's seat to an elder);
3. Language barriers: Differences in Chinese and English expressions lead to communication misunderstandings and increase the probability of conflicts;
4. Religious differences: dietary taboos, holiday customs, etc. may trigger a lack of understanding;
5. Personal Privacy Boundary: The collective concept of the Chinese family vs. the foreign au pair's emphasis on personal privacy is prone to conflict;
6. Kinship treatment: the collision of Chinese families' respect for the authority of elders with foreign au pairs' notions of equality;
7. Differences in socialization styles: Chinese warm greetings vs. foreign simple interactions, which can lead to misunderstandings of “impoliteness”.

 

 Second, the Court Leahy professional solutions: 7 steps to resolve cultural conflicts  

In response to the above issues, Collegiate provides each family with exclusive cultural adaptation guidance, from awareness to action, helping both parties to establish a harmonious mode of living together in all aspects:

1. Inclusion first, understood to be to

Gerlach instructs families to be “open-minded” about differences:

- If au pairs do not greet each other frequently, it is not impolite, but the habit of “not disturbing unless necessary” in European and American cultures; it is recommended that families observe before communicating and do not hasten to put labels on the au pairs;

- Encourage families to have “cultural sharing sessions” with their au pairs (e.g., weekly sharing of living habits in each other's countries) to improve understanding.

2. Privacy Boundary Clarity  

Court Leahy reminds families in advance:

- Au pairs are required to knock on the door to enter their rooms (male family members in particular avoid frequent contact with female au pairs) and never go through their personal belongings;

- Make it clear that “respect for privacy is the bottom line in intercultural relations” and avoid asking personal questions such as “do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend” and “how much do you earn”.

3. Respect for freedoms, consultation on constraints  

Court Leahy emphasizes that au pairs are adults:

- Instead of imposing time limits and return dates, rules are established through “friendly negotiation” (e.g., one hour's advance notice for late return);

- It is strictly forbidden to withhold passports and other documents and not to interfere in the au pair's private social circle.

4. Language Barriers  

Court Leahy offers:

- Templates for daily communication (e.g., lists of “family rules” and “dietary preferences” in English and Chinese);

- Recommend translation tools (e.g. DeepL) and encourage families and au pairs to learn each other's language (e.g. teach each other a sentence in their mother tongue every day) to improve interaction.

5. Full respect for religious beliefs  

Court Leahy guides the family:

- Learn in advance about the au pair's religious customs (e.g. Muslims don't eat pork, Christians worship on Sundays) and take the initiative to avoid them in terms of food and activity arrangements;

- If the family has religious beliefs, it is also necessary to communicate in advance to seek a balance that is acceptable to both parties.

6. Clarification of family roles and educational concepts

Gerlach assists families in signing a “Role Agreement” with their au pair:

- Clarify the au pair's duties (e.g., accompanying the children to learn English and play games, not full-time babysitting);

- Regarding children's education, explain family expectations in advance (e.g., whether children are allowed to look at cell phones, whether they need help with homework), and au pairs can also share their home country's educational practices to learn from each other.

7. Gradual adaptation of socialization styles  

Court Leahy advises families:

- Take the au pair to participate in light local socialization (e.g., walks in the park, community fairs) to help her understand the social culture in China;

- Respect the au pair's social habits (e.g. preferring solitude or small gatherings) and do not force her to participate in activities that do not interest her.

 

 III. Extra support from Kakuraishi: zero stress in cross-cultural relations  

In addition to the above programs, Court Leahy also offers:

- 24-hour conflict mediation: when encountering conflicts, the exclusive counselor is ready to intervene and mediate neutrally;

- Intercultural training courses: Families and au pairs are entitled to free online classes on Intercultural Communication Skills;

- Full follow-up service: from the au pair's arrival to her departure, the counselor makes monthly visits to adjust the adaptation program in a timely manner.

 

 Why choose Courtesy Au Pair Service?  

With ten years of experience in the au pair field and a total of more than 100 families served, we can not only match you with quality au pairs, but also solve the whole process of cross-cultural problems - allowing au pairs to become “international family members” of the family, the children to improve their English in their native language environment, and the family to The au pair becomes the "international family" of the family, the children improve their English in their native language, and the family experiences the charm of multiculturalism!

 

 

If you are thinking of inviting an au pair or have already encountered a culture clash, please contact Glacier! Our professional team will provide you with a free consultation to make intercultural family life easier and more harmonious.  

 

Contact Court Leahy immediately:  

Official website: www.glacieredu.com

Hotline: +86 186 1090 8992

邮箱：info@glacieredu.com