We are the Mopalwar-Ferreira family, and we have a wonderful male au pair from Brazil, Antonio! If you want to know about hosting a male au pair, read on!

We are a family of 5, consisting of mom, dad, boys aged 5 and 2 years old and our 12-year-old dog named Sherlock. We are currently located in Springfield New Jersey and are very soon moving to the township of Berkley Heights not far away from here. Living in New Jersey, we often met au pairs chaperoning their host kids in parks and cafes all over the area and were intrigued by the idea of hosting an au pair ourselves. Both our families live very far from us and we were keen on adding an adult member to our household who could help with childcare and become a part of our family. We met a lot of female au pairs, who all seemed very nice, and at first were under the impression that all au pairs are female. Clearly, not true!

We started looking for au pairs in earnest last October and I wanted to find some one who was energetic, curious and able to handle the high energy that is a norm for my family. It was amazing how we landed on Antonio’s profile and clicked immediately! He shares the same hobbies as my husband (rollerblading and art) and loves to cook and try new food (like me!). From the time he arrived at the airport, it was like bringing a family member home . He immediately jumped into his role of Big Brother to our boys, and our oldest and him have been inseparable since!

I thought at first that having a male au pair might be awkward for me, but it has been the smoothest addition to our household. He follows the same routine as the boys (dad included), is super tidy and is always helping out without being asked. He is completely in charge of their activity time, school prep, bath and bed time and has not missed a beat. I am so happy to have matched with him as I see how much my kids have come to adore him and now they have someone to always give them attention when mommy and daddy are caught up with other duties.

I am excited to share our journey with you, future and current host parents, and hope you find my insights a good read.

Happy Hosting!