The main task of an au pair is childcare, but there are also other duties. Most often these are household chores: washing dishes, cleaning houses, washing children's clothes, setting the table, shopping, and cooking simple meals.
First of all, you should discuss with your host family your duties and the rules of this house. A small piece of advice: take notes so that the work is done conscientiously and with quality. On weekends, also do not forget to help (set or clear the table, wash dishes), because you are almost a member of the family. The host family should show you how to use household appliances - dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, coffee grinder, microwave oven or washing machine, as well as clarify in what water to wash things and how to adjust the heating. In the course of your activities, if you do not know something, be sure to ask about it to avoid making a mistake. In case of emergencies, call the help service and/or the parents at work. If you can wait, then write down your questions and discuss them later. You are solely responsible for the order and cleanliness of your room. This also applies to clothes.
The working time of an au pair is 30 hours per week, or five hours per day. This time is divided differently depending on the family: one au pair works from morning to lunch, another from lunch to evening. Often working time is split during the day - in the morning to take the children to school, then a break, and in the afternoon to pick them up from school and look after them for the whole second half of the day or do housework. In addition, you must be ready for compromises: different situations can arise, and the parents may inform you that plans have changed and they will come later. Since it is unacceptable to leave children alone at home, you should stay for a while. Your hosts will certainly appreciate it.
As for vacations and weekends, according to the agreement, an au pair has one or one and a half free days per week, and it is not necessarily Sunday. In your free time you do what you want - go to the theater or cinema, attend a sports section or community, pursue your hobbies, or meet other au pairs. There is also enough time for language courses and travel. Usually the family informs about the opportunity to go to the city or the surrounding area. After six months, you can agree with your hosts on a paid two-week vacation. If an au pair has stayed with the family for a whole year, they can get a four-week vacation. During the first three months, it is better not to travel so that you, the children, and the parents can get used to each other.
Vacation provides many opportunities for travel. Some families take the au pair with them on trips and pay money as usual if the children receive sufficient care and attention. Other families travel themselves and ask the au pair to look after the house in their absence, or give them the opportunity to go home. How this will be in your family should be discussed with the hosts.
You should also discuss everything related to holidays. How the family celebrates them, on which ones you have to work. Some families are very happy if the au pair stays with them; others want to be alone. Or, for Christmas, for example, you want to go home to celebrate it with your family. Discuss everything in advance with the host family.
Attending language courses or other institutions for a better acquaintance with the culture of the host country is mandatory. Along with private language schools, there are church or state ones, for example, a higher school (VHS), or women's educational institutions that offer varied and inexpensive courses. You discuss with the family the most convenient time to attend courses.