Zoz (21 / ), Greek, Student - Social Science living in Netherlands looking for Au Pair & Home share with elderly job in Netherlands for 3-12 Months

I am looking for a different exerience that the student life so far. Living with someone that is not just a flatmate that comes and goes sounds right for me as I love sharing and feeling part of a household. I realised that helping someone is missing from my life and especially interaction with children. You see, I used to go to a summer camp in Greece where I was a team leader of ten to fifteen children aged nine to fifteen years old. Team leader in that context meant that we were all sleeping in the same space, doing lots of daily activities and sports together and I was basically responsible for their wellbeing and for them to have fun 24/7. I don't want to overestimate my experiences so I'm being honest, I found dealing with kids challenging but very fullfilling. They have big emotions and see the world with new eyes, they want to test situations and interact with everything and everyone, they're full of life and I miss having the priviledge to be close to that. I believe its very imoprtant to help them become independent and have a healthy sense of confidence and be in touch with their emotions. I have also volunteered in a home for unaccompanied minors, young boys that were refugees in Greece, which taught me to accept cultural differences and really listen to what someone might need, without assuming.

When it comes to helping the elderly I have only had some experience with my grandpa, I have also often enjoyed conversations with people in cafes, bus stops, the elderly of my neighborhood and in many different situations. I'm a good listener and curious about what being on this earth for long has taught someone. Coming from Greece, the structure of the family often involves the grandparents so I was taught to respect and care for them but here, I also see that older people are much more healthy and independent, riding their bikes faster than me or doing gardening work like they are restless. Of course needing a little help is nothing to be ashamed of, that's what I would love to provide.

I want to mention that I empathise with parents and the elderly, as both social groups are facing a lot of hardship in this economy where everything is becoming more expensive, and it is difficult to own a house or manage time efficiently or just get by. That's why opening your home to a stranger is an act of kindness in my opinion. It is another reason I would like to be an au pair/elderly home-sharer that I am struggling to afford housing on my own, but wanting to help is my priority :)