Hi, my name is Erica. I’m 20 years old and from Bristol, England, but I currently live in Cardiff as a university student. I’m in my final year of studying Politics and International Relations, a subject I have really enjoyed exploring. In my free time, I love creative hobbies like sewing, writing, playing instruments, and reading. I also enjoy spending time outdoors and staying active. Recently, I’ve been taking bouldering more seriously and make an effort to go on runs a few times a week. In the past, I was a competitive swimmer, though I haven’t competed for some time.

I want to become an au pair for three main reasons: to improve my Spanish, to travel and immerse myself in new cultures, and because I genuinely enjoy caring for children. Firstly, I want to develop my Spanish-speaking skills. While I have a C1 certificate from a university course and can understand the language at a high level, my speaking ability is still quite limited. Since I hope to work abroad in the future, fluency in Spanish would be incredibly valuable. Becoming an au pair would allow me to fully immerse myself in the language and culture, helping me improve my skills naturally through daily interactions. Additionally, I love to travel. I have quite a bit of solo travel experience and know that I thrive on exploring new places, meeting different people, and experiencing diverse traditions and cuisines. Being an au pair offers the perfect opportunity to do this while also having the security of living with a host family, making it both an enriching and cost-effective way to travel. Lastly, I want to be an au pair because I truly enjoy looking after children. I have extensive experience working with children of all ages and find it incredibly rewarding to see them grow, learn, and develop their personalities. I love teaching them about the world, supporting their development, and, quite honestly, I find children hilarious. Their curiosity and unique perspectives make every day interesting and fun. A host family should consider me as an au pair because I am highly independent and capable of taking care of myself. I don’t require constant supervision or guidance, making me a reliable addition to any household.

I am also very productive and dislike sitting idle. I always find ways to keep myself engaged, so there would be no concerns about me feeling bored. I am good at entertaining myself and staying active. Although I value my alone time, I am naturally confident, sociable, and talkative. I enjoy meeting new people and adapting to new environments, which helps me integrate well into a host family. Additionally, I have around three years of experience living in shared housing, which has taught me the qualities of a good housemate—being clean, quiet, and respectful. I understand the importance of maintaining a harmonious living environment and would bring these qualities to my role as an au pair.

I have a lot of experience of working and looking after children. I have worked in a primary school as a casual and as a holiday rest bite worker for five years. This job has given me a lot of experience working with younger children. I have worked in a baby room with children as young as four months old, as well as in Nursery (ages 2-4) and Reception (ages 4-5). However, my most extensive experience is with autistic, disabled, and behaviourally challenging children between the ages of four and eighteen. My responsibilities with this job change with each age group, but I have experience helping with schoolwork, preparing snacks, leading outside activities, helping with field trips, providing sensitive care and a lot of cleaning. While this work can be both rewarding and challenging, it has taught me the importance of clear communication, patience, planning, and always approaching situations with kindness and empathy. Additionally, despite being challenging, it has also confirmed to me that i really like working with children and it is something i am good at doing.