Carta al Aupair
Dear Au Pair,
Hi! Welcome to our family! All of us are excited to finally meet you. I hope that your opportunity to come to America will be as pleasant for you as for us being able to get to know you. With our big family, you will never be lonely! We are the Haupt family. Our last name is German, so it is not pronounced the way it is spelled. I live in Glen Carbon, IL. It is in the suburbs. There is not a lot of crime. The biggest crime problem here is theft. There is a lot to do here. There are many places to go shopping and eat. We also have a movie theater and a few parks and trails nearby. The biggest city that we live nearby is St. Louis. Our family is separated, I have 2 kids living with me while the other 3 stay with their mother. My mother and their grandmother live close to us, so she does stop by to visit occasionally. They also have grandparents that live out of state, but they will only come by once a year. I am Jordan and Lauren is there mother. Our oldest daughter is Kristen, who is 15. We have twin girls who are eight. Their names are Rachael and Melissa. Our youngest daughter here is Olivia. She is 7. We have one son- Sean, who is the youngest, who is 2. We have two dogs, but they are always either in the garage or outside. Our children mostly get along well with each other. Occasionally they gain up on each other but are quick to make up. I have Sean and Rachael, and Lauren has Kristen, Melissa, and Olivia.
Lauren currently works full time as an educator under normal business hours M-F. She usually leaves around 7:30 each morning and returns at 4pm. She also has an evening job that goes from 5pm to 8pm during weekdays. There will be little oversight at her residence as Kristen will be the one overseeing her siblings. You will primarily be providing transportation to the children at Lauren’s residence when needed, but outside of that very little. I work for an oil company, and working hours consist of a 6-6 rotation either day shifts or nights. Most children ride the bus to school, but some have alternate transportation needs. Besides transportation duties, you will be spending most of the time with Sean and Racheal. When it comes to watching Sean, you would be expected to play with him, bathe him, change diapers, feed him, and help with his educational needs. Sean is an easy-going and lovable toddler. He is shy but likes to snuggle with you. Sometimes he does get cranky when he is tired, but often rocking in a chair with him will help calm him down. Rachael, who you will also see mostly, is a bright eight-year-old. She enjoys meeting new people and is outgoing. She enjoys having someone play with her too and likes having her hair done. She likes to have her hair braided a lot. She does have the habit of being sneaky, especially around the house, when it comes to getting into things that she knows she needs to ask for. You are expected to be stern with her by telling her no and letting us
know if you see her doing anything wrong. She will sometimes have homework, which she usually does not, that may need to be checked and be provided help with. There may be times when you may have to provide her with a meal. The children that live with their mother, you will mostly see each other before school and on some weekends. Kristen, who is 15, is in the tenth grade. She goes to a private school. There is no bus transportation to and from school, so you will often be dropping her off and picking her up from school. She will be picked up and dropped off at her mom’s house. Kristen is often shy at first but also enjoys meeting new people. She can be moody at some times but seems happy most of the time and does not have any major behavioral concerns. After dropping Kristen off at school, you will be expected to make sure Melissa and Olivia get on their buses safely before dropping off Rachael at school. Melissa’s and Olivia’s buses pick them up right in front of the house. Melissa, who is Rachael’s twin, is currently in the third grade. She is autistic but is high functioning. She does not have many behavioral concerns. She is verbal, sweet, and lovable. You will have to make sure she has her bookbag before getting on the bus, and make sure that she is safe while waiting for the bus. Breakfast will already be provided for the children who live with their mother, and you will not have to worry about making sure they are ready for school. Olivia, who is our youngest daughter, is currently in the first grade. She does have a developmental delay. She is also loveable and sweet. She does not have any major behavioral problems. You will also have to make sure she has her bookbag before getting on the bus and is safe when she is playing outside while waiting for the bus. After both get on the bus, Rachael must be dropped off at her school and picked up later in the day. Her school is not too far from either house. After dropping her off at school, you will have Sean for the rest of the time before having to pick up Kristen and Rachael from school. On days that it is difficult to transport the children to school, help will be provided, and other arrangements can be made. There will be times where one of the children may be sick or must go to a doctor's appointment, we may have to have you take them to their appointment or watch them also if they cannot be at school, while also watching Sean. I would need you to have a flexible schedule. We are hosting an au pair, who is from South Africa, who is finishing her 2nd year in October 2025. Fortunately, we have been able to familiarize some African cultures. I would like to get you here a couple of months before her departure to ensure a smooth transition.
Our ideal au pair is someone who enjoys and loves being around children. Someone that would love them like they were their own. Someone who is also dependable and honest. Safe driving skills are also necessary as well. We do not have many rules that will be provided. We expect our au pair to be respectful and tell us if there are any conflicts that may hinder taking care of the children. We do not mind if family members or friends come
down to visit, but please tell us if they need a place to stay or if they will be there during working hours. You will be provided with your own furnished bedroom and bathroom. If there is anything else we can accommodate for you, please let us know. We want you to feel welcome inside our home. If you ever have any questions about anything, I want you to feel comfortable around us. You will be part of our family. We are excited about meeting you and hopefully we will see you soon.
Love,
Jordan, Lauren, Kristen, Rachael, Mellissa, Olivia, and Sean Haupt