It’s never too late for amazing opportunities: You might be too old for a pony, but you’re never too old for becoming a mature Au Pair.
Actually, for mature women, this can be a great way of exploring the world. And the privately run agency Madame Grand Mere makes sure you’re exploring the world with a safety net of a lovely family.
Now, if you want to spend your next trip as an Au Pair, you can do so with the help from Kristin.
Kristin is 70 and she’s living in a Bavarian village not far from Munich – one of Germany’s most picturesque regions.
The Early Years
She by far didn’t spend all her life in this secluded place. For many years, she was married to an industrial engineer working for the United Nations. Therefore, they didn’t live only in Germany, but also in places like Geneva and Copenhagen.
Kristin, the great woman behind the successful man, took care of the household and the three kids. She cooked dinner for her husband’s business partners and had cocktails with ambassadors and famous politicians. Social life was without saying a big part of the job.
As everybody with kids can figure, this was not always easy. Kristin had to rely on help from Au Pairs. Understandably, she was particularly happy when her then 65-year-old aunt Jutta came from time to time to stay with the family and look after the kids and the house.
This Gives Me An Idea
In 2009 the youngest of her three kids left home, so Kristin, by then retired, took a good look around. There must have been an old dream hidden somewhere.
And indeed, she remembered that as a young girl, she always dreamt of becoming an Au Pair girl in Paris – the city of lights! Only her parents didn’t allow it, so these lights remained dim. But now was the time to turn them on and illuminate the “best age” that lied ahead – Kristin decided to become an Au Pair at 62.
Since at that time, there were no agencies, it was extremely difficult to find a host family. But nothing could discourage Kristin, and finally, with the help from some friends, she found a French family that took her in to stay with them at their huge, charming Appartement in the famous Parisian neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Près.
Strictly speaking, Kristin was not the average student anymore. Nevertheless, she insisted the host family wouldn’t treat her differently. She stayed in a tiny room facing the backyard, sharing the shower with other students.
Back to School
Like any other Au Pair, she had her duties like helping the family’s daughter study German for her Bacalaureat.
She ate dinner with her hosts and enjoyed conversations about cultural differences and similarities. In the company of all the other commuters, she took the Métro to school and back. With her schoolmates, she studied French in the morning and partied at night. She had the time of her life!
I can absolutely relate to that since my language courses in Rome, Izmir, and Milan were some of the most inspiring experiences ever.
Madame Grande-Mère
I think that at an advanced age it’s not only the activity and the trip as such, but it’s also especially the idea behind, the recherche du temps perdu – respectively sa découverte.
Back home, back to her little Bavarian village, Kristin, spurred by her own experience, decided to give others the opportunity to make at least the wish to become an Au Pair come true. She founded an association placing senior Au Pairs in host families around the world.
From the Blueprint to the Project
Having a brilliant idea, founding an association, designing a webpage – this was makeable. But here the hard work only began.
Kristin had to let the public know that she was out there and that she was ready. She contacted every newspaper around. She wrote more than a thousand Emails to German-language schools abroad. She got in touch with chambers of commerce, consulates, and embassies. She stormed every convention dealing with demography.
And it paid out. After a while, she was an expert in this field. Kristin attended respective events like Chancellor Merkel’s demography summit. Then the Bavarian delegate to the European Union Dr. Niebler recommended Kristin to German President Gauck to receive an award for her outstanding honorary activities.
Finally, also the media were interested in this ingenious project.
The Only Way Is Up
Today, Kristin’s project gets more and more attention – thus Kristin gets more and more commitments and chores.
For years, she’s participated in major conventions and specialized fairs. As a matter of fact, the group of active senior citizens is growing significantly, especially but not exclusively in Germany. Therefore projects like Madame Grand Mère are absolutely in line with the trend.
The peer group is interested, hence, Kristin’s databank includes almost 500 potential Au Pairs. It’s around 460 grand mères and at least 30 grand pères. Every year, about 20 of them are heading to new shores. The youngest was 50 and took a sabbatical for her trip whereas the oldest went for a couple of weeks to North Carolina at the age of 76.
This Is the Drill
Of course, the Au Pairs get board and lodging for free and do sometimes receive additional gratuities according to an individual agreement with their hosts.
The same goes for the fare, it all depends on the respective necessities, the circumstances, distance, and length of stay. That can vary from four weeks “vacation assistance” up to one year.
The friendships last forever, though.
However, there are regular ‘customers’ like the German TV correspondent in the US or the Honorary Consul in Türkiye, and there are Au Pairs going again and again.
You now might wonder about visas and work permits. To avoid illegal employment, an Au Pair cannot be over 27 years of age – at least according to German law.
However, since the Grand Mères are not employees but the family’s guests, they only have to stick to tourist visa regulations. You will find these in my World’s Most Complete Travel Information.
The same goes for possibly necessary insurance. German citizens have their national or, where necessary, travel health insurance, and liability insurance. Unless these are cheaper in the guest country in which case the host family takes care of it.
Besides maybe a little pocket money, the reward of the Grand Mères is a wonderful adventure, the chance to learn – and to teach – languages and experience, it’s an enriching give and take.
Becoming Family
Many of the Au Pairs are retired teachers. But there are also women who were just housewives for years and do want to experience something new, something exciting after their kids left home. Basically the same reasons why the founder of this fantastic project left for Paris in 2009.
And the founder herself gets all dreamy sometimes when she liaises between an Au Pair and a lovely family at a particularly alluring dream destination such as Dubai and Daressalaam, like Beijing and Brisbane.
(Photo: Image by Aline Dassel from Pixabay)
But by now Kristin is far too busy making Madame Grand Mère great – by promoting her non-profit society, giving interviews, attending conventions. And, obviously, the most challenging part which is the placement of Au Pairs into families. That requires very thorough preparation, checking lots of paperwork, references etc.
The first introduction is anonymous, if both sides are interested, eventually they get further information. It’s very important that things work out and both sides are happy. And besides minor incidents, by now Kristin, the families, and the Grand Parents are elated!
What Do You Think?
I hope I gave you a good idea of what Madame Grand Mère is all about. I think that especially for people who are a little insecure going to far exotic places all by themselves – and who are at the same time quite curious about what these places are really like – this is the perfect way of getting on a trip and spending an extremely rewarding time.
I’d love to hear what you think of this project. And if you know about another extraordinary program, I’d be grateful if you’d let me know. In brief: Keep in touch!
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I do trust all the ideas you’ve introduced in your post.
They are really convincing and can definitely work.
Thank you for the post.
Yes, it’s a great project 🙂
Amazing concept as I never knew this before reading your post. You rightly said at any age we can start to fulfill our dreams. It is really great to see our favorite city with return of few services. I never came across Au pair but now would check this as it looks amazing.
It’s a nice way to experience a destination on so many levels – culturally, personally, financially…
I have never thought of being a au pair until I met this girl at university. She was au pair in Italy and vacationing with the family during the summer holidays. She loved it!
I can imagine! The good thing is that families often use help specifically for the holidays 😉 ….go for it!
Such an interesting article! Good to know this option is out there for me in the future.
I loved learning a bit more about the au pair role. It’s something foreign to me as an American, but I’ve been living in the EU the last year, so I’ve heard some stories from younger au pairs. It’s nice to see a different perspective for mature women and how the agency came to be for Kristin!
I’m glad – however, I think that there are American au pairs in Europe, too 😉
I really enjoyed this – so good to hear that there are so many options out there for the more mature traveller. I can imagine this being thoroughly satisfying if you adore kids and don’t want to be alone 🙂
What a cool story! I bet you meet all sorts of interesting people and have all kinds of crazy stories to tell 😉
I think so, too – judging from the people I met travelling 😉
This is a well-timed post. Just last night I was thinking that I didn’t know much about what all being an au pair entails. Glad to learn more about this lifestyle – it definitely is a great option for those who love kids!
Yes, I think being happy around kids is crucial 😉
What a fantastic idea! I love hearing about this & although it wouldn’t necessarily be for me, it is so amazing to hear Kristin’s story & as a mature traveller, great to hear that these opportunities are not just for younger people. Thanks for sharing, definitely food for thought.
Same here – I’m not the most patient person on earth so that might be a problem. However, as you say, Kristin’s initiative is fantastic!
This is such a great program! If something is still around like this when I am that age I would love to look into it 🙂 Btw no one is ever too old for a pony either haha!
I was thinking the same: When my time comes, I would definitely try it out.
What a brilliant idea! Whenever I think of an au pair, I think a younger person. It’s perfect for the older generation and makes them still feel useful. My friends daughter was an au pair in Paris for a couple of years and she loved it!
Wow – good for her! I kinda missed out on that opportunity when I was young – so now I’m waiting to get old to do it 😉
This is so sweet! I had no idea that becoming and au pair was still a thing!
This is an interesting read. Haven’t thought of Au Pair or heard of this project but looks like it is beneficial for both sides esp the host.
Exactly! It’s the perfect win-win.
I read your post with great interest! Now, who would want to become an au pair after retirement! I am so glad that such an opportunity exist for mature generation and I think there is a wealth of experiences that comes along in hiring a mature au pair. Great post!
I would never have thought of taking a job as an au pair as a way to see the world. But do understand this would offer a bit of a safety net with a local family. I am sure that living with a local family would also help with picking up a new language. I think it is a great program to help people who may be hesitant to head out for travel on their own.
That’s exactly what I like about it. Obviously, people who have travelled the world all their life don’t need this ‘net’. On the other hand, it can be a total new experience – and you can do it for instance just for a couple of weeks, you don’t have to stay a year like the regular au pairs.
This is such a great idea. I feel maybe because I’m older now, that a more mature au pair would be so much better than a younger one. It’s funny how your views change as you get older, lol.
I think so, too. A mature au pair won’t get frustrated because she cannot party every night etc.
Great post! it is very encouraging. Au pair is definitely a great option
It’s another good idea of how to travel with some kind of a ‘safety net’, I think.
This is very cool! Honestly, I read the article aloud in an English accent which made Kristens experiences and her endeavors even more fanciful. I love learning about people making the change they want to see, even and especially after the age of 40!
Sweet! I imagine your reading a bit Mary Poppin-ish – am I right?!
A friend of mine once said ‘ Learning is your ticket to a wealthy future.’ No matter how you are, there’s always something new to learn.
I a devoted advocate of lifelong learning!
This is an amazing concept, especially as women grow older a sort of loneliness engulfs them and that reduced the brains to functions. Au pair brings in that engaging opportunity of going to places and learning the cultures. This is real awesome
I think it grants many inspiring and endearing encounters – we all need that, right?
Wow I have never thought of being an au-pair as a way to experience another culture (and get paid to do it!) Thank you for sharing.
Yes, I think it can be a very nice way of seeing the world.
Wow I never really thought about what all is involved in beginning an Au Pair, such an important job for those that have been relocated to other countries.
Totally – but also for other households that might need a little help.
I have never thought of it like that but always as something for the younger women 🙂
As a matter of fact, me too. However, isn’t it a valid option even for more mature adventurers?
Perfect thanks for sharing this I always about au pairs now I have a bit of information
Very welcome – glad I was able to supply you with some info 🙂
Its never too late for new things and new adventures. I was an Au Pair when I was a student. Loved it. Had meet some amaizng kids while working.
I never did it when I was young – now I’m waiting to be old 😉
Being an au pair sounds really fun. I think it’s something I would like to try when I’m older.
I love this! I have degrees in child development and human development and teach college-level courses in both. So I have the background for this 🙂 I have no (immediate) family of my own, so this might be a good options for me post-career 🙂
I think it’s a great way of exploring the world if you want a safety net. Yes, for you it would be perfect.
Something to look forward to when I am old.