LoPair Education: Au Pair Cultural Exchange Program in China

I spent 6 months in Shanghai starting in November. It has honestly been one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. The family I got matched with have been absolutely fantastic. Obviously there have been some huge differences between our cultures but they were fantastic and enjoying hearing the differences in culture and expectations. The mandarin has been difficult to learn but my teacher was wonderful and helped every step of the way. I've heard other people have had bad experiences but nothing of my time here has been anything less than great. (Also the family took me with them on their holidays so I got to travel beyond Shanghai, beyond the tourist facade)

As I started I didn`t know what i should expect. A new country, a new culture, a new family, a new home. I had to take care of 2 boys in the age of 3 and 5. As soon as I arrived in Shanghai, I was a part of the family. They often took me to different places, showed me the city and intruduced me to the chinese lifestyle. If there were any problems, I could easily talk to my Host-parents or my Local Coordinator about it. Especially the first oriantation days were really helpfull to get a view on how my life looks like for the next 6 months. The most important thing with chinese kids is to be patient! If you are patient enough and get through the first month, you will also easily get through the rest.
I can totally recommend this programm to everybody who wants to learn more about the chinese culture, the language, the food and likes to play and work with children!

If you are child-loving, eager to experience a different culture and are interested in learning China, this program is excactely the right one for you. As every other aupair I also had some cultural shocks at the beginning even though I was already aware of cultural differences! However the cultural differences are sometime quite helpful to experience Chinese lifestyle.... From my point of view I can just say that it was a wonderful time and I enjoyed myself a lot. I had a wonderful time with my second host family - they were just the perfect fit! Playing games with children, read books to them and simply teach them English - that’s basically what aupairing in Chinese families is about... Of course you will also experience Chinese lifestyle, food and culture when living together with your family ;). But you should now that being an aupair is a “serious job” and it’s not about partying! If you’re looking for this, then this is the wrong choice to make... But I guess you already know that! Just be open-minded and try to integrate into the Chinese family, then the experience might be the best one of your life!!! Looking back I cannot say I regret my decision to come to Shanghai: It’s a great town for sightseeing, for learning Mandarin at Mandarin House (especially learning this unique language made my aupair in China a fantastic experience) , meeting new friends (Chinese and expats) and meeting a fabulous host family!!! I will definitely miss mine and really hope they will visit me some day in Germany ✈️!!! That’s what your aupair is about: Taking a new family/ home into your heart and building up a lifelong lasting relationship with them❤️.

Mi au pair experience in china has been wonderfull, first when I came I didn’t really knew what to expect. It was a leap of faith. I didn’t really knew much of my host family or the kids that I would be with, but I decided to give it a chance and I have no regrets. The Chen’s have been more than welcoming. they have embraced me with my highs and lows and I’m more than greatfull because I fell pampered and taken cared of everyday since I arrived. They have shared not only their culture, views and costumes but their home and love. It has become a place where I feel comfortable and happy. We all help each other and try to make everyday the best of it. Not speaking the same language can be a huge barrier to deal with simple daily life issues, so it is really important to be with opened minded people that are willing to embrace the task. The Chen’s are always willing to listen to me in the most basic ways, we take things with humor and that helps to overcome any misunderstandings that life may bring. My 3 little girls are more than just my host kids, they have become my partners in crime, my playmates, my sunshine and my sisters. I’m so lucky to have them. They re intrepid, funny, loving and playful. Everyday I try to make them learn something new in an interesting and enjoyable way and they are always exited to see what new task I’ll prepare for them in the future. They are clever, smart and just wonderfull to be around. They try to keep me informed about what hapends around us even if I don’t speak the language so they have become my best allies during this journey, I can’t imagine having my Chinese experience without them. And ofcourse there has been moments of doubt and loneliness but I think that has made me even more aware of the things I have at home and usually give for granted, there’s nothing that a positive attitude and hard work cant beat . I have a different perspective of society and life since I came to this beautiful country. in china is not about how strong one person can be, Chinese know better when it comes to that, they believe that United, better things can be achieved and that includes family. I know my time here has been a great experience for them and for me and I will miss them when I’m gone. They will always have a place in my hearth and the Chen’s have made china a place I’m happy to call home.

Being an Aupair is challenging, but rewarding. Rewarding because you get to become part of a family and immerse yourself completely in the cultural. You also get to meet so many people from all over the world and learn a language that at first may seem impossible, but is actually quite easy. You get to make life long friendships and you get opportunities to travel around China. 
Living in a foreign country is obviously going to be difficult. Having an open mind is definitely a must, keep in mind you're in a  different territory which means different rules, different traditions and customs. I lived 6 months in Beijing and 6 months in shanghai and i must say Beijing was my favorite. I think its the perfect place to experience china. During the time I was an Aupair I got hosted by 3 families and the the children I taught captured my heart completely. I love them, they will always have a special place in my heart as well as the families. 2 out of the 3 families that hosted me were perfect matches, now, with that being said, not every match is successful. Choose your host family wisely. Get in touch with other Aupairs and ask questions, but remember everyone's experience is different. If you have a problem with your host family remember communication is key. Talk it out with them first and if you can't reach an agreement then get the company involved. If you have a conflict with the family do not take it out on the company. They will help as much as they can. 
I fell in love with China so much that i signed another 6 months. Unfortunately my year abroad has come to an end, but I'm not sad because I know I'm coming back soon. China has become my home. Give it a shot. Its worth it.

I very much enjoyed my time as an au pair in Shanghai. Having studied for a year in Hong Kong I was eager to return to Asia and experience living day to day in China. The opportunity to live for 3 months in one of the world's global cities has been invaluable. In 3 months, I had secured a job, set up a bank account, found flat and made a network of friends. Without this opportunity none of this would have been achieved.

I undertook a 6 month program with a family in Shenzhen. I took care of a two year old boy and spent most of my time with the host grandmother and ayi. The orientation that Lopair provides is excellent it makes you feel safe and prepared, you meet countless people from all over the world, some in which I still keep in touch with. From my experience my host family took the phrase 'become part of our family' literally, of course this approach came with a few bumps it really allowed me to become fully immersed in the Chinese culture. I recommend this program because even if the experience isn't all positive and perfect you will definitely come out the other side having learnt something. Personally for me, this was a huge step out of my comfort zone but I don't regret it because of all the people I met, the language that was once so foreign to me is now understandable and the fact that I now have a second family in China that is happy to welcome me back again with open arms. So even if you are unsure of your decision, I would advise you to still try it, even in unfortunate cases Lopair is still supportive of whatever decision you make and will help you get to where you want to be. I will also mention that the children can be difficult to deal with as most of the time they are overprotected and/or over indulged by their families. Of course there are exceptions but this sometimes results in undisciplined host children which can be difficult to deal with. In my personal experience I wish I had done the 3 month program because by the fourth month I had become weary. Which is why I recommend to any future au pairs not to bite off more than you can chew and to extend your stay if you find yourself enjoying the experience. All aspects outside of the family such as social life and school are great, you learn so much and meet new people. When it comes to the family get to know as much about them during your interviews.

Since I applied for the the chance to be AuPair and go abroad my normal life in Mexico. I just decided to be part of a new culture and involve myself on the experience I thought would be the most incredible one. Well, that's true... I lived the most excited and amazing chance in my life, 1st traveling since Canada, next flight to Shanghai, take a bus to Hangzhou with my new AuPairs friends and live such as party there. Go to Beijing and be part of this Chinese family and creating a goo environment and being sure everything what surrounds me was safe and comfortable.
Having a 2nd chance with another family and be the big brother for 2 amazing girls (Run Sheng 2 yo and Ning Ning 9 yo).
These girls changed my mind and made me the teacher, the cook, the nanny and even the bodyguard. I very appreciate my host family's trust, confidence and caring for me.
Where now at the place where I'll be in the future I know I created a little space in their hearts for me. These girls taught me more than I can teach em and without any doubt, they'll be my little sisters for the rest of my life. Now I know how it feels be part of the Chinese Culture and realise that everyone has the opportunity to change someone's life.
Be here, be now! This is what you have, this is what you are, but more importantly... You're the best part of the world when you love what you do and share with amazing kids your own way to live.
I never stopped to believe on what I can achieve, cuz I always know what's my deal.

I stayed in a host family for 4 months and it was a very valuable experience for me. The feeling after your host child`s English slowly improves is one of the best ones I have experienced here. Doing an Au-pair stay was a good opportunity for me to learn more about China and the Chinese culture.
LoPair helped me whenever I was in need e.g. for the visa extension. I would definitely recommend this program to adventurous people who want to get to know something completely new.

The Au Pair experience in China is an extremely rewarding experience I would gladly recommend to anyone. Becoming an active member of another family enables one to become a more well rounded individual. There is an education you will receive here that a text book could simply not illustrate. My experience in Hangzhou has left me feeling like a graduate of an international character building academy for which I was lead by amazing people and integrated into an amazing family. As the youngest sibling of three I was dedicated to becoming an older sibling and role model to a child and as time progressed I found that I assumed more roles than that. You have the opportunity to meet like minded individuals from around the world and can easily communicate with these new friends about your life experiences and why it is important to share knowledge and grow with other people. I am extremely proud to have participated in the Lo Pair Exchange! Good luck to all future arrivals!

I have always wanted to explore and see China. I was nervous in preparation to go and thinking about how the experience would go scared me. Considering how far away and different it will be from Canada. I quickly found out that their was nothing to worry about, with the right preparation and open mind I fell in love with my whole experience. The food, people and stories where quite an amazing experience.

From Start to Finish, I had a lot of support from the preparation to go to the moment I got off the plane, the orientation before meeting the host families and through out the whole time spent in china till I left to go back home. I made a lot of friends from around the world. My host family was very nice and helped me explore their beautiful city. I got to teach a little girl and learn about their culture.

Working internationally is a great way to connect and expand your social circle. After I came back from China I worked in my local city. As I met people back home I found that people were interested in my international work experience and knowing a bit more about what I did. I am very grateful for this whole experience thanks to Lo Pair.

Going to China as an Au Pair ist most likely a very difficult decision to make. First of all there ist the distance from your home country and the different culture that definitely takes more than just a few weeks to get used to. Then there is the language that you don't know anything about - and english often doesn't help either. And to top that all of there is the life with a new family that you will spend the next months with.
If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone, lopair is the right program for you!
I can happily say that I made some really great friends during my time in China, both in my city and others. Lopair makes it very easy to connect with other Au Pairs and offers both fun and cultural insight with their classes and workshops on chinese culture (cooking, music, calligraphy etc). Another thing is the language classes, which is probably the most attractive
aspect of this program for many future Au Pairs.
The staff of lopair ist incredibly nice and supportive. There is no question they could not help you with, and they try very hard to make this experience worthwile for borth the Au Pairs and the host families.
Overall a really great program that I can very much recommend!

你好！我叫Michael！I am currently living in 杭州中国(Hangzhou China) as an Au Pair through Lo Pair. When I looked t this program I was immediately attracted to it because of the Chinese language and culture class that is included, and Lopair的中文课是很好！So I have not been disappointed! Living with my host family has also been a treat, I play with my host children and teach them English, and get to practice my Chinese with Ayi and my host parents! I think Lopair found me a good family to stay with and can do the same for you too.
Daily life as an Au pair here is good. I get the morning to get out and explore, study, or relax, and in the afternoon and in the evening after dinner I teach the children english. With Betty we play, and draw, and even sing a little bit! When I’m teaching Joe we will talk, read, play games in english, and study out of his english books. I do have to say, the parent’s pay quite a lot for me to come and have this experience, And for their children to learn. Don’t worry, be friendly, talk, have fun with the kids, but take it seriously. The more you and the children are speaking back and forth in english the happier the parent’s will be! Also eat your veggies In front of the kids
Speaking of food, it’s probably quite different from anything back home. I really like the food here though, plus chopsticks are quite fun to use. Enough said I think.
Chinese class is good, you get to spend time with the other au pairs nearby and I’ve gotten plenty out of the classes I’ve had so far. The teacher’s are nice, and should be happy to answer any Chinese language related questions you may have. Once a month you’ll get to go to a cultural class as well. Some examples are; painting umbrellas, or learning the traditional way to make tea, or practice tai chi.
All in all I think this program is very good. If you keep in mind that the children will probably be hard to deal with sometimes, the parents have high expectations for you, and the culture is very different from what you’re probably used to, you should be fine. Bring positive energy, curiosity, and an open mind, and you’ll have a wonderful time!

I've been in Beijing for a little over 5 months now and my 6 month stay will soon come to an end. I don't want to leave yet because there is still so much I want to do. I have enjoyed my new lifestyle and daily routine that I have perfected. I've been lucky to have been placed with a host family in Beijing. The city really has a lot to offer, it is beautiful, and such a great place to make friends. My stay with a host family where I teach their four year old boy has really been a new and enriching experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to build such a great relationship with my host kid as I taught and played with him. About 9 months ago, I looked into this program and thought it would be the best way for me to travel, learn a language and culture. The process was very quick and easy that before I knew it I was having interviews with host families and then all of a sudden I found myself on a plane flying to China. I've gone a long way in a short period of time and I'm glad that I went through LoPair because it is great program! They provided us with orientation from the first day of our arrival which was a very helpful transition into being an au pair. My local coordinator was absolutely amazing, easy to talk to, and so much help. Also, I gained amazing memories and friendships that I will forever cherish. From this experience I also learned more about myself and developed as a person. By being part of such a unique culture, immersing myself, learning the language, and teaching a language has made me realize that China, specially Beijing will be a place that I will find myself coming back to....very soon.

I am for 6 months in China. My boys are 1 and 5 years old. And the beginn of my half year in China they were shy and didn't want to do anything with me. But after some weeks they realize I am not their teacher. I am their sister. And it is amazing to become a part of a new family. I see the boys how they grow up and learn a new language. They can communicate with me.
In the evening we watch tv and it feels like a real brother-sister relationship.

My best moment was when the one year old boy his first English word said. "Purple".