Wanderlust Cultural Homestay Tutoring (Au Pair in China) Program

I came to Beijing as a post-grad from university, and it has been a great experience to live abroad with the safety network of the program and your Chinese family! I've had a great time playing with and teaching the kids, the ayis at home make amazing food, and going out to explore the city with the friends I've made from the mandarin school.

Every au pair experience will be very different, so here are some things to consider before you come to ask your family and the agency (things that I wish I had asked before): will you live on your own or with the family, where is your home located and how long is your commute to school, what a typical weekly schedule looks like for the family, and any travel plans that the family has during your stay (and if your vacation days will be used while they are traveling). The cultural difference between western and Chinese norms aren't always the same, so it's best to ask any little thing you're not sure of, just to make sure there's no confusion.

This experience can be amazing and can not be amazing, but it's really what you make of it! Take advantage of the free time you have and explore your city, try to make friends with the people in the Chinese school, and make an effort to make your own routine in China! The initial learning curve of getting used to everything here can be hard but if you put in the work, it'll be so worth it in the end!

From applying to the au pair program to arriving in Beijing, took around 1 month. It was a very spontaneous decision from my part but not at all regretful. I went in on this journey with an open mind eager to explore a new country and it’s culture and language. I got to stay with a family in Beijing for 6 months (dec-june), pretty close to the Center of the city, 3rd ring road. The family have 2 girls that I taught and we got along well together. I had my own separate living space from the family which made the stay more pleasant as I could separate work space and my personal space. The commute to the school was 40 minutes with subway and bus which was quite convenient, and after getting used to the subway system it’s very easy getting around Beijing. The bikes are also a plus, very enjoyable riding around the city and you get to see a lot more of the hidden streets.

Coming to China was one of the best decisions i’ve made. Every Au Pair will have a unique experience, whether good or bad, but going with Wanderlust Exchange made sure that my experience was only positive!

The agency is always super helpful and friendly. They’re always willing to
help out and offer support making my life here in China much better! Wanderlust is also very keen on making sure the families they have on record are legit. My family is probably the best family I could ask for! I get along super well with the parents and I just adore their children.

Thanks to this program I was able to go from not knowing any chinese at all, to being able to hold full conversations and even message people in chinese!

If you’re looking for a way to spend your gap year that’s cheap, fun and educational, this is definitely the way to do it!

I did a 3 months experience in China as an au pair for a family in Wuhan. It has been an amazing experience! The family was lovely and the agency gave me a lot of support especially during the first period of the stay.
In the experience is also included a very useful language course that really adapts to everyone needs, personally I used it to prepare some of my university exams.
I would 100% recommend this experience to everyone who is deciding whether to do it or not. I think it is an experience that everyone should try at least once!

After spending 6 months in Shanghai as an AU pair, I have gained lots of experience and interesting stories to tell.
Upon arriving in Shanghai I was greeted by a welcoming family and a comfortable living environment. My host family was extremely generous and kind. I do have to say, there was a huge cultural shock as the values and mindset are very different. I have been to many parts of the world but China gave me the biggest culture shock. On the other hand, if you are an adventure-seeking individual this is for you and could be the experience of your lifetime. After a few weeks, I got used to my new environment and was enjoying most aspects of my stay. Being immersed in the beautiful Mandarin language was the most unique part of the trip. If you have a love for languages I highly recommend this program, as there is no better way to learn Mandarin than to stay with a native family and practice every day.
The staff at Wanderlust Exchange were all very helpful. Any question I had got answered almost immediately. I also found myself writing to them late at night(as most of the day was busy) and they still gave me an answer the same day. Moreover, they organize regular cultural events to help the AU pairs settle in, find friends, and just enjoy their stay in general.
Overall, I highly recommend this program if you are an extroverted and thrill-seeking person looking for an adventure. If you love stepping out of your comfort zone or would like to try for the first time this is a great starting point for you. It all boils down to what you are looking for in life. Nevertheless, I'm sure most people can find many benefits with this program, and hey, what better place to start than China?

I want to say thank you so so much to Wanderlust for running their au pair program and making it possible for me to fulfill my dream of coming to China. More so, I want to thank my amazing host family for making it an unbelievably amazing experience and for all of the lovely times we had together. I am so thankful for their kindness and hospitality. I have had an enriching time here in China. I learned about Chinese culture and cuisine, made so many funny memories together, and had a fun time with my host kids. I would definitely recommend this program if you are interested this type of work/ exchange program!

I had so much fun from exploring the aesthetic view of the host family province, to trying different Chinese meals and also having a nice time with the family. The program helped me to gain more knowledge on Chinese language. I explored the Chinese traditional dragon boat festival and how the family gathers and eat different kinds of meal on that period. During the festival I was told Chinese family bonds more at this time. It helped me to be more flexible and making new friends among my Chinese language class colleagues.

大家好! I am Sofia and I have spent the last 6 months as an au pair in Beijing. This was one of the best experiences of my life, it helped me grow as a person, I met people from all over the world and I made very good friends. I improved my Chinese skills a lot thanks to the Chinese classes I attended and the school environment was awesome. Living with a Chinese family helped me learn a lot about Chinese culture and I experienced a lot of aspects of the Chinese culture you can only experience if you live in a Chinese environment. I would recommend this experience, because it enriched me a lot!