Work and Cultural Exchange through LoPair Au Pair China

I think these were the most exciting and interesting six months I’ve had so far! This program offers a lot, language courses, cultural activities and a lot of support. The whole application process was very easy and smooth. The only thing one has to consider is that it’s always a bit unpredictable if it’s going to workout with your first host family. I’ve had the experience of changing families and I have to say that LoPair offered me a lot of help and support during that time. I didn’t feel alone and always had my local coordinator Mickey by my side. In the end I had such a lovely host family, I couldn’t have wished for a better match. They introduced me to the Chinese culture and showed me a lot of new places. I got to see many different places in China, with my host family and on my own! I think if you decide to join such a program you need to be able to communicate a lot and openly. It’s always about keeping an open mind and communication. Especially since one is entering a totally new environment and culture. Some cultural differences are normal! This program also offers a few cultural activities. For Christmas the agency invited the Au Pairs and their host families to a bakery to bake cakes. Overall I just wish we would have had a few more cultural activities. The language courses that are offered vary from the time of ones application. A few of my fellow Au Pairs went to a language school, while me and another Au Pair could attend a language course at an University. My first semester I had uni mostly in the morning for three hours every day. The course was intense but very fun! I got to meet so many new people from all countries. It’s such a good opportunity to meet and connect with people. So if one has the chance to take the course at Uni, I definitely suggest to take it! It will be a bit more time consuming but it’s worth it! Overall I would say this program is perfect for people who are looking for a new environment and experience. I can recommend going with LoPair to China!

I spent my summer in Beijing through the LoPair summer programme and it was the best summer of my life. I highly recommend LoPair and the summer programme particularly for any students like me who had some time between terms at university. I absolutely fell in love with China on my time here as I got to see so much of Beijing on my days off and while out with my host family. I also got to see Hangzhou (for orientation before heading to Beijing) and Shanghai at the end of my trip thanks to my host family! I would say that you should expect to be challenged by this experience but with the right mindset you’ll leave a new and improved person. Integrating into Chinese life, trying new food, learning to use chopsticks, appreciating a different culture and making lots of memories and friends were just some of the many things I gained from this experience. It was a lot of fun but I also left so much more confident and capable as an individual. I became very close with my host family and sibling and became part of their family life, enjoying meals together and spending time with them in their daily lives. I felt so comfortable during my stay at their home. I also really enjoyed the mandarin classes provided by LoPair! In just 2 months I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of Chinese and the group classes were always really fun and a great way to meet other au pairs. I would never have been able to do anything as unique as this had it not been for the LoPair summer programme and I am SO grateful that a classmate recommended it to me. The process was all really smooth, from the admin before you leave to getting oriented in China and the support you feel along the way.

I have been an au pair with Lopair for quite some time now, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. I have extended my 6-month program three times already! The reason I keep extending is because I absolutely love China and my host family, who have been incredibly kind and welcoming. Lopair has been instrumental in making my experience smooth and enjoyable. Whenever I face any issues, their support team is quick to resolve them in a timely manner. Their dedication to ensuring a positive experience for their au pairs is truly commendable. One of the highlights of being with Lopair is their monthly cultural events. These events are not only fun but also provide a great opportunity to immerse myself in Chinese culture and meet other au pairs. It's a fantastic way to learn and grow while having a great time. Also, learning Mandarin in China has been a wonderful challenge, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the language and culture. Overall, the key to being a successful au pair in China is communication and choosing the right host family. Lopair excels in both these aspects, making it a top choice for anyone considering becoming an au pair in China. If you would like to know more about Lopair and my experience, feel free to ask Lopair for my contact information.

There aren’t enough words to describe what an incredible experience I lived in my stay in China. The six months I spent in Shanghai passed by in a blink of an eye, my days where filled with so many new things to do, to learn that I couldn’t feel the time quickly flowing. Being an Au pair in china hasn’t been just a life experience, but a whole mesmerising, thrilling adventure. Thanks to my host family I had the chance to travel a lot all around the country, and during these travels I found myself more and more in awe of this enthralling land that is China with its traditions, customs and language. I’ve dive into Chinese tea culture in Shanghai, lost myself in Guilin peaceful landscapes, ate insects in one of Dali’s ancient markets, jumped back in time to the Tang dynasty in Xian, transformed into a beautiful ancient China princess in Hangzhou ( I completely fell in love with the Hanfu ?), I tried Chinese traditional hotpot, barbecue sticks and walk my feet off in the thriving Chinese capital. Not only did I have the chance to discover and bath in Chinese culture but also to make a lot of friends from all over the world that added to my experience the possibility to exchange opinions and learn from each other. All of this of course wouldn’t have been possible if not for the Lopair program that organised my six months here in China and helped me throughout the whole journey, being always ready to solve problems and set up awesome activities that became awesome memories. I thank everyone that supported me and helped me during this journey and all the awesome people I've met, and for all the newcomers I strongly recommend you to jump right into this new adventure ?? What was the most surprising thing you saw or did? Surely eating insects, one of the several experiences I won't ever forget ? Pros: Friends Cultural exchange Travelling

It might sound cliche but it really was the best ever experience of my life. I can't wait to come back to China again soon. I was able to experience some of the most surreal views including grassland, Asia's First wet land and many more landmarks. I was also able to meet really awesome people including the lovely Diana and other au pairs. The monthly meet ups organised by Diana gave me a great opportunity to socialise and try archery (something I have never done before ?)

There aren’t enough words to describe what an incredible experience I lived in my stay in China. The six months I spent in Shanghai passed by in a blink of an eye, my days where filled with so many new things to do, to learn that I couldn’t feel the time quickly flowing. Being an Au pair in china hasn’t been just a life experience, but a whole mesmerising, thrilling adventure. Thanks to my host family I had the chance to travel a lot all around the country, and during these travels I found myself more and more in awe of this enthralling land that is China with its traditions, customs and language. I’ve dive into Chinese tea culture in Shanghai, lost myself in Guilin peaceful landscapes, ate insects in one of Dali’s ancient markets, jumped back in time to the Tang dynasty in Xian, transformed into a beautiful ancient China princess in Hangzhou ( I completely fell in love with the Hanfu ?), I tried Chinese traditional hotpot, barbecue sticks and walk my feet off in the thriving Chinese capital. Not only did I have the chance to discover and bath in Chinese culture but also to make a lot of friends from all over the world that added to my experience the possibility to exchange opinions and learn from each other. All of this of course wouldn’t have been possible if not for the Lopair program that organised my six months here in China and helped me throughout the whole journey, being always ready to solve problems and set up awesome activities that became awesome memories. I need to thank everyone who supported and helped me during this journey and all the amazing people I've met; and for all the newcomers I recommend to jump into this adventure.

I stayed for six months in Shanghai with a lovely host family who were super kindhearted and always willing to teach me more about Chinese culture and way of life. My host family had one 12-year-old boy whom I helped with English homework and sometimes played badminton and golf with. I attended Mandarin Chinese classes every week, which helped me to improve my language skills greatly. I also had the opportunity to experience traditional holidays such as the Chinese New Year, as well as travel around China a little bit. Lopair agency was very helpful and friendly with me. I really enjoyed the cultural activities they organized, such as a Chinese traditional tea ceremony and museum visits. I was lucky enough not to encounter many problems during my stay, but for the difficulties I did have, Lopair did their best to solve them quickly. Overall, I had a really positive experience with the program and China, and I am already planning to return soon. I would recommend the program to anyone who wishes to gain a closer look at Chinese culture and everyday life. Living with a local family is an excellent opportunity to get to know the country. I am very grateful for the great experience. A big thank you to Lopair for a well-organized and memorable program!

Thank you to Lopair I had the opportunity to live the experience that I was not able to have in University due to the pandemic situation. All the staff was extremely helpful through all the process and helped me in time of difficulty. I highly recommend this experience to someone who wants to have a powerful insight on Chinese culture and the daily lives of Chinese people. Depending on the city and the family the experience can vary a lot from person to person so it's important to ask the right questions at the begging to the staff who is always very kind and ready to answer your concerns. I am so grateful to the agency for making this experience possible!

During the summer of 2023 I spent 3 months in Beijing China. I had an amazing experience with my host family and was very lucky to get along with my little brother, who was 11. We spent much time together and fun. It’s overall a magical experience to everyone who wants to live in a different environment and experience new things and food.

My host family are amazing I made sure to take my time to pick them. I asked a lot of questions and asked what they like any movie or books to see what type of personality they have and about their family like grandparents. I very close with mine and I asked what they did in their free time. I had said no to other host family because personally we not the right fit not that they were not good but we are all different and some people great along great and sometimes it's not so smooth. So I picked my host family based on how I felt talking to them and after and it felt right. I would say never go to fast take your time to get to know them make the right choice. When you do you have a bond that with last years after I was 6 months now I am extending 3 more and plan to meet up again with my host family I truly love them. I not only had a wonderful time with them but also my lo pair works they are amazing people and I love them as much specially my Hangzhou coordinator she has always put us first and cared with all her heart. I am grateful for the time and yes there have been some hard things but the world is big and different. as long as you can take the time to understand the difference between cultural. Then you will have a wonderful time with all the new friends and family you have here. Best of luck on your adventure.

Au pairing in Shanghai was the best decision of my life. Not only has my Mandarin improved greatly, I had the opportunity to enjoy life and make friends in my (new) favourite city. Living with a host family was an overall pleasant experience, they treated me very well and any issues that came up were handled maturely and through a comfortable discussion. It's very rewarding to see your host child's skills improve. The Lopair team try their best to help you adjust to living in a new country. They are always on hand for help regarding teaching methods. The cultural activities provided are fun and educational. One of the best things about the programme is the quality of teaching at Mandarin House. The classes are often small and the teachers are brilliant, you improve a lot in a short amount of time.

Hi everyone, I'm actually completing my 8th months in the beautiful city of Hangzhou as an au pair and I'm proud to say that I did it. Thanks to this opportunity i was able to discover fully the life in a Chinese family and to improve my Chinese very fast. Being an au pair in this country is an experience full of surprises. You learn things every day about yourself and about the world you live in. I believe that the qualities of a person who can be an au pair in china are : full of energy, adaptable and curious. I won't lie to you it can be very difficult. You can feel a bit lonely sometimes and don't understand everything about your life environment but it's fine because you will make a lot of friends through LoPair. They will understand you more than anyone and you will have the love of your host kid. You need to cherish this friendship more than everything, because this kid will be your best friend and best ally.I hope you will enjoy China. Have a nice trip and be ready for this adventure that will change you forever.

I'm currently completing the 6th month of my Au Pair in China, Shanghai. I had a great time here. Of course there were good times as well as bad times. I was lucky I got a family where everyone could speak English. Means less misunderstandings because of different languages. But there were still a few things I had to get used to due to the cultural differences. The highlight of the Au Pair were definitely the mandarin classes. I had a wonderful teacher who has a lot of patience. Of course the classes are challenging but my Chinese improved fast. The school is a great way to meet other people and get some social life going on even with a busy schedule. My local coordinator, Yvonne, and the other lopair staffs always tried their best to help me when I had troubles. Yvonne is always very sweet. My advice for people who consider doing an au pair: Be 100% sure that this is what you want. You'll probably sacrifice a lot of your time for the family. Even if you like kids you need to understand that it means living with and being around kids most of the time. It's a difficult task and sometimes you also have to alter your own viewpoints on education/parenting to meet the standards of the host family (as for me, my host mom handles a lot of situations differently than I would've done if I had my own kids). You have to be mentally flexible

When you decide to apply for this program you really have to be sure because it's gonna be a challenging experience and you should have the right attitude. I spent three months in Hangzhou, a wonderful city full of things to do but I also had the opportunity to travel to many cities, and this was one of the best aspects of my staying. My family was the best thing I could ask for, they treated like I was one of them, they didn't make me work too much (which in some cases can happen), we travelled together and they always helped me whenever I needed help. So honestly choosing the right family is the most important thing to do before coming here. Anyway Sometimes the free time is not enough and if you want to travel the pocket money is not enough.

I certainly got a lot of value out of 6 months in the Lopair Au Pair Programme and would certainly recommend it to any young person who excels but more importantly enjoys working with children. As an 18 year old, coming to China has been my first adventure as a fully fledged adult and for that is has been perfect. You are still very much dependant for food and living and have to follow a strict schedule that may impact your social life but there is also a gain in responsibilities as you care for and mentor a child. I found living with my host family nothing like a work contract but instead I was very much integrated as one of them. Granted, living in a foreign country does involve certain obsticales but the family and my local coordinator were very caring in helping to overcome anything. Before coming to Beijing, I was wondering how hard it would be to meet people. Turns out, five minutes after saying goodbye to my parents at the airport, I met another British boy headed for China with LoPair and since then we've become good friends despite the fact that we've been in different cities. I've made some friends for life while I've been in China and now it gives me an excuse to book a holiday and visit them some day. To any person considering this opportunity, I believe the three most important characteristics you need to show in order to gain the most as an au pair is patience, open-mindedness and friendliness. In the end, your time spent here is a luck of the draw when you are matching with a host family so I can't emphasize enough to consider carefully when choosing. Some au pairs really hit it off with their families, some can be left a little in the rain. Luckily, I was one of the fortunate ones and got on very well with my host family. I look forward to keeping in touch as I go on to other adventures!

Currently I am almost done my 6 month program in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. I have been paired with the best host family I could ask for. Not only have they been generous with accommodations (food, living, needs, flight, etc), but also gave me special memories and life-long experiences. Yvonne, the Hangzhou local coordinator is a gem. She is reliable and present when you need help, and also to spend time together. I really appreciated the included Mandarin courses throughout your program. I have an excellent teacher who made every class enjoyable, despite how difficult the language is. Also the classes are a nice change from your routine and schedule. I am grateful that I had many family interviews and was able and did choose the best host family who I felt I had a best connection with (it’s very important). My only advice for future au pairs: make sure you are ready for this because it is not easy. You have to be willing to spend time and energy for a family. You also have to be prepared to adapt to a different language, culture, routine, etc. I’ve had good times and bad times but this is truly a memorable experience I will never forget. I have learned so much, grown, and appreciate so much more now then when I started this program.

I’m a 19 year old Italian girl and I applied for a 3 month program. I really do not recommend this experience . 1. I filled out all my documents to become an aupair in September and they told me it would take 1/1.5 month to find a family, get the visa and arrive to China. Bullshit. I waited until March (6 moths!!). 2. I don’t know how or why, but I have been the only aupair among the ones I met that didn’t do the 3 days training program in Hangzhou after arriving in China. 4. I’ve NEVER met my local coordinator, but fortunately there was another coordinator (who wasn’t supposed to take care of me) that was always there when I needed her. Anyway I had just one meeting with this coordinator and the family together and after a month a came here (you are suppose to do 3 meetings: one when you are just arrived to talk about the contract, the rules and the agreement; one in the second month to be sure that everything is fine; and one at the end of the program). 4. In the medical form I wrote that I have some psychological illness and no one ever cared about my mental health. I had to interrupt my therapy to come to China and they didn’t offer me a substitute to it. I suffered and I am still suffering a lot because of this. 5. I think that the wage is really too low for the amount of hours that we have to work and I also think that we should have more free time. Yes you have the possibility to go out while the kids are at school but it means that then you will be extremely tired and you will have to work for 7+ hours without energies. Yes you have a day off, but most of us have a curfew which means that you cannot enjoy a beer or simply and evening meeting with your friends after an exhausting week of work. We also have 1 extra day off per month and 3 additional days off every three months, but what if we would like to visit other cities? We’re not here only for working and we’re not here on vacation; we’re here for a cultural exchange experience and traveling, being curious and exploring is a part of it! 6. Now the best part: they describe you the family and this job as if it were a perfect experience. Forget about it. Feeling a part of the family? Absolutely not. I’ve been literally treated as an hybrid between an animal and a salve for 3 months, every single day. Why I didn’t change family? First of all because I really like the kids and I become attached to them very fast, and secondly because I’ve always hopefully thought that we could solve the problems somehow. The host mom is the nicest person ever, literally the n i c e s t, but she was so busy at work that we have never had time to stay together. The elder sister is so smart and funny and the younger brothers (3 kids in total) drove me crazy, but I still love them anyway. The host grandparents are so disrespectful, rude, impolite and all the negative adjective that you can think of (and I had to live with them).The Lopair agency should have background checks before allowing families to host an aupair. Mine was absolutely unready to host a person and completely unable to adapt to cultural differences. This is my third time here in China so I know how people think, behave and live here. Coming to China is a cultural shock for a western person, so you have to be open-minded and flexible, you should “reshape” your habits to let them match with the Asian ones. I tried my best to get along with this family but they shut all the doors in my face. I’ve never been treated so badly in my life. I’ve been treated like an alien, I’ve been treated as a slave, I’ve been treated as I got the plague, I’ve been treated like a workhorse, I’ve been treated like a punching bag on which reverse contempt, anger and stress. It has been an inhumane experience!! :))) Despite all that, this experience made me grow and made me acquire work skills, a lot of patience (I can be compared to a Buddhist monk now), mother feelings and it made me mature and grow up in general. So that’s my PERSONAL experience, a lot of people enjoyed staying here and they created a bond with their host families, but for me and for other people it didn’t work. China is a m a z i n g and working with children is a happy and rewarding job, but being an aupair in China is pure masochism.

Soon I'll finish my Au Pair Program in Beijing. I started with a 6-month program and along the way I decided to stay 3 more months Chinas capital. China was my first time leaving and living abroad on my own and although it was scaring and different in the beginning, I adjusted pretty fast and well to the country and culture. Throughout the program there were definitely a lot of ups and downs. Half way through the first part I decided to leave the family because of several issues with the children that weren't solvable. It took some time to get the rematch into motion, but once it happened I got a new family super-fast. After moving, things got much better for me and I started to get the feeling of family, even so much that I decided to extend my program (most people declared me crazy at that point) but I really enjoyed the time with my family. They took me to many places and cities in my 6 months with them and I'm grateful for all their effort. During my time in China I also got to meet a lot of people and made friends from several countries. We had classes together and spent a lot of our free time visiting places around the city. Hopefully the contact lasts for a long time and opportunities for some trips to each others home countries will occur. There were times when I was about to lose my head over some things because they are just very different from the western world, but that’s what you should expect when you go to a country like China. Stay open-minded, compromise and be flexible, that makes things a lot easier and if not, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it won’t be forever. It’s been an exciting time here in China that helped shaping my personality further, as well as my knowledge and understanding. I got to love a lot of things around this country and I will definitely miss it a lot when I return home, but I'm also looking forward to go back to my family again.

I spent 6 months with a family in Beijing. I experienced winter and summer (sort of), ups and downs. It was my task to care for two children (3 and 4 years old). Through many obstacles I've had to face I not only learned a lot, but also improved myself. On one hand it was very hard communicating, as many Chinese families don't speak English and in the end I would say communication was the biggest problem. On the other hand I had to learn and speak Chinese faster and more because of that. The program is great for making friends, but I was never able to do my Chinese homework due to the work schedule xD. I had to bring the kids to Kindergarten in the morning, then pick them up in the afternoon and play/ study with them until bedtime. I definetly went through a cultureshock phase while living in a Chinese family. It is more like adapting to a new culture than culture exchange. It was hard but very rewarding to me. The "pocketmoney" (let's admit it's a salary) is definetly not enough if you want to travel. Make sure that it is the right program for you. Patience stats will be maxed out so you definetly need lots of that in the beginning already. Most importantly: pick your host family wisely. In my opinion that is the deciding factor whether you will have a good time in China or not. I was actually overqualified so don't worry about your skills. You will mature and develop a lot during your time in China.

I am about to finish my 6 months program in Hangzhou so I am going to be honest. It is hard, at least during the first weeks/month. But I am very grateful for my host family because the make me feel one of them. Sometimes working with children could be so challenging but it is really rewarding when you finally feel their love and how much they improve their English or other aspects you teach them! Also you will make a lot of new friends, even when we don’t have much time to meet, they will become family to you and you will have their support in hard days. If you are sure, go for this adventure and make the most of it!