Featured Au Pair: Lea from Germany

We are honored to nominate our amazing au pair, Lea. She is an outstanding au pair and wonderful person. She's been with our family for 6 months and we've grown closer to her than our natural family members. We are so thankful that she chose our family to spend her year with.

Lea arrived right before the pandemic and transitioned into our family seamlessly. She always has a positive "can do" attitude, never turns down a request to play outside with Coen and bakes killer treats with Calista. She's made TikTok videos with us, created sustainable fashion shows and is always up for some Roblox when time permits. You will often find a fruit platter displayed with love on the kitchen table to encourage healthy snacking like her mother and grandmother did for her in Germany. She shares stories of her childhood, plays German songs that my son loves and has taught us a lot about her native country. She happily attends volleyball practices to support the kids during her time off and encourages them to give her lessons. My kids have such a great time with her, but she adds so much more than just fun to our family. Lea is mature, responsible and a wonderful role model for our kids whom we trust implicitly. My husband and I can fully focus on work and school knowing our kids are in good hands.

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Lea takes her au pair role very seriously and has been instrumental in my Autistic son's education and development. She spends time learning with my son and his ABA therapists. She helps Asa generalize what he learns during his home sessions and has learned how to help him communicate better on his augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.

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When the pandemic struck, we were faced with the additional challenges presented from virtual learning and quarantining with the rest of the world. We struggled with this dramatic shift and she helped us get through one of the toughest times our family has ever experienced. She handles Asa's tantrums and meltdowns like a trooper, shares meaningful connections with Coen and Calista like a true big sister does and is a great support system offering hugs and encouragement. She takes the time to listen thoughtfully to the kids honoring them as individuals. Something we really appreciate about Lea is that she sticks around to experience the good, the bad and the ugly with us which we will forever be grateful for. I can't think of a more deserving au pair to be honored as "Au Pair of the Month". We would nominate her to be "Au Pair of the Century" if we could!

The Chou Family,

Menlo Park, CA

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