“We Were Barely Keeping Our Heads Above Water”

My family knew we needed help, but it’s one thing to say we need help, and quite another to truly know exactly the kind of help we need.  We are a small family living in Silicon Valley with stressful careers and two small children who are the loves of our lives.  But boy, can they be challenging.  We almost always have our hands full, and it often felt like we were barely keeping our heads above water.  Which is why we are so lucky to have Trang around to help with our kids.  

Trang has been such a blessing for our household it’s almost too difficult to decide where to start.  From her ability to feed an extremely picky toddler, to her knack for getting our daughter to brush her teeth and get ready for bed, she has a way with our children that never ceases to amaze.  She is kind, yet firm, gentle and soft spoken, yet authoritative and able to accomplish any and all tasks with our children around the house.  We feel truly lucky to have matched with someone who is so capable, but also such a great fit for our family.

And the fit part is really where it matters most.  Trang has truly become a part of our family, always interested in coming along on the weekends to visit family, try new restaurants, attend events or go to amusement parks.  We have welcomed her into our home and she has taken advantage of the fact that an AuPair is an extension of the immediate family.  Without this bond that we’ve created, we would never be able to have the relationship that has formed not only between her and our children, but between her and us, the parents, as well.  Introducing Trang to new cultural events, holidays, foods and experiences has become a fun way to round out her experience and allow us to bring new life to traditions that we’ve undertaken for years, but have become commonplace.  Going out to see the holiday lights and decorations takes on a whole new feeling when you see someone experience it for the very first time.

I think we knew that Trang was going to be special for us when I was away on a business trip, and my flight home was cancelled.  My wife needed to scramble to figure out how she was going to manage her job along with the additional responsibilities of caring for the kids. Trang stepped in to help my wife when things got to be too much, simply saying, ‘I’ll take care of it.’” She would cook dinner for the kids before they got home from school so that it was ready and was one less thing that had to get done when everyone comes crashing through the door.  She even helped prepare the thanksgiving turkey, stuffing and all.  

Trang is the AuPair we always imagined we’d have, and we cherish the days we get to spend with her, and the days she gets to spend with our children, as we know our kids will be better people for the privilege of receiving her care.