Ultimate Au Pair Nominee
Au Pair: Jelena Dragovic
Serbia
Host Family: The Maiones
Location: Florida
We are a very busy family of seven and now, with our au pair we are eight! We researched au pair agencies in depth before choosing AuPairCare and we made the right choice. AuPairCare's staff has been there for us every step of the way. It was easy to find au pairs we were interested in. It was difficult to choose which of the many qualified au pairs to match with. We finally found our perfect match with Jelena in the beginning of August and she arrived in our home at the end of the month. Although it was only three short weeks it seemed like an eternity! Because we had spoken to Jelena on the phone we felt like we already knew her before she arrived. She was excited to be with a big family and we were excited to have her as our au pair!
Days before Jelena's arrival we decorated her room with things to make her feel at home. We made signs to hold up welcoming her at the airport, bought fresh flowers and balloons for her, and printed the pictures of her family to display in her room. All of these were suggestions of the AuPairCare staff. They really made sure we knew exactly what to do every step of the way. The Area Director visited our home and gave us many pointers. Jelena is part of our family now. We love our au pair very much.
Jelena is an amazing help with the kids and she loves them like a big sister would. She is always there when we need her and she is willing to jump in and help out at any moment. The children adore her and she has a unique relationship with each of them. Jelena shows baby Gavin so much love and jumps at his every need, she plays three-year-old Gabrielle's "make believe" games for hours on end, she helps 9 year-old Joshua with his homework and encourages him constantly, she shares stories with 12 year-old Stephanie and she takes the pressure off of 15 year-old Michael. She is very intelligent, outgoing, funny, lovable, honest, and caring. Jelena almost always has a smile on her face. We have learned so much from Jelena and she has already learned a lot about the American culture. We sit and talk for hours about the differences and similarities between cultures and we are always fascinated by the conversations with our au pair. Jelena is always willing to share with us and educate us.
Jelena is very much a part of our lives but she has also made many new friends. She enjoys her free time; spending some of it with the family and the rest experiencing new things with her au pair friends. She also teaches the children many practical skills that American's have forgotten due to the fast pace of life in this country. She has gone on vacation with us and is such a wonderful help. This has been a wonderful experience and we would recommend an au pair to anyone. Jelena is an exceptional young woman and we feel so blessed to have her as part of our family. My children will tell you they have the best au pair on earth, so she is the ultimate au pair in our book! We will be close to Jelena for years to come because we have established a close loving relationship with this incredible human being. Thank you AuPairCare for this opportunity! Sincerely, The Maione Family Picture left to right: Steve, Tara (host mom and dad), Susie (Steve's ex wife), Jelena our Au Pair holding baby Gavin (7 months), Michael (15) holding Gabrielle (3), Stephanie (12) just in front of them and Joshua (9)in blue.
