ich möchte nach meiner Ausbildung (2007) für ein Jahr als Au Pair in Kanada leben und habe die Bewerbungsunterlagen für den Aufenthalt schon fertig ausgefüllt. Es wäre super, wenn sich jemand die Zeit nehmen könnte, meinen Brief an meine zukünftige Gastfamilie zu lesen und korrigieren.
Vielen Dank für die Hilfe, Jannie
Dear hostfamily,
My name is Janina but most of my family members and friends just call me Nina or Jannie. I am a 20-year-old college student from Germany. I was born in Eckernförde, a small town right at the Baltic sea in Northern Germany. I really enjoyed growing up by the sea. Since June 2004 I`ve been living and studying in Kiel, a city close to Hamburg.
I have got two younger sisters named Kristin and Sarah. Kristin is a 19-year-old student and Sarah is 15 years old and attends school for children with special needs because she is mentally disabled. My mother Bärbel is 47 years old and works as a nurse in a children`s hospital and my father Norbert is a 56-year-old security guard. I am very close to all of them, especially to Kristin, and get to see them very often even though I am living on my own. My family supports my decision to go abroad and work as an au pair. They have always encouraged me to explore the world.
From August 2001 to June 2002 I spent an amazing high school-year in Utah, USA. I made a lot of new friends and had a very close relationship with my hostfamily.
I did not only learn to to be open-mindet and tolerant but also made many new friends, became more independent and most importantly I found a second family at the other end of the world.
I graduated from 12th grade of German high school in 2003 and did some practical trainings to experience different work opportunities. I also worked as an au pair abroad.
Since July 2005 I have been taking a training course to become a social pedagogigal assistent, which is similar to a nusery school teacher or an educator . I am taking eight courses, which are: Social Pedagogy, Psychology, Children-Literature, Step-Aerobics, Children-Activities, English As a Second Language, Health/Fitness, Communication and Politics. My major course is Social Pedagogy. I will finish my studies in 2007 and get a permission to work with babies, toddlers, children, teenagers and disabled people in various child-care related places such as preschools, kindergartens, boarding schools, orphanages or children`s hospitals.
After my au pair-stay in Canada I would like to continue my college studies for one year, get a degree in special education and work with difficult children.
Some of my time at college I have to spend in so-called placements working with children. From January to April 2006 I did a practical work experience session in a public nursery school. Most of my time at the nursery school I worked with babies and toddlers up to 3 years of age in a small group with 10 children called "Erdmännchen". The thing I enjoyed most about working with the little ones was that I got the chance to support the child`s learning process and really make a positive difference. I loved to spend time with the kids, they were very honest. Even the little kids told me straight to my face what they liked and what they did not like about me, but I never thought that they were mean or unkind, just frank.
My daily responsibilities included to play with the children, for example to dress up or play hide-and-seek, to sing and dance with them, to do arts and crafts with them and to look after them and their needs, such as to help them to eat, to change their diapers and to put them to bed for a nap.
I also planned and guided activities. One of the activities I did was to stimulate the children`s senses, especially the tactile sense. At home I prepared a box with stuff to touch such as cotton and fir cones. I put gold paper all around the box and drew stars on that paper. To motivate the children I brought a hand puppet and talked to them "through" that puppet. I told the kids that I had brought a friend and introduced the hand puppet to them. The puppet gave them the box and asked them to put their hands in the box and tell us what they were feeling without watching. It was amazing to see them being excited and happy. All of them were concentrating and motivated during the whole activity. I have had an amazing time with the chidren and my colleagues and improved all of my child-care skills from this experience. I will do another practical work experience session right after my summer holidays. I am going to work in a preschool for difficult children. One of my tasks will be to plan and guide a project.
I have always loved to care for or simply be with children. I started babysitting 8 years ago and found out that I really enjoy to care for or simply to be with children. I am very experienced taking care of babies and toddlers. My cousin has recently become a mother of a gorgeous baby girl called Eleane and I try to spend as much time as possible with her.
I worked as an au pair in the United States twice. I made my first experience as an au pair in Utah, where I looked after three little girls aged 3 months, 18 months and 3 years. My responsibilities were to get the girls up and dressed in the mornings, to make breakfast and lunch for the two older kids and to feed the baby with the bottle, to change their diapers and to generally entertain and supervise them. I took them to the park or playground and we went to the zoo, libary or simming pool regularly. I loved to be a part of their lifes and to watch them grow so quickly. I was very sad to leave them. My hostfamily really treated me like a part of their family.
I spent my second time as an au pair in Washington, DC. There I got to look after two boys aged 21 months and 3 years and a girl aged 5 years. To be honest I did not like Washington a lot but I had a wonderful time with my hostfamily.
From July 1st until August 5th I am going to work as a summer nanny in England where I will be looking after a 2-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl.
I believe in raising children with patience, respect and lots of love. I always try to be a good example to the children because I am sure they learn through modeling. Even if I always try to have a fun time with kids I have the strength to set limits and to be consequent if needed because I have made the experience that it is important for kids to learn that there are limits to their behavior and that not everything is acceptable.
I really love to spend time with kids whether it be picnics on the beach, telling long good-night stories, dressing up as pirates or making a mess with cookie dough in the kitchen. I am more than happy to be involved and do not mind getting my hands dirty- in the literal and non-literal sense
I am full of energy and creative ideas to keep children busy. I want children to enjoy all kind of weather that is why I like to take them outside as often as I get the chance. I think there are many words to describe myself and my personality. I would describe myself as a happy, socialble and caring young woman. I always try to make the best out of everything and I think that I am easy to get along with. I love to smile and have a good time with people. I do not like people that pretend to be friendly and then talk bad about people behind their backs. I know that my family and friends would describe me as a cheerful, bubbly, self-confident and positive girl that loves life.
In my free time I like to meet my friends, to go shopping, to go dancing and to do sports, such as swimming, skating and running. I love to ride my bicycle. I go to college by bike every morning because I do not like public transportation that much. I also like dancing a lot. I used to do ballet dancing when I was a child and a teenager and I still enjoy “normal” dancing very much. I really like the outdoors and I love to spend time at the beach. I am very active but I also enjoy going to the movies, reading magazines and books, drinking coffee with my girlfriends and listening to all kind of musics. I love to travel and explore different places. So far I got the chance to travel to the United States, Canada and to some European countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Italy, England, Beligium etc. with my family, friends and on my own. I have been an exchange student in Denmark for two weeks.
I am a very clean and tidy person and would not mind helping around the house at all, just as long as I am not being treated as a maid. I want childcare to be the main thing to focus on.
I would like to be an au pair in Canada to experience a different culture, to improve my English skills and to be with and care for children. I have already been to Canada once. In 2000 I went to Vancouver with my best friend because we had “accidentally” won a trip to a film location for a TV show that we did not even know until then. Though we could only stay for a week, it was a great experience. We really enjoyed the city and the Canadian people. They were very friendly and interested in our culture. I always wanted to go back there and I am very excited that this is going to happen soon.
I know being an au pair in Canada will not be easy all the time but I am really looking forward to this challenging and rewarding experience. I hope to find a warm, friendly, supportive and open-mindet family that really treats me like a part of it and gives me the opportunity to live my dream. I promisse that I will do my best to make this experience unforgettable for all of us.
Thank you for reading this letter. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincererly yours, Janina
