Male Au Pair?

Question

Im a guy and I want to Au Pair abroad after college 09 or 10.

Part 1:
I have heard mixed answers most places say yes, but Im curious as to if guys can aupair?

Part 2:
Does anyone have any companies they suggest or places they think would be cool? I was thinking probably Paris, France.

Answer 1

Part 1:
Logically, there is absolutely no reason why a guy couldn't aupair. In reality, many societies would automatically view with suspicion a man's desire to spend his every moment with small children. I'm not quite sure why male grade school teachers aren't subjected to such thinking so much. Or perhaps they are. Maybe that's why you find more male teachers in high school. I know its unfair and unjustified, but sometimes it just is what it is.

Part 2.
You certainly need to go some place where you can speak the language fluently. Extremely fluent. I'm sure you would be expected to speak to the children in their own native language as if it were your own. As well as teaching them some English at the same time. And its conceivable that your language ability would need to be such that you could comfortably handle routine doctor visits or an emergency of any kind. Situations where you definitely wouldn't want to be struggling with the language at all.

Lastly, and with a back reference to Part 1, perhaps a society with less stereotyped and less biased thinking than our own. A society that actually trusts men. This may be less about finding the right society, and more about finding the right family.

Good luck to you.