We would like to nominate our au pair, Evelyn Flores Fuentes, for the Au Pair of the Year award. As full time working parents of almost one-year-old twins, we are often exhausted and overwhelmed. Since arriving at our house in November 2014, Evelyn has helped reduce the stress level in our household significantly. She has done this by being a hardworking, patient, kind, and reliable team player who provides loving care to our babies while also pitching in as a normal member of the family.
Evelyn treats our babies with the utmost love and patience even though they are not always easy to care for. They often cry at the same time, sometimes for no clear reason. They are very mobile, enjoy climbing and standing, and put everything in their mouths. A day with them requires constant attention on four busy hands, running after them, comforting two at once, and carrying them up and down stairs. We have never once seen Evelyn lose her patience with them. She is always energetic and attentive to them, tirelessly playing, talking, singing, and reading. She is concerned for their wellbeing and interested in their growth and progress. She is open to our suggestions and requests on how to handle things, and also offers her own thoughtful suggestions based on her knowledge of each baby’s needs. She is easygoing and flexible as we try to develop new approaches to things like mealtime and nap schedules when the old way is not working.
Evelyn is also highly reliable, responsible, and respectful. She has never been late for work. She is attentive to her duties as an au pair and always completes her tasks. She cleans up after herself and the babies. She is considerate of the needs of others as she uses household facilities such as the laundry area, and is always careful to be quiet. She lets us know when she will be out with friends so that we don’t worry, and plans her vacation at a time that fits with our work schedules. She participates in the family, joining us for dinner and helping clean up afterward. She even volunteers to cook sometimes, sharing delicious Bolivian dishes with us. She is good natured and friendly, telling us about her life and welcoming our friends and family who visit. She never complains (except maybe about the cold weather, which is understandable!).
Evelyn is our first au pair and we have been very happy with this program. We will host more au pairs in the future, but we fear we will not be so lucky to find someone like Evelyn again. For these reasons, we think she deserves the Au Pair of the Year Award.
