Depending on where you live, your responsibilities as a parent may or may not include shuttling children from point A to point B. But for most parents, acting as the family chauffeur is just one of the many hats worn.

Having to pop in and out of the house all day makes it pretty difficult to get any household tasks done, let alone getting any relaxation time. The best way to divide and conquer the task of suburban parenthood is by delegating. Many parents look to outside help for childcare, one of those sources being an au pair.

An au pair is an unmarried young adult between 18 to 30 years old who travels to a foreign place for a set period to live with and help a host family. Au pairs participate in family activities in order to experience and share a cultural exchange.

Although the au pair helps with light housework and childcare, they are not considered a nanny or a housekeeper. Instead, this visitor is a helper who enjoys free room and board, along with experiencing a new culture and language.

Families and individuals can benefit greatly from the experience of having a visitor from another part of the world. But when it comes to driving your children around town, it's important that the au pair meets your standards of safety and knowledge.

What to look for

Although many American families employ a nanny that drives, au pairs have a different relationship and require different vetting processes. Care.com gives some pointers if you’re considering having a nanny drive your children around. They recommend checking the candidate’s driving record and interviewing references. Since au pairs are not from the United States, parents will need to slightly alter their decision-making process.

Go Au Pair provides a driving evaluation at its New York workshop, which all au pairs attend. While it’s best to interview for a driver that meets your needs, this evaluation gives host families an action plan for getting their au pair on the road as soon as possible after arrival. This gives parents the extra peace of mind and security of having a professional driving instructor evaluate the au pair’s driving skill before putting them on the road in the family car.

Au pair, nanny or daycare: what's the difference?

If you are looking for affordable, quality childcare, you know how daunting the task can be. Though there may not be one right answer for everyone, here’s what you can expect if you choose to go through a daycare, nanny or au pair service.

Rather than asking for a driving record which typically may not exist or is difficult to obtain from foreign countries, discuss the driving question when you are interviewing potential au pairs. Ask multiple open-ended questions, such as:

• How long have you been driving?
• What types of vehicles have you driven?
• Would you consider yourself a good driver? Have you been in any accidents?
• Do you have experience driving in snow/ice/rain?
• When is the last time you drove? Tell me about it.
• What are the driving conditions in your hometown/country like?

If you’ve asked the above questions and feel satisfied with the interviewee’s answers, it’s likely that they are a safe driver.

During the interview, parents can also ask the au pair to drive and have a passenger record a video of them driving. This can help parents gauge the au pair’s driving skill.

Another method you can try later on includes assessing your au pair’s driving ability before you have them do any driving on their own. If you’re satisfied with their skills by that point, you can trust yourself and your au pair.

Working up to it

Not every au pair will have the necessary driving skills, even if they’ve been driving their whole life. Traffic laws and right-side versus left-side driving can be big adjustments to drivers used to a different environment. Check what driving conditions are like where your au pair is from using this trusty map provided by World Standards.

Remember, too, that if your roads at home deal with inclement weather, you’ll have to provide some training to ensure that your au pair (and children) are safe regardless of the weather. Not everyone knows how to drive in snow, ice, or even the rain, so be aware of these potential needs for further instruction.

Licensure

There is something called an International Driving Permit, or an IDP. Although these permits can be useful in some states, each state has different laws about what makes a legal driver. To ensure your au pair is legal to drive where you live, check to see what your state allows. In most cases where an IDP is sufficient, it must still be obtained before your au pair arrives.

If all else fails, you can always provide driving lessons, or encourage your au pair to sign up for a local driving course, if they are willing and able. This is just one of many ways to help them become more independent while also giving you more time to get everything done on your to-do list.

Helping your au pair to obtain a state license may worth the time, depending on how badly you need another driver in your family life, especially since some states only allow IDP use for a limited time.

Set clear expectations

From the beginning of the interview process, make clear your needs and expectations of a driver. Host families are not permitted to demand payment for vehicle wear and tear, nor should they expect au pairs to pay for vehicle maintenance such as oil changes.

While interviewing your candidates, ask them how they feel about driving. If it seems like a viable option to both the host family and the au pair, remember to also discuss whether the car is available for personal use. If so, set clear rules about available times, vehicle care, and who or what is allowed to come along for the ride.

After an initial adjustment period for everyone involved, having your au pair share the driving load can be a huge help to any parent. One less carpool means one more hour of free time to finish a project or more freedom to plan out your day. If you’re open to it, consider the ways having a driving au pair could benefit your life. Then, begin looking for the right au pair to complete your family.

Find the best match for your family's life through Go Au Pair. Review dozens of profiles to find the perfect combination of skills and experience to benefit you and your family.

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