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Considering an au pair? Any thoughts?

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  • 08-04-2011 12:35pm
    #1
    gerrycollins
    Registered Users Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭


    Having personally changed career, im now working nights. My wife has a job opportunity with her working days and looking at it last night things will not work out for both of us working and our 3 children aged 2,3 and 5 with school and childcare.also we took into the argument the costs involved

    Needless to say we looked at every option and possible pitfalls and struggles we would have. We have no family nearby to help and most of our friends also work and we cant burden them with our 3 little monsters.

    We are considering an au pair, what are people's experiences and understanding with au pairs.

    I've reasearchd it on line and looked at agency websites etc so what are the pitfalls etc.


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    #2
    Wantobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 554 ✭✭✭Wantobe


    I've had two au-pairs and had a great experience with both.

    My experience is that it is very important to not over-work your au-pair. Our au-pair works four half days a week. She picks up our two children from school and minds them until we come home at 5/6. That arrangement suits very well and our au-pair is happy that she has a good deal of time off and freedom. We give her 100 a week pocket money plus some spending money for being out with the children, plus she has, of course, full board. As she is treated and feels like one of the family there are other things, like little treats, presents for christmas and birthday, a few quid now and then to treat herself.

    I know other people with au-pairs who expect them to work a lot more but honestly I feel that they are a young girl, usually coming to learn a language, explore a different country/culture and they should be treated as such.

    We rarely expect our au-pair to babysit at the weekend. She is 20 and of course wants to be out with her friends.

    As a consequence we have a very warm and friendly relationship, she is happy and therefore as a family we get on very well and our children are happy, which is the main thing for me.

    You have three young children so either you would need to mind the children yourself some days or half days or look into two types of childcare simultaneously- like combining an au-pair with playschool or montessori in my opinion.


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