Anyone got any au pair experience?
Discussion
We've got an au pair coming in two weeks to help us look after our 4 month old girl. She seems quite capable but she's not been an au pair before and I'm starting to be a bit concerned that we have no independent information about this girl (she's 22) and we have to trust her alone with the kid.
We got in contact via Au Pair World.
I'm considering asking for a reference from her employer just for the principle really. Anyone else been here, any thoughts?
We got in contact via Au Pair World.
I'm considering asking for a reference from her employer just for the principle really. Anyone else been here, any thoughts?
"Trust her alone with the kid" 
Sounds like you needed a nanny not an au pair,
However some checks worth doing, does she speak strong good English, can she call an ambulance if needed, what does she know about looking after 4 month olds (in reality this is far too young a child to leave with a 22 year old "child", beyond a couple hours of baby sitting) does she have any first aid training, what's her level of patience when she is faced with a screaming child for hours.
Check her references (triple check them)
Did you get her through an agency, what checks did they do.
My wife was a qualified nanny for several years and also worked in an agency so knows a thing or two about this kind of stuff.
Sounds like you needed a nanny not an au pair,
However some checks worth doing, does she speak strong good English, can she call an ambulance if needed, what does she know about looking after 4 month olds (in reality this is far too young a child to leave with a 22 year old "child", beyond a couple hours of baby sitting) does she have any first aid training, what's her level of patience when she is faced with a screaming child for hours.
Check her references (triple check them)
Did you get her through an agency, what checks did they do.
My wife was a qualified nanny for several years and also worked in an agency so knows a thing or two about this kind of stuff.
Nannies, childcare etc - there's way too many kids and far too few workers. Look on job sites - there seems to be loads of childcare companies advertising (there certainly is around here) - which to me says they are desperate for staff.
Desperate = may take on people they otherwise wouldn't.
If this was my kids, I would be getting references (plural), meeting the company, meeting the prospective au pair, meeting them again with the kids. If there was a single thing I didn't like about the company or the employee - they'd be ditched.
Desperate = may take on people they otherwise wouldn't.
If this was my kids, I would be getting references (plural), meeting the company, meeting the prospective au pair, meeting them again with the kids. If there was a single thing I didn't like about the company or the employee - they'd be ditched.
Driller said:
We've got an au pair coming in two weeks to help us look after our 4 month old girl.
<snip>
I'm considering asking for a reference from her employer just for the principle really.
I'm not sure what you have in mind but if it's potentially unsupervised child care, surely you need to get as much assurance as you can, no?<snip>
I'm considering asking for a reference from her employer just for the principle really.
Bottom line though is that it's a coin toss.
The person you get, might be brilliant or might be a nutter.
A friend had all sorts of difficulties with an au pair going shop lifting on her days off and eventually getting caught.
I'd want to be crystal clear regarding your liability and right to terminate for no good reason.
People I know who've used au pairs have told me that the nationality of the individual is very important.
Lots of food for thought there. The girl in question is English (we're in France) and works in the fashion industry.
The job is actually pretty simple for her: take the baby to the creche in the morning (10mins walk) and collect her later and if the mrs is working late (I always do) lok after her for 2 hours plus some baby sitting on weekends.
Pretty sure she's not a nutter or a shoplifter
but am definitely going to ask for some references now.
The job is actually pretty simple for her: take the baby to the creche in the morning (10mins walk) and collect her later and if the mrs is working late (I always do) lok after her for 2 hours plus some baby sitting on weekends.
Pretty sure she's not a nutter or a shoplifter
but am definitely going to ask for some references now.
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