AU-PAIR. Any tips?

[Wombat]

Hi girls!!

We are a family of 3 (soon to be 4). Our little boy is 18 months old (when we will need an au-pair he will be closer to 2 years) and we are expecting a new baby in October.
As we don't have any family around (and my mum can come and see us at most every 2 months) I thought that having an au-pair for the first 9 months after a new baby will be born will be a good idea ( I think she should start a month before my EDD, simply because there will be no one to leave my son with when I go into labor).

We never had one, so I would really be grateful for any tips. We already started looking ourselves for the au-pair and got lots of replies. The problem is choosing the right one.

Basically, how to have a good au-pair?

We are not very rich, just ordinary family needing some help around.

Thank you for your replies

 

[Wombat]

Just thought I should add the list of things we would want her to do. Is there anything to add or change? Feel free to comment.

We would like a clean and tidy person, who is used to looking after children (we have one little boy of nearly two, and a new baby due in October). You should be a non-smoker, and keen to improve your English. You will need to be helpful around the house and flexible – you will have two full days off each week, but it might not be possible for these to be fixed (in other words not necessarily Saturdays and Sundays).

We live in a detached house in xxx, about an hour on the train from London. It is a nice area very close to open countryside. Towns and cities within easy reach include xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx and historic xxx.


Smoking

Ours is a non-smoking household – so no smoking, not even socially!


The children

Two or three days a week, get DS up in the mornings (he usually wakes up around 7.00 or 7.30) – change him, dress him, take him downstairs and play with him, feed him about 8.30, possibly take him for a walk around 9.30 or 10.00.

On the other days (except your days off), general help and play with DS and new baby (at the moment DS usually sleeps from about 12 to around 2.30).

One or two nights a week, baby-sitting – may include getting the children to sleep (DS has a bath around 6.30 and goes to bed at 7-7.15).


Around the house

Hoovering (vacuum cleaning) the house once or twice a week, plus some dusting, and general cleaning up – especially in the kitchen. Helping to keep the main bathroom clean and tidy, and occasionally some ironing.

Occasional help with cooking, or preparing the children’s meals.


Your room

It is a nice big room with an en-suite shower room. We will obviously expect you to keep it clean. There is wireless internet all around the house.


Days off and pocket money

You will have two days off a week to do what you like – there shouldn’t usually be a problem with which days these are but you will have to be flexible. We will provide £60 pocket money a week, and will also pay for your food and drink at home, and also if we go on family outings.


xxxx

 

[Wombat]

LOL! Anybody?

 

[Whisper]

Sorry i have no experience of this and no helpful advice.

 

[DonnaBallona]

Not sure if Ill be much help but Iv just come out of nannying to have my daughter. . .

When you interview your candidate Id probably have 2 or 3 interviews to see what they are like. Invite them over to the house to meet your LO's for 2 or 3 hours on maybe the 2nd interview-its very difficult to keep up appearences for 3 hours if you're not the right candidate for childcare!! They should be interacting with the children, getting down to their level, smiling (!) and happy to play.

Id probably make a list of possible jobs you'd like the a-p to do when he/she arrives. . .and maybe a list of house rules? eg no visitors after 9pm etc. If you're upfront about everything from the start, when the job is accepted there will be no room for negotiation or any "you didnt tell me that" sort of thing.

Perhaps get a prospectus from the local college/university to find out about english classes? That'll give you an idea of how long study time the A-P will need, and how long s/he will be out of the house at college for.

Lastly-get yourself a contract!!! and make sure its signed by both of you!

Hope Iv been of some use-if there's anything else I can help with feel free to PM me x

MODIFIED TO ADD: I think your advert is good-its honest and open.
Maybe have a look at some other adverts for A-P to see if you have missed anything? x

 

[lady3]

Sorry, I don't have any recommendations, but I used to be an au pair. I think the ad looks good, but £60/week might be a little bit under what someone is expecting for watching 2 kids and doing some housework? I could be wrong though. I don't know how much people get these days.

 

[MoonMuffin]

I came out of nannying during the last month of my pregnancy. Make sure to have an interview with every applicant and have a 2nd one with your top 3 (or top 5, whatever #). Also have your top 3 each spend some time with your little boy, so you can see which one he likes best, which is really into playing, etc. Your ad is great though. But as Lady3 said, 60 a week is a bit low, especially if they are responsible for the kids and housework. Even though you are providing room and board, 60 doesn't go far, but if you hire someone young it may be enough. I know that I was making $12 dollars and hour for watching 2 kids (one was a 2 year old boy) and I wished I had asked for more, a 2 year old boy is SUCH a handful! And that was just taking care of the kids. Then again I was only there 2-3 days a week from 9-4. Hope you find someone wonderful!

 

[Wombat]

Thank you girls for your replies!

I will take all of it in consideration I actually got quite a lot of replies from potential au-pairs so now will have to sort them out.

So looking forward having one!

 

[oOKayOo]

Im not too sure but i have a close friend that does it , she is quite young and starting out but she earns £150 for looking after the children and doing everything you desrcibed.
So as others have said £60 is very low

 

[Wombat]

Thanks again for replies.

I got £60 from this website https://www.aupair-world.net/index.php/visa/uk/

Working hours: up to 25 hours per week.

Pocket money: A normal au pair gets a weekly pocket money of about 55 £ (some official sources state 40 to 60 £) plus board and lodge.

Special arrangements:
(This information has not yet been confirmed by official sources.)
Au pairs from Non-EU countries may only be normal au pairs.
Au pairs from EU countries may also work as au pair plus or mother's help which includes longer working hours:

Au pair plus (app. 35 working hours per week)
Unfortuntately we have found contradictory information about this subject. Some sources state that an au pair plus earns 60 to 75 £ per week. Some state that an au pair plus is paid like a normal au pair for the first 25 working hours. Then every additional working hour is paid extra. An au pair plus has one and a half days off per week.

The most what we could afford would be £70 (at a push). I would say oOKayOo's friend is very lucky to get £150. As I said, we aren't rich.... I wrote this letter to a few au-pairs and already got some replies that they are happy with all that.

 

[oOKayOo]

Thanks again for replies.

I got £60 from this website https://www.aupair-world.net/index.php/visa/uk/

Working hours: up to 25 hours per week.

Pocket money: A normal au pair gets a weekly pocket money of about 55 £ (some official sources state 40 to 60 £) plus board and lodge.

Special arrangements:
(This information has not yet been confirmed by official sources.)
Au pairs from Non-EU countries may only be normal au pairs.
Au pairs from EU countries may also work as au pair plus or mother's help which includes longer working hours:

Au pair plus (app. 35 working hours per week)
Unfortuntately we have found contradictory information about this subject. Some sources state that an au pair plus earns 60 to 75 £ per week. Some state that an au pair plus is paid like a normal au pair for the first 25 working hours. Then every additional working hour is paid extra. An au pair plus has one and a half days off per week.

The most what we could afford would be £70 (at a push). I would say oOKayOo's friend is very lucky to get £150. As I said, we aren't rich.... I wrote this letter to a few au-pairs and already got some replies that they are happy with all that.

Brilliant!!! I hope all the best

 

[aidensxmomma]

This may be a really dumb question, but what's an au pair? I've never heard of that before. Maybe it's just because I'm from the states. lol

 

[Pyrrhic]

I'm paying £100 a week, for 4 days 8am-afternoon with food and petrol paid for and no housework and looking after one child. £60 seems very low, and I'd be worried about who would reply to an advert with that salary.