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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

How does your au pair deal with kids?

27 replies

Migsy1 · 20/09/2011 11:34

AP has been with us for 7 weeks. I am disappointed with the skills she has with the boys (5, 8,10). I am at home for most of the time she is looking after them so I can hear what is going on. Basically, she does not fully engage with them and only speaks to them to ask what they want to eat or drink. She has not even bothered to learn how to use the TV remote control (it is complicated - BT Vision) so that she can put the TV on for my 5 year old. One of her jobs was to get them ready for school in the morning but she is unable to do so because of her poor communication skills and therefore I have removed this task from her. I get her to put their breakfast out though.
My ES told me yesterday that she gets on his nerves, has no personality and is the most boring person he has ever met.

I am wondering what other people's APs do with the kids? Maybe I am expecting too much.

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Strix · 20/09/2011 12:58

My new au pair has good language skills but is very untidy and it's a problem. It's a problem because I don't employ an au pair so I can tidy up after her. She engages with the kids, and they seem to like her. But, I'm not sure how much control she has over them.

She's not really an au pair, more like that grey area between au pair and nanny. But, if she doesn't get a handle on the tidying all of my hair is going to be grey before Christmas.

talkingrabbit · 20/09/2011 12:22

Language can be an issue - it's hard to get kids to do what you want them to without the appropriate language, and it's very hard to socialise even with children without good vocabulary. Our new au pair came two weeks ago with good English and takes just the right tone - firm, friendly, fun - and has engaged the kids well (it helps it's World Cup Rubgy season and he and DH and DCs all fanatical) so far. He came through an agency with a fairly robust screening process, and has had to pay a fair whack of agency fees himself to be here. He has been committed and motivated from the outset. Our last au pair was poor at English to begin with, which made it difficult for her to do much with the kids and form any meaningful relationship. Once her english picked up, her true personality came through more clearly and it wasn't in any way an improvement Wink!