I'm an AP and I am wondering whether any of this is normal(long)

You need to make it clear to the grandmother that you are leaving immediately and that responsibility has now passed to her until she gets hold of her daughter and son-in-law.

The 10 and 13yo are under the age of criminal responsibility (which is 14), so the police won't be interested, but you could certainly speak to the police about the parents' 'Verletzung der Aufsichtspflicht' over their children (= failure to supervise properly).

Pack up and bail when they are at school. Relocate the cat. You owe them NOTHING. They are abusive. I think the police need to find out about these older two.

Oh, it's one of those families - desperate to raise kids with fluent English because they think it will let them get ahead but not interested in treating the person they use to achieve that with any respect That said, this is taking disrespect to a whole new level, tbh. It sounds a little bit like they can't really afford you but are so desperate for the English that they are relying on you putting up and shutting up. I really hope the grandmother puts a rocket up her daughter.

Well done you - good start.

(Overnight babysitting might be fine - if you've not got a broken wrist, are happy yourself with the situation, it's for a night not a week, and you have back - up contact details and cash provided... Think you might need to build up some confidence in your ability to make decisions about what is and is not Ok for you to take responsibility for.)

ok, pack your bags.
make a list of usefull phone numbers, adresses, bus and coach time tables.
charge your phone.
take the kids to school and leave.

I am in Brussels. If you can get to me on the bus/train, I will feed you and ensure you get safely home.

do you know other au pairs in your area?
ask around for jobs or lifts.
as to getting home, eurolines coaches are pretty cheap.
wrt to the children look up 'jugendamt' (children's services) of your area in case you need/want to leave before the parents are back.

when I was an au pair in the us I drove an au pair I met once before to the airport as she was kicked out by her family in the middle of the night

Thanks Picardy - am cross posting with you and realise you know the German system - I am extrapolating from experience of having young primary kids in UK.

You owe this family NOTHING!!!

I think it's a very bad idea to show your hand to the grandparents. They WILL tell the parents..

If you really have no money at all, perhaps the only option is to hang on in there until payday, take the kids to school and then never go back. Whatever chain of events that causes is not your concern.
Poor you!!!

You sound like you've been abused in the past and learned to keep quiet to not rock the boat .

Last sentence was to OP, obviously.

LtGreggs - it's possible the school might not care (I know ), assuming both older children are at secondary. The youngest one won't be at school yet. If you decide to hang on until tomorrow morning (I don't recommend, btw), I would speak to someone senior at the youngest child's kindergarten, or to the 10yo's school if he or she is still at primary.

The kids are the responsibility of their parents - this situation is their doing not yours. If it's concern about getting yourself in to trouble that stops you escalating this to social services - that's absolutely not right. (it's worse to think that kind of intervention is needed and not seek it - even if it were you at fault)

If you think you need that kind of input it is going to be a nerve - wracking thing to do. I know nothing about Germany, but I'd go for dropping kids at school, walking to school office and saying that you need emergency meeting with head / senior teacher and will wait until they can see you. (unless you need police out tonight - bur from what you've said I don't get that impression)

Put it this way, Queenie. If you happened to be my neighbour's AP (you're not, btw, I'm certain of that, partly because none of my neighbours have APs!) and I found out what the situation was in their house at the moment, I would be round there, getting hold of the parents by any means possible, and yes, probably calling the police and the Jugendamt. You are sounding unnaturally placid about all of this.

have you got a full plaster cast? can you fly?
bit random ..but do you have a follow up appt in the hospital that the parents need to take you to?

I'd call the police. Now.

When he's in a good mood?! Queenie, he and his sibling tripped you and jumped on you and broke your wrist. You need to get out NOW.

Disturb them away! I wouldn't have gone home from hospital, I'd have told the doctors what these children had done.

Poor you I would be telling eldest child that you have to leave for the UK tomorrow (don't offer but I think personal reasons is adequate) & you need to speak to a family member urgently tonight. Then ring family member & tell them you are leaving tomorrow & someone needs to come & look after the children. That's if you don't like expats excellent advice.

You sound as if you are scared of these kids, sweetheart. This is very, very not good.

You can ring your local police station - google the number (Polizeiwache plus your town/nearest town) - and ask for advice. Jugendämter tend to have emergency evening or 24h hotlines for people concerned about a child's welfare.

Do you know where the parents have gone?

I have a 9 year old - she can follow a recipe with me supervising. The older one certainly should be able to knock up something for dinner. How are you conversing with the children if your German is not up to a phone call?