Au pair smokers

I'm fairly certain there are many true non-smoking au Pairs out there looking for work so I would be tempted to give her the "give up or get out" choice. I also had a new AP start this week and thank goodness is a total non smoker and I know I could not tolerate having someone who lied and smoked looking after my children.

but smokers stink

I know they do generally - but I love having a dig at a very close friend of mine - I've know her nearly 4yrs now - but until last year had never smoked in front of her as either she was pregnant, or I was pregnant. She's always said the same thing "I can tell you a smoker a mile off because they stink".........imagine the look of amazement on her face when I lit up last year - it was priceless - especially when I told her I'd been smoking since before I met her.

But then I have to say I'm quite a wierd smoker - I always wear a cardigan/jacket over whatever I'm wearing when I have a cigarette (even when it's roasting outside), have a packet of strong mints on me at all times, wash my hands when I go inside (only ever smoke outside - or in pubs etc) take my jacket/cardigan off and hang it in the same place in the cupboard under the stairs, and even brush my teeth sometimes!

I also have quite an embarassing habit of checking which way the wind is blowing before I sit down for a puff........even DH thinks I'm nuts with that one - especially if we're out for a drink in a smokey place and I move to sit the opposite side from him as there's a draft blowing smoke towards him.......

Anyhow, I digress - get rid of her - she's a liar.

One, she lied, two, she smells.

There is absolutely no way I'd have a smelly au-pair in my house. I once had one with BO - it was excrutiating, but something had to be said, because I couldn't live with it. Smell of smoke is the same for me.

To be fair to her, she may have decided that she was giving up smoking when she answered the ad and er... hasn't. However, now is the time to give up if she wants to keep her job. I'd just say to her, she has to give up or leave, if that means getting nicotine patches, acupuncture or hypnoisis, fine, but it's that or the sack. Call me draconian, but smokers stink and while you might have to put up with that in the school playground, putting up with it in your own home is just asking too much.

THat's not on - she lied to you. Find someone you can trust.......at least if she'd admitted to you at the interview she smoked you could (perhaps if you really really liked her) come to an agreement about when and where she could/couldn't smoke. (and if she was serious about the job she could have 'complied'.

But she lied to you!!! I wouldn't care how good someone was at their job if I couldn't trust them. I would always be thinking if she lied about that what else could/would she lie about.

For me it wouldn't be acceptable - you asked for a non-smoker, and you haven't got one. Smoking outside wouldn't be OK with me either; smoke and its effects hangs around for ages, so even if she smokes outside your children are still going to be affected by her smoking.

The trust issue would be a big one for me - I wouldn't want someone I couldn't trust looking after my children. I'd have to let her go and find someone else I could trust.

I would sack her. Sorry, if you said non-smoker -you meant non-smoker - not no smoking around the kids.

I think if she lied to you about whether she smokes then there is a strong possibility that she will lie to you about whether she smokes around the children.

Also, if she was prepared to lie to you about something that she must have known you would pick up on, then can you be sure that she will respect your opinion/houserules at all in the future?

sack her! She lied at the interview so has displayed that she is not that honest, I wouldnt trust her. Also would absolutely hate that smell of stale smoke everywhere and what happens when you are all out you will come back to a stinking house!

she does go outside for smokes from the sound of it, but the advert said no smokers.

is she a good au pair? is it really worth sacking her just because of this? can't you tell her to go outside for a smoke?

Well, if you mentioned it at advert and interview, she must have lied then and said she didn't smoke? Quite justified to get shot of her. And FWIW, I don't think it is petty at all.

Sack her.

OH I would hate that and would defo say something immediately. Awful.