Things that annoy you about your aupair...

Horrible thread.

Why is it relevant that she is an only child?

movingonup
Nolim are you referring to my use of the word you're, I'm pretty sure I used it correctly

bigfam - if you find it hard to relate to someone having an au pair - WHY POST? You wouldn't post on a chicken keepers thread, if you know nothing about keeping chickens so why post on one about au pair, when you obviously don't have one, don't need one or are not going to have one in the future.

art - you keep posting about au pairs not being expected to do housework, but that's not correct, they do a mix of housework and childcare. They should be cleaning toilets etc, but most au pairs would do 1-2 hours a day of housework. You can check on the BAP website and it explains what their duties can be.

OP - you au pair sounds a bit rubbish. We've been really lucky I don't think any of ours have done anything repeatedly to annoy, although our Italian one was very fussy about food.

That last post was in response to LeahLeah posting like a twat. Not bigfam for her rather literal reading of the thread. One is forgivable, one is not.

I think I better hide this thread before I say something deletable about the nasty posters having a pop at a pregnant woman with children for daring to say she needs a bit of help.

What I will say is that parenting is not a fucking competition and just because you had it harder and feel you deserve some sort of special recognition in the compeitive parenting stakes doesn't mean that you actually do. We're all just doing our best and of you find it all a doddle that's great, but unless you have something supportive to offer instead of putting the boot in or showing how you are the superior person you can just fuck right off with your ludicrous comparisons that mean fuck all in the context of someone who is adult enough to admit she needs a bit of help.

And a lesson on the difference between your and you're.

Woopy doo LeahLeah.

Someone give her a medal.

It doesn't say in the thread what op does, is she working or a sahm, what about her other half? I probably could empathise had she not come across as it being a burden that she had to do things with her children, that's all.

I think you sound like a Sanctimommy LeahLeah. A nasty one.

I have 6 children, work from home, look after my own kids, clean my own house, and obviously have been pregnant... I think your lazy

Do you know how hard I had to resist from posting a Sanctimommy version of the Four Yorkshiremen sketch? Hmm?!

Interesting. None of that is relevant of course to the op, seeing as she isn't you; everyone is different and you don't really have to relate, just empathise.

The op has told us (albeit in a drip drip fashion) that she needs a bit of help because she's 8 months pregnant, got three kids etc etc. That should be enough to just accept and understand without thinking about it from a purely selfish perspective.

Some people sail through pregnancy and some don't. I think it's generally accepted that looking after children and being pregnant are not usually times when people feel on top form and able to do everything as usual.

I think you sound like you were very lucky and I say good for you doing all that :) It wouldn't be possible for many people.

Good for you bigfam. However not everyone has your superpowers. There is nothing wrong with hiring help. I am sorry you cannot relate to other ppl.

I just find it hard to relate, I mean at 9 MONTHS pregnant I moved house, decorated it and looked after 3 kids aged between 6 & 3, I went into labour two days after we moved and had only finished decorating 3 hours before I was at the hospital pushing.

I think you're missing the point. If you can't see why someone who is 8 months pregnant might need a bit of help that's rather short sighted. To not be able to comprehend that someone who is 8 months pregnant and has 3 other children to look after might need a bit of help suggests that you either have no imagination/empathy/the ability to extrapolate beyond your own experiences... or you're just on a bit of a wind up and have decided this thread would be a good place to have a bit of fun/play Devils advocate/be a bit pissy.

Of course you may be posting on an Apple device and have written something completely different to what posted, in which case I apologise and sympathise because my twat phone does it too.

Why are you making such a big deal of 'needing an extra pair of hands' when you're 8 months pregnant. When you have children, you're supposed to do these things with them, or am I missing the point?

Weird thread. Nothing the op's au pair has been asked to do looks unreasonable.

I haven't had an au apair but have had a nanny would put let ds nap so he was up all night and then lie about the naps and another nanny who was late and let the dc scoot in the living room on their scooters. That was pretty annoying.

Also had about 2 wonderful nannies who do a better job with the dc than I do.

Good idea though OP to get a qualified nanny next time.

I have been an au pair. Which is why I feel qualified to comment that this one appears to be being treated as something rather different...

Butterfly: I imagine her cleaner cleans. None of the AP duties are unusual. They are day to day tidying duties. A cleaner mops and scrubs bathrooms and hovers but a carpeted house needs hoovering more than once a week.

And the OP said she has a three year old and older kids so why do you think the AP is caring for teenagers?

Seriously MN posters, get a grip in your reaction to au pair threads. Most au pairs o know, and I know many, are really happy with kind host families who enjoy them as much as they enjoy the experience. If it was as shit as you all suggest there would not be literally thousands of western European girls desperate to land an AP position each year.

It's funny how 'get an au pair' is the answer given on here to many childcare problems, but when you do you get a slagging