Is my aupair being cheeky? Says it is hard for her to walk 25 min each way for school run.

never a truer word spoken expat

Honestly, south. They'll fork out for private schools, houses, buggies, etc.

Then nickel and dime over the childminder.

Truly, the mind boggles.

one of the joys of looking after children expat in whatever capacity

I'm always amazed at how cheap people are with the people who looking after their most precious part of them.

Blackheath Village is lovely and light but parts of the Heath in winter when is dark at 2 pm are not very well lighted....fact!

I reiterate the opinion expressed in my previous post... I don't think your au pair is cheecky, quite the contrary, she is very upfront and straight at letting you know that you are taking the piss wanting her to do all that walking....

Blackheath it is a very nice area surely if you can afford to take your children to private school you could strech a few more pounds a week so you have a happier au pair and a better conscience....

Perhaps she is concerned for her safety, and that of your child, especially if she doesn't know the area or even London very well and has read recent publicity about knife crime etc. Personally I'd rather have the option of taking the bus than commit to 4 25 minute walks but the potential practical inconvenience you see in that is hard to convey without her having local knowledge. What if you offered a little extra to contribute towards that option ?

btw most private schools would hold places for Reception entry as class sizes usually expand then by a couple , have you asked about deferral ?

Well collection of roads.

Nowhere on Blackheath is dark is it? It's one big road.......

'I had potential applicants beating down my door to earn that £65, literally hundreds and hundreds. My email inbox was getting clogged from all the responses. I thought I made it clear to this ap, but I accept the language barrier. '

Then why are you wasting your time still flogging this dead horse?

Why do you need continued justification from a bunch of people online to find another person?

If you've got such a desirable set-up, then it shouldn't take long to find someone whose absolutely gagging to walk 2 hours a day as part of the job.

Why wait?

mmmmm 2x25 sessions per day to listen to music whilst walking sounds like heaven! Is the bike a possibility?

Private school Twiglett

I really don't think this is slave labour. Blueshoes is paying a standard wage and only asking the usual duties from her au pair.

(I am getting an au pair next week who in her current job is doing 50 hours a week, sole charge of 4 children for £100 - that is slave labour).

However, I wonder whether you can share the school run with her? Can you or your dh drop off your dd on the way to work so all she has to do is pick her up? If the pushchair can be left at school during the day that makes it more flexible for the ap, so she can go to school on her way back from college or whatever. When it is raining, and cold in winter it will be a miserable experience doing that walk, and maybe you have think of ways of making it more pleasant. Otherwise I would suggest hiring an au pair and being up front about this part of the duties - some aps won't mind at all.

It is far more usual that being at pre-school in a school has no bearing on getting a place at the school itself .. that will be done on admission criteria

I would personally check that out thoroughly as you may well find it makes no difference

I thought Lewisham had a common admissions policy anyway

Gess, in winter it must have been very dark that walk through the heath....

well I do 20-25 mins 4 times a day and that is speed walking with 2 year old in buggy and often near 4 yo on buggy board. If it's a 20 min walk after using the bus walking really is the only option!

would she meet other au pairs at the school, maybe she could hang around with them until it was time for the pick up or does she have to get straight back

Agree with elliot.... TBH I'd far rather walk across Blackheath than drive. Driving across Balckheath used to be an absolute nightmare (used to do it to get to the Greenwich Steiner School many years ago; still shiver at the thought...)

Free board and lodgings must be equivalent to a fair amount in London - it is completely misleading to keep saying it is £65 for 25 hours work. ALso the buggy will only be pushed for half the journeys.

I too am utterly depressed by the idea that walking (WALKING!!) seems to be viewed as some kind of arduous task - have none of you ever done really unpleasant jobs? Walking is merely moderately strenuous exercise, that will actually positively benefit you, and is even quite enjoyable. Far far preferable to cleaning, ironing, working as a care assistant, doing a routine job in a factory, or even waitressing (!) IMO, of course. But really, no wonder we are such a nation of lard arses.

But I would find someone else blueshoes - who lists sport, hillwalking or running as their hobbies!