So have all the aupairs returned after Christmas

What a relief bucksmum - you must feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulder. godd luck with the new one.

Glad to hear that it all went smoothly bucksmum. Fingers crossed for your new one!

Departure was fine she asked if I could drop her tro the station at midday and I said that we were going out and it would be more convenient to drop her at 9 which she was a bit stoppy about but hey ho! The new girl looks fab arrives in half term! Can't wait have spent all weekend cleaning, washing, ironing and sorting kids rooms out!

I basically emailled loads from the website anyone who replied I sent the questionnaire and a few photos and waited for replies only got two back and one was a keen horse rider which is fab as its dds passion and I hate the stables!

Glad to hear it's going well. I'm going to be on the lookout come June, so will remember your tip!

Oh and if anyone is looking for a cheaper Au Pair, try the Portugese, my AP was telling me how they have an awful problem with unemployment out there at the moment and everyone has to have at least two jobs to be able to survive. Don't worry about the climate adjustment, she didn't think it was too cold last night.

I was an hour late picking her up and she was so calm and unbothered. She seems to be great laura - she's very chatty but not too overpowering and even better still, used to volunteer with the ambulance service so has excellent first aid skills. Shy ds has already taken to her.

How was the first night MrsR?

can't say I'm shocked norty - seemed to be the norm in my search. That's why, in sending out my questions (never bothered emailing them until I receive these back) one of the first questions is what pocket money are you expecting for the 25 hours? I have wasted so much time in emailing suitable applicants, only for the money to be completely unacceptable.

Well am sitting here waiting for dh to come home from work, so that I can pick up our new AP from Heathrow. She is quite happy that we don't live in the Centre of London (what a change for an AP!) - that was another of my questions!

Bucksmum - how did the departure go?

£250!!!!! Norty
Did you tell her that's a nanny wage and she'd have to pay tax and NI? OMG!

Bucksmum, I may needs a crash course in recruiting - never had these problems before!

Still haven't found a suitable candidate to start anytime in the next 2 months. Even though I had over 100 contact me in a week (I do also initiate contact with others), I emailed 90% but only a few replies back - but none can start soon.

Plenty for afer April though.

Having a ds with sn does put a load off.

Thought I'd found a fab one, but she wants £250 per week minimuum

Think we have found a german girl although she cant start until 20th Feb. We are using AP world I just emailed everyone who looked suitable and waited for the replies.

Just waiting for confirmation from her although never entirely sure until someone actually arrives.

sleeplessinwales I've tried to CAT you but you don't allow it so I'm putting a message here for you instead. I hope I don't annoy anyone by doing so! I lurk often on the au pair threads and pick up lots of tips but don't post very much on MN these days, just a bit here and there. Anyway...I'm near Aber, sleeplessinwales and whilst my current (and first) au pair wouldn't be suitable, I wondered whereabouts you were and if you were near me, we could chat? I only need a part-time au pair so if there was another family locally who needed a part-time live out (or in) au pair, there could be a possibility of sharing an au pair if our requirements (i.e. patient, kind, child and pet loving, non-smoking, French and/or German speaking etc girl au pair) were similar. What do you think?

I have a few interested too, do you use APWorld? Perhaps we shoulf tell each other who we are going for to make sure they are not playing us....Had a nice reply from a Chinese girl who is currently in Finland, but that involves domestic worker visas !

(Although if you pinched the Fab Canadian I wanted I will send the boys round)

It is so difficult for me I live in the middle of rural area and DS has SN - which puts many people off. They all want to live in blardy London.

Also I no longer offer a car - way too much aggro/expense. There is a bus stop 200 yards away and when my DH is in the country he walks to the train station everyday, less than 1 mile. They have use of a fully serviced bike though!

So how is the search going Norty we have 2 interested at the mom of course that doesn't mean that either will accept......

The race is on............

I've fired off loads of emails to APs from AP World, Bucksmum I'll fight you for the best one!

We have just been lucky I think. She is going on Saturday we will watch her like a hawk I would ask her to leave but DH is away and I really need some child care this week.

I have emailed a load of au pairs off of the website so fingers crossed

so what you going to do Norty,..?

Bucksmum, what a pain. At least your strike rate is good, are you telepathic or just have very stringent interviewing technique??? 2/3 of last APs have not been great, although the good one was so very good it's a hard act to follow.

I'll be joining you, mine has just announced that she's off - no great loss I can tell you apart from DS has just gone into plaster for 8 weeks and DH off 75% in USA until April!

She's given me 2 weeks but I am so tempted to tell her to allez!

That's not good - I'm now making a mental note to ask whether future employers have had anyone run out on them!

Frannikin.... Actually I think it might be my friend,...she's had a couple of disappearees!

Bucksmum I think you should! She's effectively resigned as your AP so she's no longer your responsibility. That'll make her think twice about running out on another family.

Or just push her towards a midnight dash a la ingles2's friend's AP

Actually,...
why don't you ask here to leave at your convenience. like tomorrow instead of waitng for her to decide?

oh by the way, beware! my friends AP (french by the way!) tried to do a midnight dash with half of their belongings..

PMSL Bucksmum! Some AP's must think we were born yesterday! London safer than leafy Bucks, well that just takes the biscuit.... come on...you gotta laugh or you'll just cry! I have my fingers well and truely x'd that the next one will be fantastic