Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

antipodean au pairs

28 replies

HarrietTheSpy · 03/09/2008 17:39

Have had several responses from ozzies - range from 17-19 years old and just out of school.

I just need the au pair to look after DD (4 years old) for three and a half hours every day after school.

  1. Too young?!
  2. Do they pay for their flights from Oz? I'm not prepared to do this for someone I've never met who could bugger off as soon as she lands at Heathrow.
  3. What does one do if after a week, space rocket style, you know it's not going to work if they've come this far?!

This is a major generalisation, but our DKiwiN was so fab (yes I know Oz is a different country), I keep coming back to these girls.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
HarrietTheSpy · 03/09/2008 19:39

Gooseegg
Tks.FOr kids that age, who were you actually speaking to for references? Had your 18 yr old done loads of babysitting?

OP posts:
Original poster
HarrietTheSpy · 03/09/2008 19:39

Gooseegg
Tks.FOr kids that age, who were you actually speaking to for references? Had your 18 yr old done loads of babysitting?

OP posts:
gooseegg · 03/09/2008 19:37

We have just had a fab Aussie (18) who paid for her own flights, or rather her parents did. I wouldn't consider paying for flights myself either.

Ours would have been fine in sole charge of a 4yr old for the hours you mention.

You could check their maturity by speaking to their reference contacts by phone.

To enter this country they need to have quite a bit of money accessible to them. My au pair neeed to show she had two thousand dollars - enough to be able to support herself for 6mths.

If after a week it's a disaster then they always have the option of fnding another family in Europe or of bringing their return flight forward a bit!

Hopefully if you have done all the right checks and interviews they will be ok - just pretty jet lagged for the first week and also with bouts of homesickness.