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Original poster

My au pair hosting days are numbered..

33 replies

Millarkie · 19/09/2009 15:49

My dmum has just confirmed that she wants to move in and 'be our au pair' when current (lovely) au pair leaves next year. EEK!
In theory it will help out both of us since she can rent out her house until the mortgage is paid off (she's currently working 2 quite physical jobs to earn enough to do this) and will be bill-free etc with us. And since we have to have someone live-in because of dh working abroad every now and then, it might as well be Mum...but still...EEK!

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Original poster
Millarkie · 19/09/2009 19:02

Dh says he's ok with it - we've talked about some bonuses of having mum here rather than au pair (she can tell us which are plants and which are weeds in our unmanagable garden, we could ask if she could go to the occasional school assembly, she is happy to put up with the building work we are planning whereas I would be more worried about an au pair being here with builders etc).
Kids love latest au pair so not sure if they would see gran as a bonus - she's not been very hands-on with them (we used to live much much further away) compared to dh's mum but they are both school age now and are in sports clubs etc after school so need more of a chauffeur than a nurturer
Don't know what 'run a household' means though Here we just lurch along, not a lot of running. Will have cleaner and maybe dog walker and maybe gardener so she will probably be more of 'keeping an eye on people' person than anything else.

OP posts:
TeamEdwardTango · 19/09/2009 17:18

If it was my Mum, I'd jump at the chance to have her here.
If she's not bossy or opinionated, and you're laid back, and she has her own space in the house, it really could work.

How does your DH feel about living with his MIL?!

LittleMissNosey · 19/09/2009 17:18

Too many cooks etc etc

LittleMissNosey · 19/09/2009 17:17

But only person can really 'run' a household Linda

LindaBellinghamFanClub · 19/09/2009 17:15

"Will she respect your wishes, your preferences and your sovereignty over your home, your time and your dc?"

the OP is talking about her mother not the hired help. It will be her mother's home, too.

LynetteScavo · 19/09/2009 16:59

On paper this sounds like the most ideal solution in the world.

It would be fabulous for your DC's

Original poster
Millarkie · 19/09/2009 16:54

LOL!
I hope it will work. She's not very bossy or opinionated, and I'm quite laid back. She'll get more space than we give to the au pair so she'll have a living room, bathroom and bedroom so hopefully we won't be in each other's laps (she was talking about trying to get a fridge and a hotplate into her room but I'm not so sure about that
Don't expect I'll be able to give her a 'au pair manual' though.

OP posts:
Greensleeves · 19/09/2009 15:53

Eek indeed!!

It depends on how you feel about your mum really. Personally I would rather have my nipples removed with an ice cream scoop than have my mother under my roof

but then my mother is Extreme

Do you think it could work? Will she respect your wishes, your preferences and your sovereignty over your home, your time and your dc?

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