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Original poster

A question about au pairs

47 replies

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/03/2023 06:34

I saw a request worded like this on a local FB group:

Looking for English lessons for my Italian au pair. Interested in evening or weekend lessons! Could be in a group, one to one or online. Thanks.

What is your immediate reaction to that?

OP posts:
GreenwichMNer · 27/03/2023 06:54

That someone is looking for tutor recommendations? What was your immediate reaction?

teezletangler · 27/03/2023 07:03

My immediate reaction is that the employer wants to find English lessons for their au pair and is looking at all available options. It's pretty obvious?

teezletangler · 27/03/2023 07:05

Are you a tutor and wondering if you should reply?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families
Girasoli · 27/03/2023 07:12

How lucky they still have an au pair after Brexit mainly!

(The Aupair will probably have pre-settled status)

Original poster
LindorDoubleChoc · 27/03/2023 07:13

I'm not a tutor, no. Something about it leapt out at me but I'm probably being unreasonable.

OP posts:
Shinyandnew1 · 27/03/2023 07:13

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/03/2023 07:13

I'm not a tutor, no. Something about it leapt out at me but I'm probably being unreasonable.

Are you going to tell us what ‘leapt out’?

ShiverOfSharks · 27/03/2023 07:15

Settting up language classes or tutoring for an au pair is par for the course. The evening or weekend bit is a bit of a flag, because an au pair should have time in school hours for classes.

DeMellierVenice · 27/03/2023 07:15

I worked as an au pair many years ago and whilst I already spoke some of the local language when I arrived, my employer kindly paid for lessons for me to continue my learning. So I’d assume this was a similar situation.

what leapt out at you, OP?

SmallAngryPenguinWoman · 27/03/2023 07:15

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/03/2023 07:13

I'm not a tutor, no. Something about it leapt out at me but I'm probably being unreasonable.

What leapt out at you? Seems like a normal request to me.

Nimbostratus100 · 27/03/2023 07:17

looks like an employer setting up English lessons? Do you think she is being pimped online or something?

Nimbostratus100 · 27/03/2023 07:18

the au pair could be male. Unlikely but possible

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:19

Was it the evening and weekend part that lept out? It didn’t “leap out” at me, but thinking about it, it does suggest the au pair has no free time in the week, so they’re not really an au pair if so, they’re a severely (illegally) underpaid, unqualified, nanny. They may be working well within the au-pair regulations, and there’s some legitimate reason why they can’t or don’t want lessons in the week, but I woudojt be surprised if they are actually working full time for the family. On so many threads asking advice for a family who can’t afford, but really need a nanny, an au-pair is suggested. Some people do just think they’re cheap full time childcare.

rubyslippers · 27/03/2023 07:20

LindorDoubleChoc · 27/03/2023 06:34

I saw a request worded like this on a local FB group:

Looking for English lessons for my Italian au pair. Interested in evening or weekend lessons! Could be in a group, one to one or online. Thanks.

What is your immediate reaction to that?

Having had many au pairs I would be pleased that the au pair had expressed an interest in English lessons
i genuinely can’t see anything unusual or weird unless it’s that the request hasn’t come directly from the au pair

PoBaFla · 27/03/2023 07:21

Normal to have language lessons as an au pair.
The only thing that leaps out is that it sounds like the au pair will be busy all day, which they shouldn't be. But it may also be to do with transport that weekends or evenings suit better

rubyslippers · 27/03/2023 07:21

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:19

Was it the evening and weekend part that lept out? It didn’t “leap out” at me, but thinking about it, it does suggest the au pair has no free time in the week, so they’re not really an au pair if so, they’re a severely (illegally) underpaid, unqualified, nanny. They may be working well within the au-pair regulations, and there’s some legitimate reason why they can’t or don’t want lessons in the week, but I woudojt be surprised if they are actually working full time for the family. On so many threads asking advice for a family who can’t afford, but really need a nanny, an au-pair is suggested. Some people do just think they’re cheap full time childcare.

But evenings / weekends are au pair downtime so ideal for undertaking lessons? An hour isn’t an imposition surely?

mynameiscalypso · 27/03/2023 07:24

We had a series of au pairs when I was a child. Part of the 'perks' was that they'd get paid English lessons. They had chosen to be au pairs in the UK to improve their English skills.

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:24

rubyslippers · 27/03/2023 07:21

But evenings / weekends are au pair downtime so ideal for undertaking lessons? An hour isn’t an imposition surely?

Show quote history

But you know they should have quite a significant period of downtime in the week too right? They can’t be used for full time childcare, so it shouldn’t be just the evenings and weekends that they’re available for English lessons.

mynameiscalypso · 27/03/2023 07:25

Oh and they generally all went to English classes in the evening because they made friends with the group and used to go out to the pub after!

Dogsitterwoes · 27/03/2023 07:25

Thinking about it for a minute, it does hit a little like one of those coded ads prostitutes used to put on cards in shop windows!

ShiverOfSharks · 27/03/2023 07:26

rubyslippers · 27/03/2023 07:21

But evenings / weekends are au pair downtime so ideal for undertaking lessons? An hour isn’t an imposition surely?

Show quote history

Au pairs normally do their language classes in school hours. Evenings and weekends are their time to go out and have fun, like most people.

rubyslippers · 27/03/2023 07:26

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:24

But you know they should have quite a significant period of downtime in the week too right? They can’t be used for full time childcare, so it shouldn’t be just the evenings and weekends that they’re available for English lessons.

Show quote history

Yes I know that
my au pairs used to do around 20 hours per week and had every weekend and most evenings totally free
if they didn’t go to lessons in the day as there were none available they went on a weekend

Girasoli · 27/03/2023 07:28

The school/nursery day should also be aupair downtime. They are only meant to do about 2h childcare a day.

It may be that the timings just don't work out to do daytime classes - eg, when my cousin aupaired she used to the school pickup and then look after the little girl till about 5. So if the local language school runs classes at the required level from 1.30-2.30 it might just be too tight to do them in the afternoon.

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:29

mynameiscalypso · 27/03/2023 07:25

Oh and they generally all went to English classes in the evening because they made friends with the group and used to go out to the pub after!

This could be it, although they surely wouldn’t be interested in online if so? The British Au Pair Agencies Association states; “Au pairs must be given enough time to attend language school”. This hardly suggests they’re given time. The family seem to be expecting them to do it in their free time.

Porridgeislife · 27/03/2023 07:31

Girasoli · 27/03/2023 07:28

The school/nursery day should also be aupair downtime. They are only meant to do about 2h childcare a day.

It may be that the timings just don't work out to do daytime classes - eg, when my cousin aupaired she used to the school pickup and then look after the little girl till about 5. So if the local language school runs classes at the required level from 1.30-2.30 it might just be too tight to do them in the afternoon.

Most au pairs do around 20-30 hours a week of work here! Which is the norm according to the government.

https://www.gov.uk/au-pairs-employment-law/au-pairs

Employing someone to work in your home

The employment status of au pairs, nannies, carers, personal assistants and other people who work in your home - how to tell if they're an employee or not, what happens with the National Minimum Wage, tax and National Insurance, what happens if you get...

https://www.gov.uk/au-pairs-employment-law/au-pairs

Hayliebells · 27/03/2023 07:31

Yeah, it could just be that they can’t find any if the day. But, they’re literally asking for recommendations. If the au air pair was actually free, say, every day between 9.30am and 2.30pm, surely they’d say that when asking for recommendations?