Since I went back to work full time, we have had au pairs to do after school pick-ups and pitch in with ironing etc.
We've had three and the first two were great, so much so that I used to take them along to family outings at weekends and really they were part of our lives as one of the family.
However, this latest one, who is Hungarian, has slowly but surely started to drive me completely mad. She has a nervous habit of laughing at everything I say or do, and the same for my husband and the kids.
It's like living with the Laughing Policeman, eg:
Me: Kids! put your school shoes on, we're going to be late AGAIN
Au pair: ah ha ha ha ha ha
Me: DS, why didn't you tell me it was football today, your kit is still in the wash
Au pair: tee hee hee hee hee hee
Me: DH, don't forget it's parents' evening tonight
DH: Oh hell, I said I was going to play tennis, do I have to?
Au Pair: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Anyway, I have been hanging on for her to go home for a fortnight tomorrow from Gatwick but it's looking increasingly like we'll be stuck with her for Christmas. I now have got tto the point where she is irritating me so much it's probably quite obvious. I'm sure the poor girl has no idea what she is doing wrong, as she is hard-working, helpful and tidy and in every other respect absolutely fine.
I have spoken to her three times about the laughing. First I told her twice not to laugh when I was disciplining the kids, as it undermined the process, she seemed to take that on board and has stopped more or less.
Then yesterday while DH was shouting at me to get the dog under control and the dog was scrabbling all over my lap in the car laddering my tights, I did say rather snappily: "Please stop laughing, you sound like you are laughing at me." She stopped rather suddently and apologised and sounded really rather shocked. but then we went to a farm to get a Christmas tree and it was back to:
DH: Where are the christmas trees, then?
AP: hahahaha
ME: Please get one that doesn't shed needles this year
AP; Hoohoo hoo hoo hoo
DH but they are more expensive
AP: tee hee hee hee
ME: Worth it though..
AP: hahahahahHAHAHA
DH reckons it is such a deep-seated habit that she won't be able to change it and we will just make her unhappy and self conscious if we mention it. I think she could get it under control as she doesn't do it on the phone to her relatives in Hungary. i think it's a mix of feeling awkward here, not understanding half of what is being said and wanting to contribute to the conversation in what she thinks is a jolly, positive way. She also says WOW a lot and WAAAH!, i think for want of any actual English words she can think of. Her English isn't bad though, I'd say about as good as my GCSE French, say.
I'm tempted to have a word but don't know where to start - or should I just ring the agency, send her home and get another one?
To all who think this is the most boring, trivial and bourgeois problem ever, I really do apologise - and agree!