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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

my reasonable fuse is about to blow

102 replies

mirtzapine · 05/10/2013 07:10

Currently my reasonable fuse is the equivalent of a six inch nail in the fusebox that's glowing red hot.

We've got a AuPair. The cultural differences are tough enough, but the rank stupidity that this idiot brings is breath-taking.

Yesterday, she left the shower running with the showerhead tucked behind the bathtaps. so the water ran down the back of the bath, and into the room below (which is her bedroom). As well as the water damage, it blew the electrics and shorted out her TV and Skybox.

So I reasonable explained that it was wrong, so she tried to argue it wasn't her (she was the last to use the shower). Its not her fault etc. The not accepting responsibility and saying the minimum of sorry - galls me.

There are also lots of other things too, that this thing does to wind me up totally the wrong way. Shortly after her arrival she started taunting my eldest by chanting lazy lazy

OP posts:
kotinka · 05/10/2013 10:11

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YouHaveAGoodPoint · 05/10/2013 10:12

OP, I too would be pissed off. I could accept the shower incident but would really struggle with the lack of apology. I would also be cross about the teasing.
I think you have to accept that some 20 year olds are a bit daft and that that there is a risk in employing someone for so little money. It is always going to be a bit of a gamble. It's not the au pairs fault that you have to hire an au pair and not a nanny
I would (nicely) terminate the contract and try again you might get lucky next time.

Thumbwitch · 05/10/2013 10:14

"Aren't AP generally expected to do about 14 hours of childcare a week and a couple of nights babysitting? "

Are they? Crikey, wish I'd known that before I went off to be an au pair in Italy some years ago! I was doing at least 4 hours a day of twin boys, aged 22m, and their 9yo sister (although tbf she did go to her grandmother's some days). And babysitting more than twice a week, more like 3 or 4 times. Mind you, I wasn't really there as an au pair - I was meant to have been engaged as an English tutor for the 9yo, but somehow got saddled with looking after the twins, which reduced the amount of time I could work with the girl!

kukeslala · 05/10/2013 10:17

If you find the cultural differences tough, choose your next AP from your own nationality.
The way you describe her "this idiot", she is a young girl in a different country, I thought the point was an AP came into your home and was treated almost in the role as a family member...
Different countries have different ways of doing things, or may not have experienced certain things at all.

The shower thing is shit, I would be pissed off also but would also keep into perspective we do all make mistakes.
Do you know what I thought when I read that she said it wasn't her? That doesn't surprise me, it would be hard enough to admit something anyway, but I just have a gut feeling that admitting it to you would be harder!
Or maybe she thought she turned it off, that's why she denied it.
Plus what do you mean saying the minimum of sorry? She said it once, done what do you want her on her hands and knees begging for forgiveness for the next 3 months? Also different cultures respond to things like apologising in different ways.

"That this thing"..., do you know Im a gob shite, can be a bit of a hot head, Im certainly not a drama lama and can understand the venting (I do often). However your choice of words and the way you describe her actually makes me feel very uneasy.
There is no way she is not picking up on the way you feel (even if you intend to come across as different in RL).
As I have said before this is a person you have brought in your home, if one of your children were doing this within anthers home in the same circumstances, how would you feel if you knew they were being referred to as a "thing"?

The lazy lazy thing to your DC, not nice. Again different cultures act differently, maybe she thought it was a joke? You addressed it, its sorted.
Did you hear it happening and address it right away?
Just your OP is a bit unclear and almost reads like you heard it happening, but only tackled after your DD broke down about it.

You talk about what an AP should be doing, surely that with the hours of work etc are all in the contract. If you don't think her way of doing something is working, talk through it with her ffs.

You reasonably asked her to go to her room, because you were so upset she wanted to watch the TV, and the sight of her makes you furious.
Get a grip, she has an accident breaks her TV, goes to watch one in another area of her home (as that is what an AP arrangement should be like), you want her and tell her to go, nice!

Oh "that thing" has come back again, I actually hope you or your DW take some emergency time off, sort out childcare long term, and let this young lady go.
Your so concerned about her behaviour you need to write her a list to turn off cooker, but are still happy to have her in your home, putting all at risk as it suits you due to your work arrangements.
You are either so concerned she goes and you deal with it, or your not, work should not be paramount to your families safety!

"I've also told that she's on a short order and if she messes up one more time, she's out."
You do know she will after saying this don't you, imagine the anxiety after that being said to you.

OldBagWantsNewBag · 05/10/2013 10:19

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kotinka · 05/10/2013 10:23

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TobyLerone · 05/10/2013 10:32

You sound utterly crackers, OP. She'll be relieved to get out of your house, and the sooner the better, before you hurt yourself.

Pay her off and get rid of her now. She won't do much more than piss you off further if she works out her notice. Then you'll have to write more angry, grammatically terrible little notes and you don't really have anywhere else to go after this one.

MammaTJ · 05/10/2013 10:35

She does sound like a nightmare, you will be well rid!

Goldenbear · 05/10/2013 10:36

After your last post Op, I really feel for you. You sound like your under a lot of financial pressure and work pressure and it's all very difficult to synchronise, now you have this stress on top of these difficulties!

It is all very well saying to the OP that we all have this juggling act with childcare and work but it is not a level playing field - obviously, as some of us have more money and more choices. Some of us have a lot of help from grandparents. Some of us have inherited money that makes life more comfortable.

Is there any chance you could rethink your arrangements.? I have been SAHP for 6 years as we were only going to be 100 pounds better off with both of us returning to work. We had to make sacrifices with size of accommodation - 1 bedroom flat for first 2 years of DS's life but we are lucky enough to own a 2 bedroom flat now. However, I appreciate that compromising on space is not always an option either?

emuloc · 05/10/2013 10:46

Seriously is this for real.

TobyLerone · 05/10/2013 10:50

I hope not.

HeadsDownThumbsUp · 05/10/2013 10:59

You sound like such a horrible employer and person.

Maybe you need to cut back your hours, if possible.

Or employ professional, well-paid childcare.

Unexpected · 05/10/2013 11:06

You need to go back to your GP and get them to review your anxiety medication. From how you could come across on here, I would be afraid to be your wife, never mind your aupair. On your other thread yesterday, I though you were going to tell the aupair to go, why is she still there?

kotinka · 05/10/2013 11:08

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everlong · 05/10/2013 11:26

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redexpat · 05/10/2013 12:40

YANBU. It's such a shame because APs can be wonderful.

And well done for venting on t'internet rather than to the AP's face.

KirjavaTheCorpse · 05/10/2013 12:45

No, instead he's left patronising notes around the house and told her if she messes up one more time, she's out on her ear Hmm

Oh and ordered her to her room like a naughty five year old for daring to sit in his living room and watch his TV.

Sounds like a lovely, restrained man...

She doesn't sound like a great person to live with from what you've said she's done, but why all the anger? Just let her go. Seriously can't be good for your health to feel this much rage about someone. Do you have anger issues?

candycoatedwaterdrops · 05/10/2013 13:10

She ate 56 chicken nuggets in one go??

HeadsDownThumbsUp · 05/10/2013 13:28

She probably didn't tell you about the accident because she was scared of you.

LittleMissWise · 05/10/2013 13:36

On t'other thread OP said the AP only "had to go to Lewisham where her parents live"!

It all sounds a bit fishy to me!

YouHaveAGoodPoint · 05/10/2013 13:38

I don't think that making an Au Pair go to her room is OK. I think you should get rid of the OP for her sake

I would hate to think of my DD even if she was dopey and lazy working for a family that hated her so much.

Fragglewump · 05/10/2013 13:50

Are you okay op? This sounds like you are extremely frazzled and perhaps reacting in way that's a bit over the top. I think you need perspective I suspect your poor au pair is terrified. If you can't afford 'decent childcare' perhaps one of you should stay at home. Sounds crap for everyone the way things are. Your letter was dreadful - I hope you didn't send it!

sparkle12mar08 · 05/10/2013 14:22

It's probably been said, but she should have been out the fucking door the first time she continued to wind your child up after the warning by calling her lazy, to be honest. Why on earth do you continue to put your daughter through that?!

Just get rid. Honestly, all this drama over something so easily solved.

Nanny0gg · 05/10/2013 14:59

I thought the au-pair had her bags packed by the door when the water damage was discovered, so that she could do a runner?

And read TantrumsAndBalloons's post. She explains very clearly what an au-pair's duties are.

You're expecting too much.

usuallyright · 05/10/2013 17:00

the more I read these au pair threads on mumsnet, the more I'm convinced these women are picked out randomly with zero research, the only requirement that they have a valid passport and are happy to work for peanuts.
Seriously, if you and he dw want to both do jobs which entail you hardly ever seeing the kids, source some proper childcare. (And I would've been more reasonable if you hadn't called her 'that thing')