Never had an au pair before - any hints/tips/I wish I'd done thats?

[MLWfirsttimemum]

Pretty much as it says in the headline - we are actively looking for an au pair and I'd love to learn from other people's good and bad experiences.

Roman
I'm curious - do you work outside the home? Just wondering if it's easier for them to fall into this pattern if the 'host parents' are around a lot. Whereas if it's clear they're 'in charge' for part of the time they're more likely to step up to the plate so to speak.

How old were these 4 au pairs Romanarama?

I amke it very clear the AP is NOT responsible for picking the DCs clothes up, the DCs are.

Good point DIOM. In the handbook put what you expect in terms of behaviour, chores, etc from the children!

DCs from about the age of 2 are capable of putting most if their clothes into the basket

DCs from the age fo 2 - 12 are capable of putting most if their clothes into the basket; it is a skill that seems to be lost at 13. Girls regain it about 21/22, us blokes never do.

My aps were the following:

21, great - enough to be forgiven for crashing the car twice.

21, daft, completely lazy, clearly daddy's little princess, hadn't the faintest clue that she was supposed to be doing a job. The kids liked her but I found her terrible. Sacked eventually for hiding girlfriend/lover at our house. Said girl was awful and had been banned when she had been sacked as ap from another family for inappropriate nudity and touching their 5yo dd . I was unimpressed to find said girl had spent the night, and really unimpressed when I found she'd spent the night again and was hiding in the wardrobe.

24, completely weird and spooky, didn't last at all

20, marvellous with kids, v.good at creative things, slightly mad, apparently heavy user of medication, possibly depressed/bipolar, dreadfully messy, does weird things.

They all had references and I checked all of them.

Yes dcs can tidy up after themselves, but mine require being told!