Advice and guidance needed on employing an aupair

[babiesaries]

i'm new to this so bear with me!! I am looking for any help, info, advice and guidance with regards to employing an aupair?
I am just starting the sad process of splitting up with my husband and am trying to work out how I can still work and find the right and best childcare that would work around my job and my 3 children and that doesn't include him as he's unreliable. I work as a maternity nurse 2-4 nights per week and at the mo my husband has obviously been caring for them but as he is moving out to continue doing the job, which I would like to do as financially it is my best bet and it means I'm home to pick them up from school and home to take them and I also don't work during the holidays, I need to have someone here to stay over night so I was thinking about an aupair as I really only need them from 8pm to make sure the 2 older ones go to bed and then sleep here and I'm normally home by 7.30 so I get them up, I also thought they could give me a hand with a little housework but mostly during the day and weekends they'd be free! We only have a 3 bed home but I do have a big conservatory which I thought I could turn into a bedroom for myself and clear my room for the aupair? Any advice would be massively appreciated.

If you are working two nights in a row and taking care of the kids before and after school, when do you sleep???

If you are near a university town this may suit a full time student, who may even be happy to only work term times which would mean you weren't falling over each other in the holidays. Depending on where you are and rental costs (if you are in London for instance) you might even find that it makes sense for someone to do this and pay you a contribution for board and lodging.

Not sure about the conservatory as your bedroom, depends on the layout really. I assume the ages/sexes don't work for putting them all in one room, but how about you sharing with the girl(s)?

thanks for replying, i sleep during thr day after i've taken them to school so it works really well, we do live near london about 25mins on train and tube so we are pretty central. i hadn't thought of a student though will look into it, although i did want someone with alittle childcare experience and i have 2 boys and 1 girl, so there are no other roms but if i have to sleep in conservatory i suppose i will have to so i can work.

We both work nights and have an au pair for exactly the same reason as you need one. It works very well. We find our au pairs from Au Pair World and have had lots of them in the past. They have all been excellent.
Also I see no reason why a conservatory as a bedroom shouldn't work. My sister is recently severely disabled and her bedroom is now a downstairs conservatory. It's warm and overlooks the garden and is very cosy with a double bed in it. The only potential problems I can think of would be finding a way to block out the light (eye pads?) and the noise of rain on the conservatory roof disturbing your sleep (ear muffs?!)