Have you ever hired an Au Pair / Nanny who reference was not very good?

[Strix]

What happened?

You guess what has happened. Met her. Really lined her. Thumbs up from both kids. Contract agreed. Checked reference... And it's all in question now.

Not very tidy (cleans up but lacks attention to detail)
Not very proactive
"can't cook" (but willing to learn)

Bugger! The job is something between an au pair and nanny, involves care of toddler on one full day each week. Otherwise, before and after school hours.. She does need to cook for children. I am FUSSY about nutrition. I have very untidy au pair now and cannot cope with another.

Anyway i am aware that sometimes parents expect too much... Undecided as to whether au pair is substandard or parent hired an au pair expecting too much.

HELP!

yep - was originally a few drinks at end of sept and then more turned up and now a meet and apparently for xmas - so only 2 mths early lol

sept meet

i employed one who was "untidy." She leaves the house like a bomb's hit it was the exact words. But the stuff that mattered (to me) was there. Kind, sensible, imaginative. If there was any suggestion of unreliable, unpunctual or irresponsible then no. But messy I can live with.

Thought I'd come back for an update.

So far, she is lovely. She is tidy. She likes (and cooks) healthy food. Kids love her.

She sounds great Strix.

I definetly think that going with your gut instinct is a good thing. I worked for one family who, when asked if they had to say something negative, said I was a little fastidious about cleaning/ironing etc which was music to the ears of my next employer who was fastidious to the point of OCD about tidying etc. Mrs OCD told me that previous nannies had been untidy but tbh, most people would have struggled to reach her high standards!

I hope your nanny continues to be lovely.

updates are always good :)

glad all is going well

Can you take her on (say) a 6 week trial? That way you could see for yourself. TBH, I would be most concerned that the au pair likes children, and that the children like her, and that she is able to take good care of them. Housework would be secondary.

MarVellous to her positive update.

Now, did someone mention a Kent meet? Have party shoes, will travel. Happy to host at mine. We need to nudge page62 too. Anyone else up for it?

Can I bring the margaritas? All those years in Texas taught me something useful.

I will nudge page62 on Facebook.

I have been nudged! What is happening? When and where? As long as not in next 3 weeks (work purgatory). Hope all well. And Pssst, I now drive ! (not motorway yet though!!!)

wahoo you passed - well done - you cant do next few weeks of sept page, i cant do early oct and half term is late oct so how about sat 20th oct?

20th ok for me

Really..... You passed? What will your DH do on the weekends now, if not drive you round???

you sound so shocked strix rofl

20th ok for everyone else?

Ack can't do that. First weekend of half term for us so likely to be away. 2nd weekend of hal term we have people staying! In nov, as long as we avoid the weekend close to the 13th as that is DDs bday so likely to have a party. Gah! I'm rubbish at this!

gah indeed

first sat in nov??

First Sat in November probably full of bonfire party commitments..3rd weekend in Nov, anyone?

sat 17th squiffy??

strix your aversion to nutella on white bread made me think of you the other day when my darling husband brought sainsburys basic white bread and I had nutella on - never seems so naughty on warbutons seeded (yes I see you panicing at the sheer thought!!)

Anyway nanny front as you say sole care for one day a week plus before/after school she is generally going to be busy doing what needs to be done before and after school and sure you can give her a busy day they day she is on her own.

Maybe she can stand alongside when you cook and perhaps other family would have liked lovely home cooked meals for the whole family and what she actually made was a pasta dish with a hm tomato based sauce - fine for the children (not a teaspoon of nutella in sight!!)

Gut instinct is often the way to go I chose a cm who only had a satisfactory oftsed but went with my gut as liked her as was fine then when she had a baby chose to move onto someone else due to some very real potential concerns again gut feeling which proved to be right.

Sat 17th works for us....

are we still meeting on 17th?? :)