I have named changed for this as am readily identifiable under my other name by now I reckon.
We had funny situation a ocuple of weeks ago with our au pair where she didn't answer the doorbell or respond to incessant phone ringing on the landline from someone trying to contact us. When we asked her about it when we got home, she claimed that her door was open and she was listening out and heard nothing. The caller comes at the same time each week but didn't have a key that week.
She also fails to reply to mobile calls from us and texts. Claims there's something wrong with her phone, which they're may be. It's not a new phone. I must say that the phone seems to work when she needs it to though.
The thing is, I wrote the incident off above off and the phone things off as sort of teen related and maybe all part and parcel of having an au pair. Maybe she exaggerated how closely she was listening out.
However, we had a visitor staying with us for a couple of weeks who asked me about her hearing. It had never occured to me (I have a bellowing voice and she hears ME.)
THe au pair told me yesterday that last year in her home country a consultant diagnosed a problem with her hearing after some tests - like a physical problem with her ears based on an examination in the hospital. SHe was very upset about it, cried for weeks because it has implications for her professionally in what she wants to do later. But then 'decided the doctor was wrong' and it was just a cold.
I have never noticed it before but it seems possible she could have a speech impediment. It's very difficult to say as I don't speak her native language - I would need to ask our previous au pair what she thinks, whether it's possible but she may feel uncomfortable with this.
What would you do? I have never noticed a day to day problem with looking after the girls. I could technically ignore it and write the incident at the house off as just a bit irritating and ask her to be more attentive with the phone.
But to be frank I have no idea if I'm taking a risk here.