I love the French but blimey the au pairs keep letting me down

[supakids]

Ive been registered on this web site for a few months and its driving me crazy. We spend a lot of time in France and have a house there so I would like a french au pair here in england to help son with the language through the summer holidays. They all register their interest in you after (supposedly) reading all about you, how much you pay blah blah and then you find the dates you advertised dont match the ones they want. So why register their interest?! I have been corresponding with 3 or 4 of them and they keep coming back saying they are interested but when it gets to lets fix the dates then, they disappear off the face of the earth. Ive wasted a lot of time and am losing faith in my little french friends. Any experienced families out there who have had french au pairs and how to hook em without paying the earth?

Er, from having had 3 French au pairs I would say that when it works it's great (1 out of 3, for a 5 week temp stint), but unfortunately, they are not the best employees ... Work to rule, huffy, secretive, sweet with kids and dh but not so great with mum ... errr, I would suggest steering clear!!

If it helps, yes they do expect a bit more money (say £60 instead of £55 for 25 hrs), BUT they are a LOT less flexible than other nationalities - and I am talking about needing 2 weeks' notice of hours, not so ready to muck in when they see things are getting on top of you, less interested in taking p-t jobs out of the house eg babysitting for neighbours etc so they have less of a life outside the home etc etc .... Sorry, but have just been very let down by one recently (last week), and it has led me to give up my job & decide against au pairs totally!!

ah sorry to hear you have had such a bad time of it.

could you put in an ad in your local paper or the shops of your village?

she might of been ideal for us, we speak very little french but we get by. Its for my ds who has been learning since he was 2 (now 4) I thought it would be a little boost during the summer to have play time but in French.

Thanks Milward, may give it a try but we live in Hillbilly Land so not sure it would hit the spot.

I had a brilliant french au pair when I lived in the UK. She was lovely and not at all secretive or sulky. I actually went to her wedding a couple of years ago and still keep in touch.

Think it is the luck of the draw.

...could try the regional colleges - good luck

Good idea.