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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Amusing aupair traits?

22 replies

Domesticette · 23/09/2013 21:20

Maybe i'm just unworldly but has anyone repeatedly come across any amusing aupair traits?
Most of mine possess the most ugly, lurid pink fluffy slippers and insist on leaving them by the front door. I am forever apologising for their existence to visitors.
Also, so many of them insist on drying their clothes on a makeshift clothes line in their bedroom before confessing that they are too scared to use a tumbledryer.
And I have often woken up by the sound of my childrens screams when I discover that our toilets have yesterday's leftovers disposed in them. Spag bol does look rather scary at the bottom of the loo I suppose.

Do I just attract the pink slipper anti tumbledryer types or does everyone have the same issues repeatedly coming up?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

jnl0612 · 23/09/2013 22:01

My first one was Spanish and used to wear her pjs and a scarf and her dressing gown ALL the time, used to fry everything, and I mean everything, from bread to rice, everything got it..(house used to stink) my 2nd who was French had a really weird bathroom routine which took exactly 30 minutes each morning, she only washed her hair on a Saturday morning tho, (she gave me a schedule) my 3rd who was Romanian was fine she was great, a little OCD but great, 4th. Danish didn't stick around long enough to find out haha given up on aupairs now

Strix · 23/09/2013 22:02

Hmm... Not had those experiences. But I can tell you a story about "vodka socks".

blueshoes · 23/09/2013 23:00

OP, nothing like yours. I generally have aupairs in the 18-22 age bracket and they generally seem to have food issues.

Original poster

Domesticette · 23/09/2013 23:01

Intrigued about vodka socks?

OP posts:

ABaconAndOnionTart · 23/09/2013 23:15

I had one who went away for the weekend and never came back...

valiumredhead · 23/09/2013 23:44

You apologise for her slippers? Glad I don't work for you, what a snob!

HomerPigeon · 24/09/2013 09:32

I need to know about the vodka socks, Strix...

Strix · 24/09/2013 21:19

Right I had an Estonian nanny (who was lovely in many ways, but did think she knew best sometimes). She didn't really believe in drugs and other synthetics of the modern world. For example, she tried to persuade me to replace DD's (then 1 year old) wardrobe with only organic cotton clothes. I declined.

So, one day DD had a fever. And nanny saiod that what I really needed was vodka socks. Me, not know what vodka socks were, moouth wide open, eyes popping out replies something like "Over my dead body". So it transpires that vodka sox an an Eastern European remedy to reduce a fever. It is traditionally used in times/places where thing like paracetemol are not readily available. It appears you dip wool socks in a solution of half vodka and half water, put them on, then put dry cotton socks over them. I suppose the evaporation brings the fever down.

It's very funny now, but boy was I horrified at the time. I wonder how much alcohol is absorbed through the skin???

Strix · 24/09/2013 21:20

However, she did not have hideous fluffly pink slippers.

middleeasternpromise · 27/09/2013 20:30

I wish the au pairs I had would have been afraid of the tumble drier instead of trying to dry an entire wash in it and putting it on for 1.5 hrs at a time! Best strange behaviours - boiling sausages; cooking frozen chips on such a low heat they never actually cooked just became a soggy mess. Tomato sauce with EVERYTHING gallons of the stuff and finally an obsession with making pancakes as a reward system - not just a few; plates full (no one even likes pancakes in the family!!) I would find them sandwiched between two plates and stashed all over the house.

valiumredhead · 27/09/2013 21:07

Aren't you supposed to dry an entire wash then?

I can understand the sausage confusion as some sausages you do heat in waterjust none I would like to eat

My ds loves pancakes need think that was fab

valiumredhead · 27/09/2013 21:08

Would not need

girlylala0807 · 27/09/2013 21:12

I boil sausages in gravy. I never knew it was considered weird! Im in Scotland though so maybe its a Scottish thing.

pukkapine · 27/09/2013 21:14

I had one who came in when the Tesco shop was delivered, rooted through all the bags and brazenly walked off to her room with all the junk food... DH & I were so gobsmacked we didn't say anything.

Arrtttiiieee · 27/09/2013 21:19

Our current one only eats cereal. I offer her all sorts but have literally never seen her eat anything but cornflakes and muesli.

jnl0612 · 28/09/2013 06:09

I had a cereal eater too... I also had the same one (after asking her if she wouldn't mind putting it away) leave the tesco shop in the hallway allllll day. When it came at 11 and I got home at 4... Ruined frozen things galore

romina · 28/09/2013 18:37

Insisting on organic only (veggie) and cooking revolting porridgey mess every day, wanting the heating on 24hrs a day, only drinking sparkling water.
On the upside - getting all sweaty doing the housework in shorts and t shirt - this one is late 20s, seriously fit, 6ft 3 and male :-)

romina · 28/09/2013 18:38

Not the same one as the dodgy habits!

CloudyBayDrainageSystem · 28/09/2013 22:29

Our first, a Swedish girl, believed without a shadow of a doubt that only people under the age of 30 had a libido of any description.

She would chat animatedly to my dad (71 at the time), whilst undoing the buttons of her jeans (she was 'stuffed' having just eaten and often did this), having completely forgotten to put on a bra under her flimsy t-shirt.

My father used to remark that he never knew whether he should slit his wrists at being considered immune to this, or thank heavens that all his Christmases had come at once.

And my husband certainly noticed that she was a natural blond...

The best of it was she was a sweet young thing and would have been absolutely horrified had she realised that 'old' men noticed these things.

MGMidget · 30/09/2013 23:11

Very loud Skype calls are a common theme among our APs - as though they feel they need to shout since those on the receiving end of the call are so far away (in their home country).

Another frequent occurrence has been a complete ignorance of 'non stick' saucepans (even when it's explained that metal items shouldn't be used in them they don't get it). Therefore, all our non stick stuff gets ruined by APs deciding to use metal whisks in them or stir food in the pans with forks!

And yes, cereal eating at all times of the day has been a trait of some of our APs.

Some table manners have been pretty wired or even revolting. We had one AP who would pick up her cereal bowl after finishing the cereal and drink the milk from it. We currently have one who likes to lick her spoon or knife and then dip it in the honey jar or butter which we are all using. It's particularly unappetising when she has a bad cold (which seems to be most of the time).

MGMidget · 30/09/2013 23:13

Oops, sorry 'wierd 'not 'wired' (annoying auto-correct)!

Mummyoftheyear · 01/10/2013 01:11

Leaving the freezer door open. But I'd rather she left that open than the front door (one did that while babysitting- and had a bath with the bathroom door shut. House was open and reeked of cigarette smoke when I got home at 9pm.

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