Summer au pair - what else should I consider?

[Gusthetheatrecat]

We have been talking about possibly getting an au pair for a few months now. We've been batting it backwards and forwards, wondering if it might work well for us. And now a friend of a friend is looking for a summer au pair placement for about four months, so we are seriously thinking about jumping in and hiring her. Or at least looking into it properly.

For background, we have three small children. My husband works only four days a week, but long and slightly unpredictable hours. I am at home, but very busy with other commitments which I am currently trying to squish into busy days and evenings around the girls. I am absolutely not looking for a cheap nanny! We genuinely want another pair of hands: an extra grown-up around to ease a bit of the pressure and help to get us out the door to school, and to help with the witching hour(s) between school finish and bed time. Someone to prepare beans on toast whilst I read to the girls, who can play with my two youngest whilst I help the eldest with her homework, to take the girls to the swings occasionally whilst I do some emails and work.

We are in zone 3 in London, have a spare room, and I've been reading about rates of pocket money here, which seem like somewhere between £70 - £90. We have a car, but I'm not sure I'd want an au pair to drive it (this may be me being silly - I am a bit of a nervous driver myself so perhaps projecting this onto other people. Also, a car really isn't necessary to get anywhere from where we are.)

So I wondered what else we might need to consider? Or anything else we might have forgotten? We have a good-sized spare room. Do people offer a travel card or bus pass as well? I have read different things about this, but obviously it makes quite a big difference to the cost. Anything else? Grateful to hear from anyone with au pair experience.

This is all hugely helpful, thank you! Do you know whether it's standard to offer a bus pass? I do not want to be miserly, but it might tip us over from 'we could just afford that' into 'no way'.
Do you have a contract with your ap? And how much flexibility is there? I don't want to be a nightmare host family, but I can see being able to very occasionally ask for babysitting at short notice would be enormously helpful. Obv I would try to avoid this, and would show flexibility in return I hope!
Thanks again.

For a short term au pair I'd consider only getting someone with very good level of English, rather than trying to teach them the language and then just as your efforts are starting to pay off have them disappear back home.

I didn't bother to add the au pair to the car insurance, as she didn't need to drive, but I did get her a bike to use so that she had some more freedom to get out.

Also remember that every time you go out for a coffee, lunch, etc you pay for the au pair as well which can add up (but we are a family that eats out a lot!)

We were really lucky this summer and had 2 au pairs (both on 3 month placements, one after the other), the first was amazingly wonderful and felt like a member of the family within a week and was totally flexible, great with Dd, sensible and a lovely lodger, the second was ok but viewed it more like a 'job' with us as her employers but she was good with Dd so it still worked well.

Thanks happydutchmummy, too. We also eat out a lot so that is a good reminder! That said, I would pay a lot for an extra pair of hands when we are out.....
Your point about language is a very good one, too.
Plenty to think about. I think we are going to go for it!

We live in zone 2 in london. We don't give bus pass, but she has access to car and gym membership. Really up to you how you do this. Good luck!