Safe but boring, or exciting but riskier au pair?

[TooBusyByHalf]

The top 2 interviewees so far are (1) a musician, male, European, seemed great fun and very keen and was lovely, and obviously good with kids; but I suspect may not want to au pair long if something better comes along, and may turn out to be hopeless at the housework, cooking, organising side of things (or may not, he has no references as to this side of the role) and (2) a wannabe-singer, female, English, safe pair of hands, easy to get along with I think, but would definitely not appeal so much to the DCs (and also could leave if something better came along). 2 reminded me a lot of the first full time nanny we shared, though apart from a very short stint has not worked with kids before.

Safe is definitely good when it comes to childcare!

Can you have an English au pair if you're in the uk?
Whole point it is a language exchange etc

FWIW I've gone with an au pair who seems dynamic and interesting (and male)

Why does she seem safer than him?
Who has the most experience?

Ballerina - If we choose him he will come over just for this opportunity. So if it doesn't work out (for him or for us) I will feel very guilty; but it is hard to tell when you've only met someone on skype though he does seem very good, and he is quite mature (mid 20s). He has experience in childrens summer camps etc. but not as an au pair. She has come to London due to lack of opportunities in her home town and is aupairing as a way of settling in and trying to find her way in life. She has only a few weeks experience but seems like she would be competent. She is young but has been working for a few years.

Ruby - there is no formal au pair scheme any longer so you can employ anyone who has the right to work (so usually UK EU or working visas) - you just have to comply with the usual employment rules. £107 pw is the pocket money limit before tax implications I think.

Thanks for clarifying :-)

I have no more advice to offer except any au pair can leave at any time

My au pair has no au pair experience but is training to be a teacher

I think that from what you have said (bearing in mind I do not personally know the two candidates) that the male has the upper hand. He has done summer camps so more experience working with children than her and may have more to offer in terms of outdoor games etc.. lots of energy. Any au pair can leave at any time. They both sound lovely but you need someone who will settle in well and it sounds as though he will :)

So on the way home from school I was burbling on about them and DD1 said " so one is more fun, and the other is more firm?" and I guess that is what it boils down to. So I'm dithering between them getting their homework done every day (it would be really nice for it not to be me shouting at them to get it done), or being over-exicted but happy all the time

If you think you can set out expectations with the fun one that homework must be done and PE kit needs to be taken on Tuesdays or whatever, and also cope with very basic cooking if that turns out to not be his thing, I would go with the fun bloke.

If the male au pair isn't great at cooking could you do more batch cooking etc for the freezer in exchange for him doing a bit of gardening/DIY etc

(yes, I know this is hopelessly stereotypical but you know what I mean - taking away aspects of the job he isn't good at in exchange for something he is good at)

That is a v good point slowcomputer, thank you for that. Looks like it's all pointing one way. Fingers crossed on the references.