How much to pay for live in au pair is reasonable?

[shuosborne]

I just broken my foot two days ago and start to get a bit panic what to do after this bank holiday. Au pair seems like the best solution. I have two under 4 boys. I normally look after them myself and used a childminder 2 days a week while I worked that 2 days. Now with my immoblised leg i cann't take the boys to the childminder.

I live in london, barking. Still fairly close to central. I offered £80 per week and weekend travel pass if she needs. I need her to drop off and pick up my boys, and enteritains them, take them to parks. I also need her to help out with house work, like tidy up the toys, fed the little one during meal time. the au pair has a room to herself, she can use wifi, tv and when we go out she can join in.

so what do you think?

For the pay you describe she would work no more than 25 hours a week. Also depending on person you get they could struggle looking after two little ones especially as sole charge.

It doesn't sound like an au pair job tbh. You need a temporary nanny/housekeeper since the workload sounds a lot as you are not mobile.

There will be a lot of childcare and it sounds like a temp nanny job

Can you get the boys to your CM another way? Taxi??? Could she have them for any extra days?

Thanks for the honest advises. I never come across with the need for an au pair so really didn't know what for expect. some au pair asked to pay for their flight fares i am really not sure if this is standard?

Au pairs stay for a year.

They are not supposed to care for pre schoolers.

Can your DP not do more for the few weeks until you are better?

au pairs can be short term

mine is with me for 6 months for example - you can get an au pair plus which is someone who does more hours and gets paid a lot more than the £80 you are suggesting

it is not standard to pay for an au pair's flight

i would really look at other alternatives

My friend is currently being an au pair. She will be doing it for 4 months only.She earns £100 a week looking after 3 older children. She picks up, drops off and looks after them. She cooks fairly often and does errands. She is allowed use of a car too.

ooh, it is hard to try to think of a quick solution at such short spaces of time. we have them arranged and being looked after for next whole week, but really need to come up with something quick. I have lots of reponses from Aupair World. I have only kept one in mind, but after seeing all your replies i am a bit worried if i have relied too much on that aupair just in case she can't handle the two boys. i will keep my options open, like asking my childminder to take care of them longer and seek for a nanny etc. I have some great neighbours would come and help out. THANK YOU GUYS FOR REPLY MY MESSAGE.

bit worried if i have relied too much on that aupair just in case she can't handle the two boys.

I think it will depend on how much experience they have with similar aged children. They may well have a lot of experience, or they may have none. So you need to find out from them what their experience is so far with children, be it their own younger siblings, friends children, they may have worked in a pre-school or creche. Try to get a feel for if they are the sort of person who is able to cope with young children.

Plan out exactly what is required... detail each day so you and they know what is expected. Getting children dressed - is that something they would do, or you? Young children can sometimes be ok about wearing clothes, at other times as I am sure you have experienced, it can be quite a battle to get them to wear anything without a full on tantrum.

How much movement do you have? Can you be in the same room as your children at certain stages, such as when they have breakfast, when they get dressed? That way you are there to supervise.

nannynick, thank you for your tip. I will write out a daily plan and see how the aupair think? I can move around if i really need to. I think i can supervise.

Do you have a partner/husband who can help out? Could they help move you downstairs in the morning, so you 'camp out' in the living room all day?

Could they put an assortment of the boys clothes in boxes and have those in the living room. Make things easily available so there is no need to constantly be going up/down stairs.

Some au-pairs may only want to stay for the summer, so June to late August may well suit some people. If you can stand having someone else living at your home, then it could well work. Certainly worth a try, as you do have your childminder for providing the bulk of childcare during the day.

How would au-pair get your boys to the childminders - Is that a short walk?

It may also appeal to a college/uni student, though they may not be available until later on depending when their term finishes. So someone local might do it - have you advertised locally at all?

I have some neighbours are asking around for me. My husband cann't take anymore time off and he has to leave quite early in the morning, before 7am. I have two aupairs in mind now. I explained her duties are : she will need drop off and pick up kids for Mon&Tues tomy childminder, (about 15mins walk)My elder goes to pre-school on Wed & Fri, so she only have them full day on thursday. But I will be there to superviser. both au pair sound promising. We will also speak to the husband's parents see if they can help out.