au pair for two year old

[Soggysandpit]

I think my nanny may be about to give notice (circumstance rather than a problem with me!). We have the space for an au pair and it is a lot cheaper - I work part time and my son is at morning preschool so he/she would only have sole charge for a couple of afternoons a week and an hour or so in the morning.

Has anyone had an au pair look after a child so young? Is it wise? He'd be 2 1/4 when she started, if my intuition about my nanny is correct!

Many thanks in advance.

Hi

Au pairs shouldn't look after 3yr olds as a rule I'm afraid,they don't have the necessary training or language to help develop/support that age
You could look at a live in mothers help? Generally a newly qualified nanny or someone wanting experience to be a nanny who's from the uk.

Cheers

Probably unwise though at the moment you may find you can get someone who has good English and has childcare experience. It really will depend on the individual.

Perhaps look at it more as a live-in nanny, offering a bit more money than an au-pair gets to attract someone who has childcare experience and who does not need language classes.

That's interesting, I've always thought of a mother's help as someone who doesn't have sole charge. Is that not the case?

Job titles I feel are irrelevant these days. Yes a mothers help traditionally would be to help the mother, so mother being around. A AuPair is there to be like a big sister/brother, help around the home, not provide childcare whilst parents are out at work.

Work out what it is you actually need someone to do, so far it sounds like you need childcare, so I feel that should be represented as best you can in a job title and certainly explained in the description. As you are prepared to have someone live at your home, then it may appeal to someone who is looking to be an aupair/live in help/nanny, so you could advertise on aupair sites but explain that it is not a traditional aupair job but more a nanny position to suit someone with some experience of young children.

Thanks, this is really helpful, if it comes to it I might spread my net wide on the au pair and childcare sites as well as via agencies. I need a driver which does complicate things.

Why not aim for another nanny then, live in perhaps. Someone who has some experience, who has a UK license and has some driving experience. Sure it will cost more than an au-pair but it does sound as though you need someone who has some experience and drives - some people already working in the UK as an aupair and looking to change to nannying it may appeal to, nursery worker, someone who has completed a childcare course at college perhaps if they have had enough experience of young children.

We have had au pairs look after our children under the age of three and we have had great experiences. Look on au pair world, its full of keen people with a full range of childcare experience including teachers etc. we happen to have always chosen 19 year old gap year students but they have all been great with the kids and very reliable. Only on MN do I see the strict "no under threes" brigade.

I was a mother's help when I was 19. I was just an au pair who did some housework - I had no childcare qualifications whatsoever. I would check the exact job descriptions with whatever agency you're looking to use.

Would you need full-time care in the school holidays?

No, still two days a week all year round.

I used to be an au pair, a mother's help, live in nanny and a daily nanny and I had sole charge with all the children.

I was in an AP position in the UK as a mother help, I had sole charge of older children but your job may suit somebody who wants to get a level 3 qualification, so you may be able to find somebody British with a bit of experience who could do it, especially if you're okay with them having a tutor observe them in your home occasionally.

I don't think you'd be able to offer enough hours for a live-in nanny.

Your job description sounds okay for an experienced au pair - I had a few applications from nursery nurses when we were looking last time.