Summer au pair queries

[m0therofdragons]

Thinking way ahead to next summer. I'm increasing my hours so by next summer holiday my 3dc will need someone to look after them while I work. I've approached childminders but none can take 3 as they have their own dc and wouldn't be able to go out on day trips due to car space. Plus a cm is expensive for 3.
I'm thinking an au pair may be an option. We don't have a spare room but dd1 often shares with dd2 and 3 in the holidays so an au pair could go in her room.
Anyway my main query is I like the idea of a Canadian au pair. Does that get complicated though re visas?
Do au pairs ever just want a few weeks?

3 children is quite a lot for a person with little experience. Be careful. How many hours do you think he or she would be working?

apart from that, yes, I think summer aupairs common, at least in London

You would probably find that it wouldn't be worth the au pair flying all the way from Canada just to work a few weeks. It would also require a visa.

Easier to stick to an EU au pair. What age are your children? Have you considered holiday playscheme?

I agree that it is probably easier to stick to EU, as whilst the Youth Mobility Scheme does include those from Canada, the cost of them applying for visa plus the flights would probably make it non-viable if they were just coming for the Summer. If they worked for you as part of their stay in the UK, then it could work.

Advertise and see who you get applying.

Yes. It's an option. However, you'd need a really competent and trustworthy au pair to look after and entertain 3 children. Would they stay at home every day? Would you employ someone who drives? The summer can feel very long of not.

Would you consider hiring 2 aupairs? 'Au pair" means 'another pair of hands' and they are only supposed to be doing 25-30 hours of light babysitting/housework each week preferably with someone else around, not long hours of solo childcare.

Most people combine their au pairs with holiday clubs, so maybe 2-3 days of holiday club (with the au pair collecting and dropping off) and then the other two days au pair care.

As long as your children are school age, an au pair will be fine, but for such a short period of time, it will probably be cheaper getting taxis rather than sorting out driving lessons and car insurance.

Working mobility Visas are fairly easy to sort out - although they can only have one ever! We had three or four Canadians contact me last time we recruited and they all wanted to stay for a short amount of time. Maybe its seen as a working holiday?

I was thinking it would be ideal as a break for uni summer holiday. I only work pt so wouldn't be long hours at all and only cleaning up after themselves and tidying what dc have played with.