Au Pair duties - is this reasonable

[sunnyjim]

We're getting an Au Pair in the summer, duties will be:

Get DS 21/2ready (breakfast and clothes) and take to nursery (5 minutes walk away for 8.30am) 3 days a week.

Pick DS up from nursery at 4pm two days a week and occupy him until mum/dad comes home at 5pm.
(i reckon thats 5 hrs)

Do light household jobs:
run hoover round living room twice a week
Sweep/mop kitchen floor twice a week
wash up breakfast things every day
Wash up tea things in turn with us (if eating with us)
Shove on a load of washing once a day - towels, DS clothes, au pair clothes,
Pick up local shopping (tea, milk, stuff from organic shop) once a week/as needed
Take in and put away tesco order once a week
Water plants in garden (pots on patio and plants in herb garden (15 minutes job) every other day.
(an hour and a half a day a day 9weekdays) so 7.5 hours a week)

One evening babysitting
5 hrs

one afternoon/morning activity with DS on a non nursery day. (ie take him to the park (5 minutes away) or to playgroup
3 hrs

So its about 20 hrs a week with a split between childcare and household stuff. I'd only expect the drop off and pick up for the first two weeks and then move onto babysitting etc. Can be pretty flexible about which days Au pair did nursery run as I work p/t. Would give them one full day off during the week and one full day off at weekend.

Scottishthistle, do you not think maybe you had learnt not to do it again? I think its pretty reasonable for the householder to want to make the house secure before going to bed and If I had been woken up by someone at 5am to get the nightlock/bolt/chain off because they hadn't had the courtesy to let me know they were staying out all night I'd be very annoyed.

TBH I wouldn't want to employ someone who lacked the basic good manners to call me if they were going to be out late. (past 11/12pm)

I've heard a few people saying things like - its the au pair's house too, they are part of the family etc etc. They aren't - they are a student who is staying with you and you have an arrangement that they do x amount fo work for y amount of money/goods. You also help them out, are friendly and give them the chance to practise their language skills in a family setting. But they aren't 'family' and it isn't their house! Its yours, your kids, your possesions, your cash thats paying for their wages, food, room, electricity etc etc.

I'll try and make any rules about the house and duties reasonable so that the Au pair wants to stay and finds it pleasent being here, but at the end of the day I believe that they who pay the mortgage/bills call the tune.

Sunnyjim, my Employers are well aware that on the weekend I am rarely home before 2/3am but I don't plan exactly what time I'll be home!

Putting the chain on the door before they go to bed just isn't possible seen as they're rarely in bed after 10:30pm!