So tell me your experiences with an au pair please

[jabberwocky]

I am trying to convince dh that this could be a good solution for us. The au pair America program requires a one year commitment and he is a bit nervous about it.

the hairy handed truck drivers will be waiting with bated breath

Perhaps I phrased this in an awkward fashion...

I did au pair in America many moons ago and had a great time.

Do you think living in a small town would make it hard for us to find someone? We live approx 45 minutes from a major city and would have a car for her personal use.

yes, living in a small town does make it harder to recruit. It probably isn't such an offputting factor as having 4 children though!

One of my happiest au pair experiences was in a small town though, AP used to get the bus to the slightly bigger town a few km away, she and her friends from language school were soon regulars at the town's only night club. She had previously been in a big city, and told me that our town turned out to be a much better experience in the end - but none of them realise this before they come!

surely the US aps are allowed to change their family?

Yes, they can. But I would feel terrible if we got someone and they decided to leave

ha ha jabberwocky you will soon toughen up after you have had a few awful aps...

Remember, that 99% of APs will ditch you without a second thought, at any moment, leaving you with no AP.
I recommend giving them free computer access and keeping an eye on their usage of AP database websites.
I try to ensure that our APs have a good time, but sometimes it just doesnt work out, and its nobodys fault.

We're about to ditch our au pair - there is a thread with the whole history if you can be bothered - but she was very nice and perfectly competent at providing childcare. I think it is true to say that they have their own agenda so I wouldn't expect any loyalty/friendship as such. But for most of the time we have had our au pair, she has been very good...

Thanks for the insight. I'll take a look at your thread mumpbump. Forewarned is forearmed as they say!

Jabber, why do you need an au pair? Can't you just hire an American who say just graduated high school and maybe wants to take a year off?

I'm thinking it would be nice for the boys to be exposed to another language, culture, etc.

Plus, you forget we live in the Bible Belt. I'm a bit worried about the type of mindset they could be exposed to locally

You could get an American who speaks another language and is not from the bible belt. Maybe someone of Mexican heritage from Texas of California? Or there are lots of ethnic minorities in cities. For example, Chicago has a huge Polish population.

I just don't think it's really worth the on year visa commitment.

Oh, or Cubans in Miami.

There are so many cultures to choose from within the US.

Good point. That is what dh is concerned about. Maybe I should post on Craig's List. Is that the right board?

eleusis, you're a star We are interviewing a new nanny on Friday who was on Craig's List. She's not an au pair type but she sounds fabulous.

Fingers crossed that she's as good in person as on the phone.

Oh, good luck. Let us know how it goes.

And thanks for the compliment, but I can't really take the credit.

You got me thinking outside the box which is the main thing. I tend to get an idea and then get wayyy too focused on it