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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

We need an aupair!

24 replies

Belo · 13/08/2007 15:37

I've tried aupair-world and gumtree. Can anybody recommend any other websites where we might be able to find one?

Or (optimistic longshot), does anybody know of an aupair looking for work? We live in SE London.

Need to get one sorted out ASAP.....

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

scienceteacher · 13/08/2007 18:19

There's another site, probably the biggest, called www.greataupair.com

I'm surprised you haven't found someone suitable from Aupairworld. I am always inundated from that site. Do you think you could do something with your marketing to make your job sound really attractive?

StarryStarryNight · 13/08/2007 18:24

Belo, listen to science teacher, she knows what she is talking about. I had a thread a little while back, and revved up my marketing. Clenched a deal a couple of days later with a young norwegian girl that seems great!

alycat · 13/08/2007 18:48

AuPairWorld has worked for me (Summer AP) and just hunting the replacement at the mo - seems to be quite a few keen ones there!

Are you looking for something out of the norm? I agree with the jazzing up, my AP took loads of cute pics of the dcs (some of AP and us together) and we loaded new pics on, reworded a few bits and bingo - many applications!

SSN glad you got a good one, have you used the downloadable 'agreement/contract' from there or did you write your own? (SNN or Science)All my previous have been 'on trust' but feel I ought to do something a little more substantial this time? Any clues would be great. TIA

Yellowbanana · 13/08/2007 18:54

StarryStarry - just curious as I have posted on greataupair.com and had a lot of feedback - did you policecheck or check references yourself? Thanks.

Ruth

babygrand · 13/08/2007 19:08

Had 3 au pairs from an agency - don't think they did much to earn their money! Then had one from aupairworld - think it's worth a look.

StarryStarryNight · 13/08/2007 19:12

Yellowbanana,

I did get lots of applications, problems was with references....

thread here if you are interested in more info, great advise too

Alycat, I have done it on trust, too!

alycat · 14/08/2007 18:37

Bugger SSN, you were about to become my new AP employment guru.

Scienceteacher, what do you do?

scienceteacher · 14/08/2007 19:00

I don't do references. I try to narrow down the kind of girl I am looking for to maximise my chances of getting a good one. I still have to go with what they tell me, of course.

What I look for is someone who is young (18/19), just finished school and wanting to do a gap year before going onto some impressive uni course in their home country.

Basically, I want someone who is reasonably smart (ie doesn't need to be told too much), and who appears to want to make the most of their year off. I prefer if they have had some kind of part-time job or holiday job, so that they understand the work ethic.

Original poster

Belo · 15/08/2007 08:28

Thanks for the advice. I'll add a photo (but that could scare them off!).

I'm asking for a Hungarian aupair. Am I narrowing the field too much?

OP posts:

scienceteacher · 15/08/2007 08:31

Yep, by specifying the country, you are narrowing down your choices dramatically. I don't think I've seen too many Hungarians, tbh.

How about opening it up for a bit to see what difference it makes?

The other option you have is to search for an aupair on APW/GA, rather than have them search for you. Are there any Hungarian aupairs that appeal to you on these sites?

Original poster

Belo · 15/08/2007 08:43

I've emailed almost every Hungarian on the site whose English is readable and wants to be with us for a minimum of 6 months. I've heard back from only a few. There's one that sounds fab and I've spoken to her, and so has my Mum. We've offered her a job, but so have 5 other families! She's having a week to make the decision. I'm assuming that she will say no and hunting on anyway. I've only been looking for about 10 days. Am I getting impatient?

OP posts:

alycat · 15/08/2007 12:48

Science, what do you do re letter of invitation or contract? Are you formal or flexible?

scienceteacher · 15/08/2007 13:54

I'm very informal. You don't need a letter of invitation for EU nationals - just basically email back and forth until all questions are answered.

Original poster

Belo · 15/08/2007 15:59

I changed my profile to allow for any nationalities. Now I'm inundated.... (Or, maybe it was adding the photos that helped !

OP posts:

alycat · 16/08/2007 14:11

Way to go Belo, I just hope we aren't 'bidding' for the same ones!

Just sent 10 emails off to APs who had added me to their faves, or replied pos to my initial approaches - I think my problem is not enough hours in the day to jump on each reply and chase it the second it comes in. By the time (1 or 2 days) I get on to it they have usually found/on way to finding a family!

Too busy to find and AP/so busy I need one!

scienceteacher · 16/08/2007 14:15

Alycat, I made up a webpage (from Blog software) where I could give them more details and answer their specific questions (given that they all have the same questions anyway). It means that when I get a response to APW, I can reply right away.

Original poster

Belo · 17/08/2007 11:44

Know exactly what you mean alycat. This aupair hunt is a full time job! I've asked my mum to start replying on my behalf.

Scienceteacher, I would be very interested in your blog.

OP posts:

alycat · 17/08/2007 11:48

So would I, although I'm sure you have better things to do with your time than spoonfeed IT/AP novices!

MrsJetson · 17/08/2007 18:05

Just the question I need answering too!

I am looking for somebody to generally muck in! We have 3 children 5,4 and 2 baby expected in November. The 5 yr old will be at school from 8.30 - 3.30pm and the other 2 will be 8.30 - 12.30pm. What I was wondering - do au pairs do cleaning, washing, ironing etc?

We have always had proper English Nannies before but feel we really do not need that now. Am I being over ambitious on teh au pair front? I have heard so many stories about the hours they need to work adn language courses that they must attend.

I would rather hear the truth from you ladies than be given a miss truth from an agency.

BTW I need someone to start 24 Sept until early January next year. Should I pursue or give up now???

Thank you for any advice!

MrsRecycle · 17/08/2007 18:13

Start now - mine is starting on 3rd September and it took me 6 months to find her!

I never seem to have a problem with the APs not being available by the time I get back to them - probably because I always go for the good looking ones and, for some reason, they don't seem to have too many families interested in them. I take no notice of the picture as they normally manage to gain weight after the picture was taken and normally look nothing like them.

If you're after someone to help out - be warned, it is completely different from having a Nanny who has initiative. You are basically taking on another daughter who probably won't clear up after herself, keep her room tidy, know where to go, who to speak to, etc.... Whilst they can do the cleaning, etc I actually find that having a cleaner who I pay £20 for is a lot less hassle than having an AP who needs a lot of my time and that's something you don't have when you have a new baby.

But I could be proved wrong, come September (this will be my sixth AP).

Yellowbanana · 17/08/2007 21:33

StarryStarry - thanks for the thread - am actively chasing au pairs! I had a couple of responses on gumtree. I also placed an ad on facebook and had 1 reply from a girl who would be available in November. So things are moving - I hope to get someone installed by mid-end Sept.

scienceteacher · 18/08/2007 12:08

Mrs Jetson,

It should be easy enough to find an aupair to stay with you from September until Christmas. A few weeks into the new year might be problematic, as it would eat into what ever they planned to do next. Not impossible, but you'd be limiting your field of potential girls.

The standard working hours are 25 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with two evenings' babysitting. They do cleaning and laundry, but expect to do childcare too. In your case, for example, she could do the 8.30 and 3.30 school run, with you doing the middle one, and cleaning/laundry/after school help to make up her hours. This would give her a gap in the day to do language classes and explore the area, meet friends, etc.

For my new aupair, I am specifying a one hour block in the morning, two hour block in the afternoon, and the other two hours when it suits her.

MrsJetson · 18/08/2007 12:11

Science - thank you - sounds like a good plan re the working day. Advice re Christmas taken on board too - I hadn't really thought that far ahead!

alycat · 30/08/2007 18:48

Hey Belo, how's it going with the hunt??

Had four last week who desperately wanted to be our AP I replied yes (subject to refs) to all at the weekend!! Only one mailed back so on Weds I offerred her the job properly. Then today 2 of the others contacted again (one had the hump as I wouldn't pay her fair over), told them both that I'd found someone else.

I have to say all my friends think I'm mad having a French AP, they all swear by Czech and Slovaks as they have a stronger work ethic (ie slave-like)

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