Do you need a big house to host an au pair?

[dalstondaisy]

Obviously they would need their own bedroom, but I have a decent sized 3-bedroom place with all bedrooms currently in use. I was thinking of turning the sitting room into a bedroom for me - having a sofa bed in there maybe, so that the au pair has what was my room. The kids rooms are big enough for them to play in and we have a big kitchen/dining room. There's only one bathroom though - do au pairs expect their own bathroom? We're definitely not wealthy, but do you think this set up would be ok for an au pair?

I think it's more whether it would be OK for you, as it's your home. I'm not sure why you need an au pair, but I'd think carefully about whether the benefits outweigh your not having your own bedroom space any more. I would have to be pretty desperate to sleep on a sofabed on a regular, permanent basis...
Again, they may not expect their own bathroom, but you'd be sharing yours.

I'm not too bothered about having a stranger in my house - and they wouldn't be a stranger for long! I've always lived with other people anyway.

I can't see many other options than an au pair really. I need before and after school care for four children, plus someone to walk the dog during the day, and some help around the house would be nice. I can't afford a nanny and a childminder would be too pricey (and I think I'd struggle to find someone to take all 4 of them!).

Hi,
we also live in a 3 bed house with one bathroom, and we have an AP. I share a room with one of the children, and the AP has her own room.
We have to have an AP because I work, and need someone at home when the children come in.

It is a perfectly adequate setup, but I would recommend the following tips:

• dont give the AP the best bedroom in the house (I once made this mistake, and got an AP who openly looked down her nose at us. She made a swift exit.)

• dont recruit an AP who comes from a very privileged background (look in her profile for clues like "My hobbies are skiing and riding").

I have had APs from very poor backgrounds, who are just happy to have their own room.
eg, we had one from Poland, who came from a 1 bedroom flat that she shared with all her family. She was used to sleeping on the sitting room floor, so was quite happy with us.

daisy, I am also mother of 4 and divorced!

Thanks Nightynight, that gives me hope!

Would it count as a mother's help if it's for sole charge? I'd need someone to do 8-9am and then 2-6.30pm, and I'm not sure anyone would want those hours. And if I'm paying 7 pounds an hour that's about 190 a week - I was thinking about 70 (plus food, bills of course) for an au pair. And with that I'll have more flexibility, sickness cover, babysitting etc.

Well you might be able to get a nanny share (nanny with own child) or mothers help capable of sole charge? Might work out a bit cheaper?

Or could be a first nanny job for newly qualified nanny/nursery nurse looking for first nanny job.

I was a single parent with 2 children and a 3 bed house, and had 3 au pairs over the years to help with before and after-school care, and it worked very well.

Our third bedroom was small but there was enough room for a bed, clothes storage and a small TV/DVD.

I wouldn't recommend sleeping in the lounge long term - can you not get your children to share one room, you have one, and give the au pair the third (and smallest!) room?

We had just the one bathroom and that was fine.

There are two kids in each bedroom already (very handily two boys and two girls!) so I don't think I could squeeze them all into one.

Can you sleep with 2 of your children in the biggest room?

We don't have a large house and have an au pair but I don't think I could give up our bedroom. At the moment we only have one child so it's not an issue as we all have a room but when/if further children come along they will all have to share a room, and the au pair will go in the smallest. Again I specifically made sure the au pair we got isn't from an overly privileged background - important in lots of respects eg phone bill!