Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

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

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

So have all the aupairs returned after Christmas

84 replies

mishmash · 06/01/2008 22:16

Mine arrived back on Friday and has been pampered since her entrance.

And I am here just thinking "oh no - back to square 1" - really enjoyed the time here without her.

We decided we still need her till Mid June cos we can't sort out childcare till then and I finish work.

BTW for those of you who don't know me my kids are all school going so she only has them 2-3 hours a day.

Had hoped my mum would be able to take them but she is getting on in years and is in lots of pain from arthritis.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

laura032004 · 07/01/2008 08:14

Ours came back yesterday, and I'm pleased to have her back. The timing has worked out perfectly as DH went away yesterday, and won't be living at home during the week again until ????? so it's great to have the company and help.

Mishmash - what is it that you enjoyed about her time away? Do you not like having an ap, or is it her particularly?

ingles2 · 07/01/2008 09:14

Mine got back last week, really please to be here,.I don't think things are that great at home.
Anyway, sat her down to go over everything again, money, cleaning etc and I think we're now sorted. Have realised cannot give her an inch as she will take a mile.
Good news is that my ds's were thrilled to see her, and threw themselves at her bodily. I think she was chuffed.

Original poster

mishmash · 07/01/2008 09:26

I just enjoyed having the house to ourselves and she can be a little bit demanding too

OP posts:

eleusis · 07/01/2008 10:15

Can I just point out that when Mishmash says "a little demanding" Mishmash is being VERY polite.

MrsRecycle · 07/01/2008 15:58

Nope - mine is hopefully back tomorrow night assuming her flight doesn't get cancelled due to today's strikes. Then she's only here for 3 weeks and off home for good.

It has been nice having the house to ourselves but I missed her this morning (but still managed to do school run/CM run in an hour and half). If only I could work from home then I wouldn't need an AP - but dh wants one.

Spoke to our new AP (Portugese) last night and LOs and I got on really well with her (including baby!). But I'm definitely not going to give an inch with her as current AP as taken so much and this extended holiday has really upset the apple cart.

nannyL · 07/01/2008 16:20

Im a nanny.... not back at work yet

do go back tomorrow though... cant believe Xmas is over (again)

sleeplessinwales · 07/01/2008 17:14

Our lovely Icelandic au pair came back at the weekend and we have her for another 2 months. We were working from home last week and it was a nightmare trying to also cope with ds (22 months) and dd (4 months). We've had 5 au pairs so far, and only 2 have been worthwhile.

Quattrocento · 07/01/2008 17:42

Ours back today, yay!!

Why don't you like yours mm?

sleeplessinwales · 07/01/2008 18:05

Have any of you got a lovely au pair who likes babies and would like to come to scenic west wales by the sea for a couple of months from March? I know some of them like to go to a few different places before going home!

Quattrocento · 07/01/2008 18:13

GRRRR

Weegle · 07/01/2008 18:29

Our came back last Wed and has been in bed since Thurs with flu which DS has now caught!!!!!!! ARRGH. Generally she is wonderful but this has just been a nightmare for me as I have an ill child, getting no sleep, no help because AP is ill and new job starting on Thursday. Eek.

laura032004 · 07/01/2008 20:37

Hearing about other terrible ap's makes me scared to get a 2nd one. We've been really lucky with our ap I think, and judging on the experience of others, I don't think we're going to be so happy second time around. I was bemoaning this fact to our ap today (she's planning on going 'in the summer' ) and she said she'd help us find somebody else - she's French, but also speaks excellent Spanish, so that might help a bit with the initial language barriers? Anybody else tried this approach?

ingles2 · 07/01/2008 21:00

Laura yep, my ap's speak on skype to potential ap's and I even listen to their advice
Some people do a week crossover so their current AP can teach the new one, how things should be done. Personally I don't think this is a great idea, because they get a bit slap dash and lazy by the end of the year and generally loose interest, even the best ones.

ingles2 · 07/01/2008 21:02

and I think you've been really lucky this time,...beware the French!!! !!!

Original poster

mishmash · 07/01/2008 21:59

I don't dislike her but as I said she is a bit demanding and very forward so often I get backed into a corner without realising it and give in to whatever it is she is looking for. Just one of these girls you have to pander to and who wants everything her way. And she is moody. Examples are very varied. And I am too bloody soft to say "No".

That said the kids like her.

OP posts:

ingles2 · 07/01/2008 22:36

I think the forwardness is quite common Mishmash...I'd say 1/2 of my ap's have bluntly demanded stuff and I've had ap's for 5 yrs now. I think that they feel, if they don't get exactly what they want, when they want, they are being treated like slaves. I just say, can't afford that for me or you,...buy your own. Where's she from?

Original poster

mishmash · 07/01/2008 23:39

Do you say that straight out Ingles - I say it in a round about way but it falls on deaf ears. When she starts the shopping list the top things on the list are what she wants! She is a health freak but eats more than our family put together in the week.

She is Swedish.

Our last AP would never ask for anything other than what I bought. I used to feel bad if we were away for the weekend and we would come home and see no real evidence of her having eaten at all.

Nanny before that was the same.

And because they weren't demanding I always gave them little treats.

OP posts:

QuintessentialShadow · 07/01/2008 23:44

We all went away for Christmas, us to my parents, my ap to her parents, we met at the airport and drove home together. The kids had missed her. She is nice, but as we have not been without her here, she wasnt really missed as we were on holiday.

I have a bit of an opposite problem. We are leaving the country, a few months before AP is due to return home... That was unexpected. We are meant to move back to Norway in July (decided on new years eve), but may have to go already in March..... Have to talk to her about it....

ingles2 · 07/01/2008 23:54

Yes I do MM. I don't think you should be buying her much in the way of specific health food. Surely she has to eat what you eat or sort herself out. If I were you, next time you go shopping buy a couple of things from the list and when she asks about the others, say no budget for that this week. or do what I do and give snack/petrol money and tell her she has to buy all her special food with that.

laura032004 · 08/01/2008 07:14

My ap is much the same - she doesn't ask for anything special, and hence I'm trying to press 'nice' things on her! Also makes me feel better if I'm not the only one eating a slice of warm chocolate fudge cake

sleeplessinwales · 08/01/2008 09:11

QuintessentialShadow - if your AP is tried and tested, how about she comes to me in March?? We have dd 4 months and ds 2 years old, me and dh work from home in turns, and live by the sea in deepest west Wales (so you can compare circumstances).
Our current AP has agreed to help vet new ones, but no matter how carefully you choose I think you are lucky if you land a really good one.

QuintessentialShadow · 08/01/2008 10:22

Sleepless, I can suggest this to my AP, but not until I have told her we are going already in March/April.....

She is truly brilliant, though!

MrsRecycle · 08/01/2008 11:04

Quint - eleusis is after a Nanny from March!

eleusis · 08/01/2008 13:43

OI! Me ears are burnin'! Tell me about this nanny... or is it an au pair? Am a tad confused.

QuintessentialShadow · 08/01/2008 14:53

Eleusis, she is an au pair plus. She does hardly any cleaning and no cooking with us.... My cleaner cleans her room. But she is brilliant with the kids!

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread