Au Pair Not speaking - help!

[redhen]

Help! Have au pair just arrived yesterday from France. Trying very hard to involve and make her feel welcome but though she follows us around she is just not speaking at all. Her English is poor but my DH and I both speak good French and are making a real effort to speak lots and lots to her in French as well as basic English - but her replies are monosylabbic. She doesn't speak to children at all and hasn't really bothered to play with them. Just don't know what to do - only 24 hours in and I am really worried that its all a big mistake. We have had nannies and mothers helps before with various levels of english ability but all were happy to play with kids even if their language skills were poor... would love to hear from anybody who had maybe a similar experience and turned it around!

Redhen.. I'm sorry but I agree with everyone else....she's got to go. Actually I think you're being a rather fantastic host mum, I would have a lot less patience. Book a flight.

My sympathies, totally agree with others posters. Wish I could be your au pair, the nosh sounds great! There are loads of great summer au pairs becoming available round about now.

She's gone! Back to relative sanity in home. Discovered after she left that she had been secretly smoking in her bedroom - even though she had stated she was a non-smoker and we had discussed that my son has asthma so cigarettes in the house are a no-no....
So relived - thanks for all of your wise words!

redhen I'd lurked on this thread previously but not posted. I'm so glad for you that she has gone. Are you going to get another au pair?

I've had the same experience with two au pairs from Czech republic. They were awful. The worst one barely grunted at the children and worse still looked my son in his bedroom because he had a tantrum over wanting to buy icing sugar for his cakes. It was awful. She was very dark.

She stayed for 2 weeks and I have never been under such stress. I could never have another au pair despite a great Columbian lady who we'd had in the past.

Get rid of her immediately - you children come first.

Just read your recent news redhen. Thank god she's gone. Was it a showdown?

That's brilliant news redhen although the smoking is . Yep, I'm now AP-less so joining you. Our AP decided to discuss her unhappiness with her df's in her native language but couldn't be bothered to speak to me in English about it. So she just upped and left,no notice, just a text that's it. If communication breaks down then there is really no hope is there?

No more APs for me as well tomwill - I've had 4 amazing ones but the recent ones have been terrible. In fact our first AP is coming to visit in a couple of weeks - can't wait to see her.