Help! What should au pairs get in London? URGENT

[majorstress]

I'm paying £80 pocket money, all food, own room with new tv, dvd and radio. 3 x 3 hours English classes a week, just paid £137 for 12 weeks. Original agreement was this would rise to £100 this month, but hours were from 2:30 to 8 pm, 2 kids one at school one at FULLTIME nursery. She has talked me into letting her knock off at 6:30, and to let her off most of the housework which is ironing. The other housework is done to the minimum, very passive and helpless about everything, doesn't seem to know how to change a bed, or hoover, or cook despite talking about it all the time. I am finding myself working non-stop doing housework as well as a full time job, and failing dismally at coping with either, with continual colds and a back injury. Now she wants me to honor the £100 part of the deal. Am I a mug? a slavedriver? Should I find someone else? Quit my job? Kill myself?

Got my good nanny guide, and daren't leave it at home on the bedside table!

Ah, yes. I must crack mine out again as well. In fact, it might be fun just to leave it on the kitchen table. Dearest nanny does not yet know that I intend to let her go.

But, the bottom line is I will not be told by her what I can do to accommodate her... unless of course she would like to start paying me.

I am however having grand fun amusing myself by doing things I know she doesn't like (such as making a point to get up early and dress DD myself). Hopefully this will make the job less and less desirable, hence making her departure a mutual desire.

Well, Inertia is gone, and DH and I are revelling in having our house back, while I desperately try to get my voice back from a nasty cold. I can't believe how miserable this au pair experience has been for me and him. It is only putting off the evil moment when we have to find her replacement in less than one month. We have racked our brains for alternatives but due to working and commuting hours, seem to be stuck with having another "au pair" who is really a mother's help-nanny hybrid. I have found a nice and efficient weekend cleaner who the dds loved on sight and I have taken a shine to as well (another families' GOOD au pair who is busy with them during the week-yes I asked her to tell her friends I am looking and that we are nice). We have got so many "applicants" I can't see the wood for the trees but one repeated experience has been as soon as I pick one they evaporate, without knowing anything about the job, usually when I ask for a reference-unless of course they are unsuitable-can't start when I need them, or have questionable immigration status. So far the agency has been a dud, giving me 2 supposedly vetted people, who are uncontactable on repeated phoning and don't return my calls. Again they don't know anything about me or the job, so I can't be putting them off-just general unreliablility and not really serious I guess.

That Good Nanny guide IS good-though dated, they need to revamp it. Was 2000 really so long ago? Did we really think that everyone would be carrying "AIDS" cards to show their HIV status? As if there wasn't enough to worry about. I feel so daunted, I just so cannot look after another little girl who is supposed to be working for me, sometimes I hate the ones I have, to my shame.

That Good Nanny guide IS good-though dated, they need to revamp it. Was 2000 really so long ago? Did we really think that everyone would be carrying "AIDS" cards to show their HIV status? As if there wasn't enough to worry about. I feel so daunted, I just so cannot look after another little girl who is supposed to be working for me, sometimes I hate the ones I have, to my shame.