What do aupairs do/not do ??

[greenbeanie]

I am trying to sort out childcare for September, I basically need someone to pick up and take ds (6) to school and ds(3) to nursery, all in the same place. Would this be suitable for an au pair and what else could they be expected to do? Also where would be a good place to start looking for one? I have tried childminders and none of them are interested as they would rather have someone for the whole day (understandably) and the after school/breakfast club will not take them until school age so I am stuck really. We live in Boston, Lincolnshire. Sorry for all the questions, any help would be appreciated

I could be wrong but I don't think Au Pairs can do sole care of children

I could be wrong but I don't think Au Pairs can do sole care of children

Mine takes dd to kindergarten, cooks lunch, helps with homework for 1 child and does a bit of cleaning around the kitchen and sitting room.

Dont expect her to clean the whole house while she looks after your children, and dont expect her to exceed her hours, and you should be OK.

The guidelines are that au pairs should not be left in sole charge of children under 3.
Some au pairs have childcare experience, some have none, I have got an au pair coming this summer who has 18 months experience working in a nursery so I am hoping that she will be ok with looking after my 2 (primary school age) kids for an hour or so after school.
I am also asking her to walk our dog and to empty/fill dishwasher and wipe down kitchen table in the morning. I have been very clear about the 'job description' in our emails as each au pair job is different to the next. I have given her a timetable of a 'standard' day working for us with as many details as possible.

Thanks for the information. Where did you find your au pairs?

I found mine from aupairworld.net (which was recommended by the vastly more experienced au pair employers on mumsnet)

Hi, greenbeanie, I've used au pairs since my DCs were the age yours are. Many agencies are now online & I find they're much cheaper and have the same success rate for me. Read some of the threads about au pairs as, like any childcare, it can be a bit of a minefield!

My au pair helps me with morning routine: making breakfast, packed lunches etc., takes & collects 2 of my DCs to & from school, does a bit of housework each day eg. Monday hoover, Tuesday dust, Wed. clean bathroom, Fri clean kitchen & change DCs bedlinen. He goes to English lessons on Thu. After school he gets them a snack and interacts with them for an hour till I get home from work. It adds up to 25 hours/week.

One theme that comes up often on MN is that it's difficult to get/keep au pairs in rural areas. Most seem to want to be near cities, particularly London.