How is it fair?

[princessfiona]

How is it fair?

1. To expect someone to work for 10-12 hours a day looking after your children for so little money?

2. Would you do it for so little money?

3. Even if they come from a country not as wealthy as UK or USA etc.

4. Do you think they should have a pay increase?

5. I know that it is allowed legally to pay under the minimum wage but does it mean that looking after your children is worth so little?

6. If your daughter went to another country would you want them to be treated in the same way and paid the same?

7. How much time off do they have? Whole weekends without babysitting?

I work with Dh and should be allowed up to 12 - but planning will only let me have 8 - one of which is my DD so 7,
6 can be under 5.....but as I have said before the hours I have six aren't a problem....it's the hrs I have 1 or 2 (or God forbid none)
The expenses are quite high, but I only claim the allowance the small business adviser lets me claim, my turnover for my first year was about 10K my loss was £800.

So, £1.52 this year is REALLY good

There are advantages of being self employed and working from home tho' (eg 1/3rd electric bill is ofset against the business)

Have you looked into having an accountant KM, some people say they almost pay for themselves by showing you other allowances you can have. Hope it gets better soon tho

Can't read all the thread but wanted to say I was an au-pair during my A'Levels in the summer hols 17 years ago. I went to the South of France and lived with a family for four months. I "worked" Monday to Friday 2pm-8pm taking sole charge of children aged 4 & 10, looked after their rooms and clothing. I babysat some nights and I earned £25 per week (!). This is how I viewed my experience:

1. I lived in comfortable surroundings and was made to feel very welcome and definitely part of the family;
2. I experienced French life "on the inside" which I would have never done as a tourist;
3. I tasted delicious home cooked food and even learnt how to cook it myself (have forgotten now);
4. I was helped with my French all the time and corrected all the time which was fantastic;
5. I had the security of a family in an unfamiliar country;
6. Through them I met lots of very nice people;
7. They had dinner parties 3-4 times a week and insisted I join them which was beneficial for my language skills and also a lot of fun.

Because the family were so nice, I also washed and ironed the parents clothes despite being told not to and I would always wash up / stack the dishwasher after their dinner parties much to their amazement. I was aware I was very lucky to be happy there and I didn't take it for granted.
It was a wonderful experience. I went back for 2 weeks at Christmas as a guest and I then returned as their au pair the following summer.

I got alot and I gave back alot too.

Auntie is accountant and has been looking at it - but on last years accounts the SB advisor claimed more than she would have done.....so SBA is really good

Ah well that's good then KM

PF, as a Eastern European you must be used to the idea of working mums. Do you question why women work in your own country? You also must be used to children attending nursery from a young age. Do you question that too? If you do, you probably have all the answers by now.

Then you get on to how you hide computer usage at work. Perhaps some of these working mums are very eficient workers (maybe exactly because they have learnt to juggle everything) and they don't have petty employers either. As long as the job is done why should anyone care what you do with your breaks? There will always be petty employers, whether of working mums or of au-pairs. I hope you also monitor computer usage of SAHMs, I'd hate to think SAHMs neglect their children to get on the computer.

Gee, innocently then talk about not wanting to upset anyone.