Interviewing an au pair tomorrow - need advice for questions

[goreousgirl]

Can anyone give me any advice on helpful websites or previous experience of employing an au pair. She's Spanish, 26, over here to study english for 1 year, and currently staying with aunt and uncle nearby (I assume this is a benefit, as I hear au pairs get lonely). Found her ad on the school noticeboard. Any tips/words of warning as a first time employer please?

Then it probably is a little bit concerning (but not a complete write-off) that a young Spanish woman says that she has no English.

My Polish au pair couldn't speak a word of English, and with time, the penny did drop that she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

Would be interesting to know what her "marketing" job is. I have come across lots of marketing folks in various European countries in my previous life (and through DH's job), and most of them did use an au pair placement in either the US or UK to perfect their English. But they did it either immediately before or immediately after their four years at a top university.

what lang do they learn in spain

Run a mile, with a 9 month old. You can do better. One big problem with AP I've had with crap english, kids are a bit off color after a few days illness and you don't dare send them back to school/nursery, but you need to get back to work, but can't be sure she understands how or when to call you if they relapse, or to give them cough medicine correctly. Or what if they fall ill while you're not there out of the blue? And if you decided to give her a try, don't keep struggling on like I did thinking she will suddenly wise up. Now thanks to my stupid contract lifted from a website, I am obliged to give 4 weeks pay if I want to kick her out without notice and she hasn't got drunk or tried to kill anyone. Could have kicked her out after 3 weeks and 6 days for free! It was clear with hindsight she is daft as a brush. (donning asbestos suit)

What happened?

am stalking you

please tell me

am very nosey

OK guys I had the interview - and you were right Crunchie, she did understand and speak more than expected. I'm feeling a little tail-between-my-legs now though (should have got this sorted before I interviewed her, but it all happened so fast)...I'm wondering if I NEED an au pair at all, and wondering if I should just kick myself up the bum and get on with the stresses that every other stay-at-home-mum with a newish baby experiences. I've wimped out and said that if she doesn't find work in 2 weeks, I'll take her on for a 6 week trial. She was really lovely and ended up playing with babe and even cleaning smelly sick from the carpet - phew!!

Thank you for telling me/us

She sounds great

Especially playing with your baby

really glad she could speak English etc.

Let fate decide it

If it is meant to be then it will IYSWIM

Oh Majorstress you poor thing - scary stuff indeed! RTKM - you're not nosey - quite within your rights to ask, having been so helpful earlier!

GG, I don't need an au pair, but I have one anyway. It's a very handy set-up

Sounds like you handled the interview really well. The 2-week wait gives her a great opportunity to back out if she doesn't feel the job's for her but was too nice to say to you at the time. And the 6-week notice means that you are not tied down to anything if you feel that having an au pair is not for you, or if the girl doesn't click with your family.

Why do you think you have wimped out by having an aupair. If you can afford it/have space/want help, what is the problem? Personally I would have loved someone to help me out. I am assumeing you say you don't 'need' her as you are a SAHM. Actually in some ways that is better, it means yu won't expect too much of her, but at the same time she should be able to amsue the baby while you help your older one to homework for instance. It will help you have one on one time with both children as well as someone to look after them while you are cooking their dinner or whatever.

I think it is a perfect choice in some ways, I know plenty of nannies who work for mums who don't work outside the home. The mums spend all their time shopping or lunching. I would love an aupair right now but I don't have a spare room. I work but someone to collect the kids form school and to be around until I got home would be great.

Hi - I think you're absolutely right - truthfully we can't really afford it (but if we didn't spend money on other stuff we could). DH says how come I stay at home all the time and still need the help...At the moment I'm at such a low ebb on the tiredness front, that I will agree with anything suggested or told. When I get those quiet moments - I think - maybe I don't need an au pair - but when I'm juggling breakfast, slow-eating, sick,poohey nappies, 'I don't want to whinges', and a 2-minute mile to school in the morning, I wonder how much longer I can cope without help..Still we'll see in 2 weeks eh.!