Do you give your Au-Pair

[dizzydo]

My au-pair gets £65 per week for 25 hours plus £15 on top for each whole day worked in the school holidays (whole day = start 9.00 finish 5.00) £5 per week on phone card, £10 per month on mobile and two weeks paid holiday if she stays a year. Is this reasonable, too much , too little - what does everyone else do. (Incidentally IMO I have a very unappreciative au-pair but maybe thats because I am not being generous enough.

Any thoughts MNetters much appreciated?

We give our £55 a week, phone cards when needed, I dont always top her mobile phone - I put a credit on it to call us in emergency and she tops up the rest. She very appreciative, and a very nice person. I usually give her £12 for extra 4 hours, lots of other extras e.g family coming to stay. Use of a car

IMO its fair amount in exchange for an extra pair of hands for 20- 25 hours a week. Money never seems to be an issue with our current AP.

After 3 months our last AP was always comparing perks and money with her friends. It seemed to make her resentful, but she failed to point out that some of her friends were actually looking after children during the day. I thinks she lost sight of why she came to England - to learn English and experience another culture.

We are just about to start with ours - she's an Aussie and is going to be helping out with the two older kids while I am on maternity leave otherwise they will have a horrible summer. £90 a week for 35 hours and one nights babysitting. Travelcard for London and use of a car when out with the kids (and maybe other times, see how it goes). I hadn't thought of phone cards - probably wise?