Thinking about an Au Pair

[paulaplumpbottom]

I am an SAHM but my husband is away alot. Lately he has been leaving on Mon Morning and not returning till Fri night. If he is home during the week it is usually only for an evening. I have a 6 year old who is at school and a 1.5 year old who stays at home with me. My DH feels that I am getting snowed under and has suggested getting an Au Pair. To be honest I am stressed all the time but I feel nervous about getting an Au Pair. My DS isn't good with strangers.

If I did get someone I would probably only use them in the mornings so I could drop off at school and run my errands in peace. Maybe a night or two a week. DH and I rarely get anytime alone.
What are the downsides to an Au Pair. Does an Au Pair sound right for me.

from experience even children who are shy usually responde to and bond well with a person who lives in the house /providing they are a nice person not someone taking a piss/.

How long does it normally take for a child to take to an au pair

My kids are both shy which is one of the reasons we use live-in childcare rather than childminder/after-school club. Even so it takes them a good month to be totally relaxed with a new au pair. Having said that, once they are relaxed we have several months of them happy and at home, often using the au pair as a cushion when I get home (both of them fighting to sit on her whilst they watch tv). The good side to an au pair is that she can be an extra pair of hands for the cleaning/tidying leaving you free to play with ds. Downsides depend on how you feel about having someone else in the house and can change from au pair to au pair depending on their character and habits.

How many hours a day do they usually work?

The norm is 25 hours a week with 2 days off- so 5 hours a day.