Is this do-able for the summer holidays, would you think? Au pair/local teenager to look after the DDs during the day?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

They have 10 weeks summer holidays.
I think we can cover about 6 of them, with a bit of help from Granny, but would need someone for about 4 weeks to keep an eye on them and go out and do fun things. I would rather not live in, but get a local teenager to do this (a 16 or 17 year old would be fine, I would think, as DDs are almost 12 and 9). We're in Paris - how much should I pay? I could do live in at a push, but would rather not.

As a teenager it is what I did. I remember being aged around 16/17 and looking after children during the school summer holidays at their home. We didn't really go out anywhere more than just the local park... as we didn't have transport. This was probably around 18-20 years ago... so my memory is a bit sketchy as to what we actually did.

No idea on pay, especially given that you are in Paris. Do you have an evening babysitter? If so, could you ask them their view?

I've done similar - but used a university student, so bit older and able to drive, she also had experience with kids (mine were primary school age). No idea about rates in Paris, but we asked student how much she wanted and added a bit to it (was cheaper than a professional nanny but not much). We found her via Gumtree.

Er, you could. But often local French teenagers are packed off out of Paris for the summer into activity camps as an animatrice or just off with the family. And are rather feckless. Au pair type person probably better, unless you want your DDs sitting on the Champs de Mars learning how to ogle boys instead of having fun at Aquaboulevard.

That said I might know some people who have their summers free. What dates do you need? I shall put feelers out. There may be a few local au pairs who would have accomodation still, and one of my nanny friend tyically has her summers entirely free (she'll be a bit more pricy though).

Pay - depends who get.

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You're the 16th IIRC?