Au pairs - a good idea?

[SenoraPostrophe]

I don't have much maternity leave left so already thinking about childcare.

The problem is I live in Spain so childminders in the UK sense don't exist and the staff ratios in nurseries here would make an Ofsted inspector choke (well, OK, it's probably about 10 to 1) so I don't want to send a 16 week old there. Plus I only get 16 measly weeks mat leave.

So I've been vaguely thinking about getting an au pair. We have space, and I work from home so I'd always be around in case of crises. Having somebody here would also provide (presumably) an occasional babysitter, which would be nice. I'd only get someone for a few months and maybe look into nurseries again when ds is a bit older.

Here are my questions:

1. has anyone done this - what are the pitfalls?

2. I read that the going rate is about 40 quid (no pound sign on this keyboard! ) pocket money for 30 hours work, plus bed and board. Sounds very low to me - what's a fair rate? (I only need childcare for weekday mornings, plus occasional babysitting/general helping out)

3. Don't want to use an agency so what checks should I carry out? Do you think it would be a good idea to get someone in the UK (if we get a UK au pair) to do interviews? (don't want to use an agency as it's a waste of money and as far as I know the agencies round here don't do very much in the way of checking up anyway)

4. Does anyone know anyone who likes children, is unemployed, is nice and fancies a few months in Spain?

We are planning to do the same thing next year SP. Its the same thing in Italy and am hoping that either my sister or a friend of hers will come and work for us. I was a Nanny b4 I had ds and the aupair thing can work well. If you try The Lady magazine (get someone to send it to you) and there are people looking for nannies/aupairs and also sometimes people who are available. The going rate is really low but the prob is that they shouldnt really have too much sole care of the children as they arent qualified.

You could advertise in a local paper and get a MN or family member to interview her.

I'll ask my sis if she has any friends who would be interested. When would it be for and where in Spain are you? HTH

Thanks, collision. I know about the sole care thing - not a prob as I´d be at home (or dp would be)

We're near Granada, and will need someone in about 6 weeks time. Doesn't time fly when you've just had a baby?

SP, I wish I knew somebody, what a lovely job!

Dp just said he wouldn't mind. But I won't let him

www. I could have taught him a bit of spanish too.

The great thing is about having an aupair is that they are really just an extra pair of hands. She can do babysitting and some cleaning and help with the baby etc

With a foreign aupair in UK they come over to learn the language so I dont know what a UK girl would do for the rest of the time......would you want her to do many hours?

Are nurseries cheap in Spain? Ds goes to one and it is only 2 euros an hour (about £1.40) Its great

I was thinking our house would be a gentle way for a British person to learn Spanish, you see. It would probably be better for me to have someone Spanish to practise on, but I had a local childminder before who was extremely unreliable and would simply do things the Spanish way rather than asking if she didn't understand me (like putting baby cereal in a bottle).

I don't know.

Anyway, yes nurseries are cheap in Spain. I pay E130 a month for 4 hours a day (so about the same I guess)

another option might be an Australian mothers help/nanny. They are more expensive than au pairs but usually a bit older and seem to be prepared to muck in and do whatever needs to be done. I don't know whether Spain has the same appeal to travelling Aussies as the UK but you might find someone suitable that way, particularly if you are only looking for relatively short term help

Senora have a look at this site You can look at their "View Au Pairs free" area, put in which country you want the au pair from and where you live - there are 7 au pairs from the uk who want to go to Spain at the moment.

HTH

Senora I have an au-pair (my second) and they are wonderful. In England, the guidance is £50 per week for 25 hours plus 2 evenings a week babysitting, plus extra if extra hours are worked. Weekends should be respected as far as poss.

Pitfalls: young and inexperienced, need a lot of guidance.
You need to be able to get on with them and like them personally because they are in your home all the time.
May be homesick and need lots of cheering up.

But otherwise, I have found both my au-pairs great.

Sorry meant to add - www.greataupair.com and aupairforum are good sites. But there are lots of others, with chatboards like this where you can ask other people with au-pairs specific questions.

Oh what a shame it's in six weeks' time, SP, I know a lovely LAD of 18 who is a great babysitter and about to start a gap year. If you're at all interested in a male au pair and could stretch the deadline at all, let me know and I'll e-mail him. He's got to sit his A Levels first. He is the son of family friends and experienced with tiny babies as he has a little cousin of 1 whom he dotes on.

Thanks Marina. It turns out I didn't time this baby very well. Born in winter so gets every cold going, and now at the wrong time for an aupair! I've just emailed a Mexican woman from the site the Countess mentioned (after getting very frustrated with the search. I could have coded the thing better! ) If she says no-doesn´t reply-turns out to be unsuitable then I may have to rethink as most candidates are also available in July. I´ll let you know.

sorry, my keyboard´s playing up - those dashes should be /s if that makes it clearer!

SP, I am in Holland and lots of people I know through my kids' school have/have had au pairs. I know a couple of the girls fairly well now as they pick up and drop off most days. They are lovely girls and one of them has done some babysitting for us. I think she may be free soon if you want me to mention you to her. I don't know if she wants to learn Spanish but she does have very good English and I think her mother tongue may be Polish or Czech. Let me know if you are interested

oxocube: yes please. Starting to think that maybe I could do with someone sooner rather than later -as my sleep deprivation levels increase I am less and less able to deal with the two of them screaming at once! (all it takes is for someone to rock ds)