Reply to I don't get au pairs... it seems crazy

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In our experience, our au pairs are much more productive and engaging than nannies.  We have had our fair share of both APs and nannies.  Our au pairs are young (we usually get 24-26 year olds), energetic and engage our kids.

We get a driving instructor when they first come to teach them about American driving and to give me a report on their driving ability.  Only then are they allowed to drive the kids.  This is much more due diligence than we would ever do with a nanny frankly.

We like having an au pair because they can help us for an hour in the morning and then resume childcare after school until dinner time.  But there is also the flexibility of working during the day if a child is sick or there is a snow day.  This is hugely helpful.  And because they live with us, we know them so well, and they know our children so well, that it just works more smoothly.

That being said, I know many families who are just very private people and wouldn't like someone living in their house.  We are not like that.  We have an open door, with lots of kids and people visiting all the time, so we are used to a busy house!

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We had exactly this experience with three amazing au pairs!  They were all 23-25 years old and each had previous childcare experience (one had a degree in care of young children and the other a master's in child development).  We never took advantage of them and treated them with respect, taking them on all of our vacations, treating them as members of our family, and caring for them as if they were our own.  In return, they took wonderful care of our kids and developed relationships that will last a lifetime.  Last summer, we went to Europe and flew two of them to our vacation rental to spend a week with us and we went to visit the other in her home country and met her entire family.  I find that when you have great candidates who are carefully vetted, you will find that these young women have enormous amounts of energy and are excited to take on the challenge; they want to take good care of children and be a part of the family.  I think it helps that it is limited in time - a one or two year experience that they know is not permanent.  With career nannies, I have seen many who seem disinterested in the children, and perhaps burned out on the constant day in and day out of childcare (not to say this is all nannies).  [/quote]

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