Reply to So where are you looking for a governess for the fall?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Having to supervise the DCPS distance education of two children:  keeping on top of Zoom and other schedules, motivating kids to even tune in, untangling myriad online platforms, filling in gaps in teaching (is eureka math even used in Canada?), ensuring charges complete assignments on a timely basis, communicating with teachers about confusing assignments/charges’ missing work.  Collapse into a troubled sleep.  That doesn’t add up to plenty of free time to me.

Plus if parents are working at home, they are on your case about making sure kids don’t take too much screen time outside of school work. If parents are going to work, maybe will give you corona.

Plus, if you even have any free time, where are you going to go?   Hang out with that cute guy you somehow managed to meet?  And the parents throw shade at you when you get “home” bc they’re afraid you’re going to infect the whole family with Corona...which you’d love to do by now.

Except, does your Canadian health insurance even work in the US for massive Corona hospital bills?

No wonder Jane Fairfax was only pretending to be interested in going out as a governess!  Life with that callow Frank Churchill indeed afforded an infinitely preferable perspective.[/quote]

You critical folks clearly haven't hosted au pairs. If you get a particularly good one (which only happens around one-third of the time), they're a bargain.  It's not up to DCUM posters to decide what the experience of supervising DL would be worth to a 20-something who's OK with working PT in return for room and board in a hip DC neighborhood.  It's up to the young people themselves.  I bet posters will find capable live-in DL supervisors without breaking the bank.  At that point, the joke will be on those of you who trashed the concept, with your kids screaming in the background...[/quote]

I haven’t hosted au pairs, true.  But as an older SAHM, I’ve spent a fair amount of time hanging out with au pairs at the playground or during music lessons.

The au pairs with whom I’ve conversed were all awesome...plucky, energetic, and optimistic.  If I may, these au pair gigs seemed to be working on both sides.

But these aren’t usual times.  First, as I outlined above, the gig is more challenging because of need to manage distance learning; I did it for one child last spring; as adults, DH and I found that challenging.  In addition, children will be home all day (studies, meals, dishes to wash, inventing creative pursuits, straightening up after toys/games).  And the chief benefit for the au pair, the chance to explore a new city, could be constrained bc of corona.  And if the young person were to come down with corona on my watch...

I should clarify that I make this point not as an advocate for au pairs generally; they are immensely capable of thinking and acting for themselves, and many young  Canadians have already responded to the ad placed by the PP.  I say this as the parent of a teen under quarantine, yearning to breathe free. 🌝  I’m not entirely sure introducing a teen or young adult into a household under quarantine for little/no pay is the best idea.  But I am probably WRONG (as my teen is wont to highlight these days.)

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