Au Pair taking charge(s) to the gym

[Anonymous]

Only if it was something I suggested (and it would be something I would suggest).

[Anonymous]

I ask my AP to. The gym daycare is fun and I deduct that time from her hours, so it helps us deal with e.g. snow days.

[Anonymous]

I would be fine with this assuming all kids involved are verbal.

[Anonymous]

No. Slippery slope. What if the AP leaves the kids there and goes shopping or to meet a friend at Starbuck's? I'm sure that's not allowed, but could she sneak out without them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be fine with this assuming all kids involved are verbal.

Agreed! Want to drop off my 4 year old while you work out? Sure, for an hour or so occasionally. 9 month old? Not so much.

[Anonymous]

I'm OK with this. My gym allows up to 90 minutes per day. My AP watches the kids for 10 hour shifts. My little ones aren't even in preschool yet and need to learn how to be around other kids. I think of it as socialization for them.

[Anonymous]

Nope. If I wanted alternate child care arrangements, I would make them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ask my AP to. The gym daycare is fun and I deduct that time from her hours, so it helps us deal with e.g. snow days.

What?
So you ask her to take them and then don't include that time as part of her working hours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Slippery slope. What if the AP leaves the kids there and goes shopping or to meet a friend at Starbuck's? I'm sure that's not allowed, but could she sneak out without them?

If this is a real concern you have bigger issues. Why would you keep an AP you don't trust?

Op if It's a good center I would be ok with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if the AP leaves the kids there and goes shopping or to meet a friend at Starbuck's? I'm sure that's not allowed, but could she sneak out without them?

What? Usually APs take the kids with them when they go shopping or meet a friend at Starbucks. Especially younger children (infants/toddlers). They might even do some housework and just let the kids play, be bored or (even worse) ask them to help. If you don't trust your childcare provider (any childcare provider) enough to actually watch your child (or leave them with a gym daycare oh the horrors, I bet no parent would ever do that, I am sure gym daycares only exist for APs and nannies who can't be arsed to actually watch their charges... oh wait...) please stay at home and do it yourself.

It's great for the kids to get out and about during the day! Shopping (unless it's an 8-hours marathon clothes shopping trip) is a typicall daily (or weekly or whatever) activity for any family. There is exactly nothing wrong with AP taking a child to the store to buy herself some chocolate or to the bookstore or the mall (yay for indoor playgrounds in fall/winter!). There is also very little (to nothing) wrong for an AP to meet a friend for coffee and take the child(ren). What do you think parents do when they are home with the kids instead of at work? 24/7 educational play? I assure you... that's a nope.

Could DH sneak out without the kids when he is supposed to be watching them? Better make sure he has a tracking app on his phone so that you can make sure he is where he is supposed to be. Maybe microchip the kids? Just in case? What about the babysitter? Grandma? Aunty Larla?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if the AP leaves the kids there and goes shopping or to meet a friend at Starbuck's? I'm sure that's not allowed, but could she sneak out without them?

What? Usually APs take the kids with them when they go shopping or meet a friend at Starbucks. Especially younger children (infants/toddlers). They might even do some housework and just let the kids play, be bored or (even worse) ask them to help. If you don't trust your childcare provider (any childcare provider) enough to actually watch your child (or leave them with a gym daycare oh the horrors, I bet no parent would ever do that, I am sure gym daycares only exist for APs and nannies who can't be arsed to actually watch their charges... oh wait...) please stay at home and do it yourself.

It's great for the kids to get out and about during the day! Shopping (unless it's an 8-hours marathon clothes shopping trip) is a typicall daily (or weekly or whatever) activity for any family. There is exactly nothing wrong with AP taking a child to the store to buy herself some chocolate or to the bookstore or the mall (yay for indoor playgrounds in fall/winter!). There is also very little (to nothing) wrong for an AP to meet a friend for coffee and take the child(ren). What do you think parents do when they are home with the kids instead of at work? 24/7 educational play? I assure you... that's a nope.

Could DH sneak out without the kids when he is supposed to be watching them? Better make sure he has a tracking app on his phone so that you can make sure he is where he is supposed to be. Maybe microchip the kids? Just in case? What about the babysitter? Grandma? Aunty Larla?

Yes, there is something wrong with this. AP is supposed to be interacting with the KIDS. Not just having them tag along to whatever she wants to do that can be done in her FREE TIME.

But you do you and let your kids be baggage. My AP is restricted to going to the library or other activities actually for the kids' benefit, not hers.