Switching from a nanny to an au pair...

[Anonymous]

We are considering making the transition from a nanny to an au pair. If you have made the transition, I would be interested to hear about your experience. My biggest concern is somehow messing up in the selection process and finding out after the au pair arrives that it is not a good fit... And then we are without childcare. I also feel overwhelmed by all the logistics and things to be sorted out, like a car, computer, phone, etc. Are there checklists that host parents are provided with?

[Anonymous]

We moved from a nanny to an au pair several years ago and it was one of the best decisions we've ever made. We loved our first au pair (others as well). She was flexible, fun, cared about my kids, made lots of friends with my kids' friends' au pairs and nannies, and we saved money too. We were nervous going into it but we had a great experience.

We had a car previously for the nanny to use, so yes that's a big change - I recommend getting one large enough to hold friends for playdates as well as the kids. We got a basic laptop at Costco and added the phone to my plan. We decorated her room a little with photos from her application and a bulletin board.

We knew what we needed from a nanny, so we went with that info and then screened for personality. I think we got lucky, but the agency helped screen people somewhat and we spoke and e-mailed, and went ahead with our gut feeling. It was fun showing her around DC, the kids loved her, and it was fun for me to have a grown-up "daughter" in the house.

You definitely need to set some house rules, but a mature au pair will make it easy. Talk to your LLC and other host parents for suggestions.

[Anonymous]

I am also thinking about making this transition, even though I absolutely adore my nanny. Can anyone give any advice about au pair agencies?