AP blogging and texting during work day

[Anonymous]

My new AP is constantly texting and whatsapp'ing during the day.

Today, she was on her computer BLOGGING while my kids (5 & 7) were on another level playing.

Also, she took pictures while driving (one while in traffic, one was a bitch about a stop sign with a picture of it, and one was about a streetsign, which shows the sign and the green light) and posted them on her blog.

Consequences, or rematch?

[Anonymous]

If you re-match you need to tell her AND the agency why you're doing it. You don't want to send someone unsafe to another family.

[Anonymous]

Def rematch and tell her why. She's here to play not work. Go home and play.

[Anonymous]

I might be the pushover here, but I would give her one warning, see of she does a 180 and, if not, rematch. But, this approach is completely dependent on how she is doing in all other ways. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Just curious how you know all this?

[Anonymous]

My kids told me...and I saw the blog.

[Anonymous]

I have had this issue off and on with my au pair. I wish I'd rematches. Especially the pictures while driving - that is beyond unacceptable. Honestly, you can talk and talk about it like we have and it will improve for a while, but you will never fully trust that she understands the importance of focusing on her job. And she will always be doing it at least a little and likely trying to hide it. She's obviously too immature to understand how to set aside her social life when she's at work. Rematch. I wish I had.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP - did you say "new"? As a long-time host parent, every au pair is on his or her own level of best behavior during the first two or three months. This is the best you're going to get from this one and it will go downhill from here. Save yourself the trouble and rip off the bandaid.

[Anonymous]

taking pictures while driving is just like texting and driving. tell the agency. It would have been different if it was a picture of a 95 back-up that wasn't moving. Our handbook clearly states no phones while driving. It can wait. (I know my AP doesn't use the phone driving since my kids report getting to play with her apps during drive time).

Just be aware that most "kids" text non-stop now and days. Our AP runs downstairs to her room to squeeze in an hour of text/skype/facebook time before dinner. I know she is sneaking peaks at her phone during the day, but I do to at work also! But, blogging at a laptop is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, OP - did you say "new"? As a long-time host parent, every au pair is on his or her own level of best behavior during the first two or three months. This is the best you're going to get from this one and it will go downhill from here. Save yourself the trouble and rip off the bandaid.

+100

This will only get worse. She either has no judgement or doesn't care what you want. Time to send her home (not to another unsuspecting family)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids told me...and I saw the blog.

She's obviously just immature. I would definitely sit her down and firmly explain that she is not to blog/text. Although a text here or there isn't too bad but definitely limit it. Also, tell her she's not to take pictures while driving or anything else that could end in disaster. If it doesn't stop then I'd definitely rematch although no Au Pair is perfect, many are young and immature.

[Anonymous]

PP again - Although she was prob taking the pictures while her car was stopped. Just saying, not that it makes it right.