First year and last year hosting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are your kids OP? We landed here bc our nanny left and the nanny market was impossible (or >90k annually). I think I’m probably a lot like you - but with our Au pair and older kids I don’t have to see her too much - she leaned in heavily to the split schedule life which I think took the pressure off of us somewhat - I also work a lot at night so that cut off time after dinner.

OP here, I have school aged kids who will be in 3rd and 1st grade. They both went to daycare when they were young. We just recently started our own business and it has been stressful. So I went for the AP program for 1) the flexibility 2) to somehow makeup to the kids for the extra time that we have to work by having a big sister always there for them 3) to reduce my stress of balancing work and life. And we feel cool to offer someone an opportunity to experience US.

Well it is certainly a very mixed feeling about this program. Instead of taking care of my own kids, I feel like I have to take care of a big teenager. I do get the convenience of childcare but what I had to put in mentally kinda offset the most of it and sometimes just make my life more stressful.

I think what I need is a person who comes to do her job and leave to her own life when the job is done. Since the kids will be at school for majority of the time. I will only need a part-time nanny or just a college student who can get them from the bus and stay with them until when we come home.

That's what everyone needs, and it's why there's such high prices and turnover. There's a reason people get an AP for just 10-20 hours a week.

I agree, but I rather spend the money now to get my own life back. I am good with giving but not good with sharing. To me, the uncomfortableness living with a non-related person who is completely in a different phase in life is more than the extra money I would have to spend or the headache to deal with the turnover because it is constant. I give the HFs who host for years a big credit. I just can't.

We tried that route for almost a year. It is extremely difficult to keep a consistent PT nanny, unless you pay nearly FT wages for the PT work needed. If you get a college student, you’ll have them until their schedule changes. You also are left with no coverage for half days at school, days off, etc. It was inconsistent and a nightmare :/.

I hear you and we went through that too. I am actually thinking about hiring a FT nanny who can do some housework while kids are at school and take care of kids when they are home. Hopefully we can find someone.