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[quote=Anonymous]PP here...  continuing.

As for cost, generally nanny's range from $40-80K per year.  APs are cheaper, and generally run about $22-24K per year once you've added in some hidden costs and intangibles.

If your 4 year old is in pre-school for even a few hours a week, you don't have to count that time as time your AP is working.  So you might be under the 50 hours/week you initially stated.  But it is true, there are certain restrictions on how much time you use your AP for.  It is a 45 hour week max.  No more than 10 hours per day, and there are other restrictions about making sure they have at least one weekend off per year.

My husband and I both work full time, so we tend to use all 45 hours each week... so we don't use them on the weekend.

You can interview both nannies and au pairs until you're blue in the face, and you can do a good or bad job of interviewing... and even then you can get "taken" by either.  I do think it is a bit harder to check references for au pairs.  But I've heard horror stories with nannies as well.  With au pairs, you get usually 2-4 written letters of recommendation that have been translated -- but it is hard to actually speak with a reference unless you speak the language.

90% of au pairs are young women who have little more than babysitting experience.  Some have a real interest in elementary education and children, and some don't.  For older kids who need an adult around to drive them to soccer, its usually OK.  For a full-time stay-at-home-mom type job with one or more little children-- I think someone who has really worked with kids and can deal with 4-year old meltdowns, etc... is really important.  I made a bad choice with my first au pair, and hired a well-meaning, nice au pair to take care of two small boys.  I think the long days were overwhelming for her, and things started to fall apart.  I made a bad choice.

Ever since then, though, I have learned my lesson.  I've made better selections on our subsequent au pairs, and the next 3 have all been STELLAR.  And I do mean stellar.  I think they do just as good a job as some really high priced nannies in this area.  gahhhh... dumb computer... will continue[/quote]

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