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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]this is what makes me nervous about hiring an au pair some day. [/quote]

Make sure to get a car that is not overly expensive. Used is okay as long as it's still in good and save condition to drive. Au pairs don't usually mind minor dents and scratches and the first bump hurts less if the car is already not in pristine condition (plus the second ap won't receive a "new" car, no need to make sure the first ap has one). See if you can get a car where repairs are less expensive in general (prices for getting my mom's Audi fixed at the local dealership instead of with an independet mechanic are ridiculous). Don't expect to sell it after 5 or 10 years of au pair use. If it's still in good condition and your kids are old enough to drive by then make it their first car.
 [/quote]

I think it's great if host families can have an AP-only beater car, but it's a case-by-case basis and no family should feel they have to buy an AP-only car. In our situation, I take Metro to work (and walk to Metro), so our AP drives my kids in our minivan and can use it with permission on her free time. We don't have room to park a third car and it makes no sense to have one either financially or logistically. We have had APs do some serious damage to the minivan, which absolutely had to be fixed (i.e. smash it into a parking garage pillar requiring replacement of the front/side. That's been a big financial hit and we have had no problem asking that AP to contribute the fixed $500 amount -- because the damage cost way more than that to us after our deductible and our subsequent raised insurance rates (which are already higher because we have to put our AP on our insurance). Even when another AP had a fender bender in the parking lot (her fault) we asked her to contribute to the repair because it was a sizable dent, and even given that our minivan is 8 years old we are planning on keeping it until it dies and we shouldn't have to drive around our family car with a giant dent in the bumper due to our AP's inattentive driving.

Which is by way of saying -- it's not possible to generalize that a) all host families can afford an AP-only car or that b) it's reasonable to expect to have to cover the AP's damage to whatever car, whether it's a beater or the family car, without asking the AP to help pay to cover the costs of the damage she caused. We are not all rich just because we live in the DC area. It varies by family, but it's totally reasonable to ask APs to contribute to cover the cost of the damage they may do to our cars.[/quote]

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