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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Around 24-26$ sounds about right.  We've had au pairs for so many years running that I probably won't know the true cost until we're done and can compare.  Little things like use of electricity, gas (car & house), extra loads of laundry, extra person when out for dinner, groceries, etc etc are hard to guestimate.

My kids are now older (13 and 10) and we are re-upping for what I think will end up being our last au pair year.  I've thought that before, but when it's come down to it, we've opted to continue with the AP for the flexibility and peace of mind.  Our au pair also serves as mid-day dog walker, occasional errand-runner, and foreign language tutor/support.  If I would hire an afterschool sitter/driver, and also need to hire someone to do these other jobs, it would be cheaper but I think a savings of around maybe 8-10K max.

Our reason for finishing with the program after the next year is less about the $, and more about the dynamic with an older child entering HS and younger child entering MS.  One thing I've noticed is that because we have the au pair, there are things the kids can and should be doing to help out around the house that they frequently skate by on because the AP will do it for them (such as laundry, making own lunch, etc).  Surprisingly, our older child has no issue with having an AP and is happy to have the company afterschool, etc.  I had expected some friction given shrinking age difference between older child and AP but that doesn't seem to be an issue for us.

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We have a 9th grader and a 5th grader.  I had assumed we would leave the program in June, when our AP left, but at the last minute we signed up for another year.  It's going really well, and our 9th grader really enjoys our AP (which is a surprise to me - I also thought she would feel "done" with having an AP).  Our AP also speaks German with our daughter who studies German, but otherwise she just makes her a bowl of pasta each afternoon and does her laundry and that's it.  DD is a competitive athlete, so she is literally never home - goes straight from school to practice and doesn't get home until after 7pm, at which point she eats quickly and goes up to do HW.  So AP and she rarely interact, but DD does enjoy AP when they do have time together.  AP is great with our 5th grader (who has ADHD and other LDs), in terms of helping him with HW, helping keep him organized, and taking him to the library and to his speech therapy and OT.  We did consider leaving the program, as I mentioned, but by the time I paid someone to help in the mornings (DD practices before school as well as after three days/week, so we need morning help) and then found someone to drive to and from my son's school (an hour away) in the afternoons, an AP was actually not that much more expensive, and it's really nice having the flexibility and stability.  As much as I wish we had the spare room back, I would keep an AP until DD was driving...but I think DH is pretty done so this is likely our last year (exactly what I said last year though).[/quote]

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