Anonymous wrote:As an AP I did all kinds of things like assembling kids furniture, painting kids room, packing, unpacking, walking family friend’s dog and many others. I enjoyed doing different tasks, kept work interesting.

None of these tasks are supposed to be done by an Au Pair.
Except maybe walking the dog as a family chore.

As an AP I did all kinds of things like assembling kids furniture, painting kids room, packing, unpacking, walking family friend’s dog and many others. I enjoyed doing different tasks, kept work interesting.

Here's how I see it:
- If it's not a big deal and we are talking about a couple of boxes, then just pack them yourself and be done. You will be spending more time reading/responding on DCUM than it would take you to pack
- If it's a lot, then you probably should not be asking your AP to do it. Therefore, either do it yourself or hire packers, if you can afford it.

The only time when I think it makes sense to ask AP to help is when she is supervising older kids.

I think it is totally okay to ask your AP to help, but a couple of things 1)Who is watching the kid(s) while she does this? My child is young and packing with her around would be a nightmare. If your kids are older and can help, I certainly don't see why the AP couldn't do it with the kid(s). However, if you are going to be watching the kid(s) while AP packs, that isn't cool 2)I'd ask her if she is okay with this, don't make it sound like she is required to do it. Personally, I know my AP would be fine with helping to do it. Her days can get a bit monotonous, so I know she would be cool with something else do to. For example, I gave her some decals to hang up in my daughter's playroom. She was happy to do it, it was something different, it helped us, and she got to "own the process."

I am of the school of “ it’s not because you can do something that you should” technically yes she could pack the kids stuff, but packing is relentless and not fun (hence why you want to outsource it to the AP I suppose) and out of the daily scope of an AP job, so I would ask her if she would be willing to help pack the kids stuff, and I would probably stick to a few boxes and if she does, throw her a few dollars extra at the end of the week as a thank you.

I personally don’t think that “ because she can technically do it” means it’s worth souring your relationship with her. Deal with it like she is a human being whose opinion matters (because it does), some Au Pairs will naturally want to help, others would happily do it for a few extras and others would be thoroughly unhappy to see their hours maxed out to pack boxes. So talk with her, figure out which type your AP is and deal with it accordingly.

Good luck!

We created a playroom for kids. The au pair and I went to garage sales to source toys, put together storage bins, went to Ikea to pick out drapes, pillow covers, and rugs, and chose a paint color. This was about 4 hours of her weekly schedule. She enjoyed doing it. We had painters paint the room and hang pictures and drapes. For those of you saying you cannot have the au pair assist you with child-related "special projects?" - why not? I would totally have a baby sitter or nanny help me create a child-centered play space. They clearly have a better understanding of what works for kids than we would...and there was no manual labor involved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not her job. Her job is to take care of children related tasks on a daily routine. Packing for a move is not an everyday task, you can hire people to do so or do it yourself.
She will probably reluctantly do it. I would give her $ on top of her stipend if she agrees to that crap.

This is flat out wrong. She can definitely pack the kids stuff.

For a move = ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Why not? She can do any kid-related task as long as she doesn't go over hours. How is packing up kids stuff is boxes to move different from packing their winter stuff in boxes to store for the following year?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not her job. Her job is to take care of children related tasks on a daily routine. Packing for a move is not an everyday task, you can hire people to do so or do it yourself.
She will probably reluctantly do it. I would give her $ on top of her stipend if she agrees to that crap.

This is flat out wrong. She can definitely pack the kids stuff.

For a move = ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Anonymous wrote:No, that's not her job. Her job is to take care of children related tasks on a daily routine. Packing for a move is not an everyday task, you can hire people to do so or do it yourself.
She will probably reluctantly do it. I would give her $ on top of her stipend if she agrees to that crap.

This is flat out wrong. She can definitely pack the kids stuff.

Packing or unpacking DC's stuff during working hours is legit. Packing for other family members, or packing after hours is against the rule. Lifting and transporting heavy boxes is against the spirit of the rules (manual labor).

I think if you ask her to do it, you should give her a generous bonus.

No, that's not her job. Her job is to take care of children related tasks on a daily routine. Packing for a move is not an everyday task, you can hire people to do so or do it yourself.
She will probably reluctantly do it. I would give her $ on top of her stipend if she agrees to that crap.

Yes, packing anything related to DCs is fair game.

Sure. Why not?

We will be moving in a few weeks. Is it a valid AP task to pack up DC's clothes/books/toys for the move? It would definitely be within limits for working hours.