Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Due to your medical concerns, I’d opt out.

Easy said then done. How is Op going to find different childcare with everything going on right now.

Live-in nanny, through an agency. Many, many live-in nannies are already planning for this.

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

Why would some random woman abroad come to the US for minimal pay and have to stay home during their free time when they could match with another young family with no immunocompromised people in the house? Maybe you’ll get lucky and some saint AP will match with you. Otherwise, you’ll need to choose a leftover who can’t match with other families or else provide perks that other HFS don’t.

Please read this and give it to your au pairs to read also:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/young-unafraid-coronavirus-pandemic-good-you-now-stop-killing-people-opinion-1491797%3famp=1

Anonymous wrote:Wow, looking at rematch documents, there are already multiple au pairs in rematch because they refuse to comply with host family's coronavirus restrictions. Agencies need to spell out the seriousness of the situation in orientation.

Some families have existing health concerns or grandparents in close proximity (even living with them). So yes, if an AP was completely selfish about their own experience and activities, the only option left for host families is to put the AP into rematch.

Both the host family and AP had a choice on whether to comply. Obviously the host family takes it seriously and the AP did not agree, so both are facing the consequences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

This post epitomizes that host families do not really care about the cultural experience, they just want cheap childcare.

Ok they are between the ages of 18-26, likely mostly on the younger end. Would you have really been that freaked out if you didnt have kids??? I sure wouldn’t have been. I never got the flu shot until I had kids. I was always pretty healthy, almost never even took ibuprofen for fevers and tried to sleep it off. I became a lot more careful once I had kids. I wouldn’t judge them for that. You need to spell it out.

Wow, looking at rematch documents, there are already multiple au pairs in rematch because they refuse to comply with host family's coronavirus restrictions. Agencies need to spell out the seriousness of the situation in orientation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

You can’t see how an AP would not be interested in coming to the US to spend months locked into your house with your children with no abilities to go outside?I think you are forgetting it’s a cultural exchange. You are right though, do them a favor and get a nanny and see how well you can control her own social outings outside of her work hours!

Kids are some of the least at risk for coronavirus with very few cases of sick children reported, so yes you are being over the top and I would skip right past you too if I was them.

It's not about whether the kids get sick, it's about the fact that the kids can spread it to their dad with asthma or grandma with cancer, or whoever, even if the kids are asymptomatic. It is not unreasonable to expect an au pair to be cautious about something that could kill a member of her host family. But they're only a "member of the family" until it interferes with their happy hour plans.

The local nannies I've hired were older, some had pre-existing conditions themselves, and all of them had the sense to minimize unnecessary social outings in a situation like this. Because they are professionals, not immature party girls.

And you can 100% tell your AP to stay home with your kids for the 45hours that she has to work, she can chose not to match with you. You cannot, on the other hand decide what she does with the rest of her free time.

If you think (assume) nannies would be more comfortable and reasonable, hire a nanny. Let APs be selfish and get the peace of mind of having a nanny.
Even if it was true that most nannies stayed home on their free time, I am sure they don’t live alone and have children/family of their own who continue to visit and go out to school/work/public transportation/events or otherwise that would be in direct contact with your nanny and whose every move you would have no idea of. Like everything in life, you can only control your own behavior. Do what’s right by you and your family but don’t say nanny are safer and AP are selfish when you selfishly want someone to travel to the other side of the world to stare at your wallpaper instead of forking out for a nanny.


If I was an AP working for an HF whose work would be impacted by my immediate travel plans, I would accept to cancel but I would expect them to cover the costs (APs don’t earn enough to afford losing money spent on travel plans) and to let me reschedule at a later date convenient to me. It’s unreasonable to expect APs to cancel absolutely everything and lose money and offer no alternative.

+1 on the bolded part. I also posted on the other travel thread, I think HFs asking APs to cancel their trips should probably give them something in return, it is a lot of money to loose for an AP. My AP has a Disney trip planned in April I am planning to offer to cover her fees to change the ticket to a later time, I will also reschedule her vacation time to a later time. I hope she accepts my offer. If she says No, I will just list the risks of her going (like getting sick, being quarantined and going into rematch) and leave it at that and hope for the best.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

You can’t see how an AP would not be interested in coming to the US to spend months locked into your house with your children with no abilities to go outside?I think you are forgetting it’s a cultural exchange. You are right though, do them a favor and get a nanny and see how well you can control her own social outings outside of her work hours!

Kids are some of the least at risk for coronavirus with very few cases of sick children reported, so yes you are being over the top and I would skip right past you too if I was them.

It's not about whether the kids get sick, it's about the fact that the kids can spread it to their dad with asthma or grandma with cancer, or whoever, even if the kids are asymptomatic. It is not unreasonable to expect an au pair to be cautious about something that could kill a member of her host family. But they're only a "member of the family" until it interferes with their happy hour plans.

The local nannies I've hired were older, some had pre-existing conditions themselves, and all of them had the sense to minimize unnecessary social outings in a situation like this. Because they are professionals, not immature party girls.

And you can 100% tell your AP to stay home with your kids for the 45hours that she has to work, she can chose not to match with you. You cannot, on the other hand decide what she does with the rest of her free time.

If you think (assume) nannies would be more comfortable and reasonable, hire a nanny. Let APs be selfish and get the peace of mind of having a nanny.
Even if it was true that most nannies stayed home on their free time, I am sure they don’t live alone and have children/family of their own who continue to visit and go out to school/work/public transportation/events or otherwise that would be in direct contact with your nanny and whose every move you would have no idea of. Like everything in life, you can only control your own behavior. Do what’s right by you and your family but don’t say nanny are safer and AP are selfish when you selfishly want someone to travel to the other side of the world to stare at your wallpaper instead of forking out for a nanny.


If I was an AP working for an HF whose work would be impacted by my immediate travel plans, I would accept to cancel but I would expect them to cover the costs (APs don’t earn enough to afford losing money spent on travel plans) and to let me reschedule at a later date convenient to me. It’s unreasonable to expect APs to cancel absolutely everything and lose money and offer no alternative.

Anonymous wrote:We’re thinking through now to handle coronavirus-related concerns as well. Our AP has upcoming travel plans to one of the cities that is currently on my company’s “do not travel” list, and if I were to travel to one of those cities for personal travel, I’d be banned from the office for 2 weeks. And, I think this guidance might actually expand to “if you or a household member has traveled to [hot zone city]”. So, I think we need to tell our AP she needs to cancel those plans or it means I can’t go to work, and if it means I can’t go to work, that creates a meaningful difficulty for our family.

Does she not understand that if she jeopardizes your job, she is jeopardizing her own job also? How do these girls not understand that they don't get paid unless the host parents can hold down a job and make money?!

"Cultural exchange" doesn't mean they get to endanger your health, your job, or your family members.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

You can’t see how an AP would not be interested in coming to the US to spend months locked into your house with your children with no abilities to go outside?I think you are forgetting it’s a cultural exchange. You are right though, do them a favor and get a nanny and see how well you can control her own social outings outside of her work hours!

Kids are some of the least at risk for coronavirus with very few cases of sick children reported, so yes you are being over the top and I would skip right past you too if I was them.

It's not about whether the kids get sick, it's about the fact that the kids can spread it to their dad with asthma or grandma with cancer, or whoever, even if the kids are asymptomatic. It is not unreasonable to expect an au pair to be cautious about something that could kill a member of her host family. But they're only a "member of the family" until it interferes with their happy hour plans.

The local nannies I've hired were older, some had pre-existing conditions themselves, and all of them had the sense to minimize unnecessary social outings in a situation like this. Because they are professionals, not immature party girls.

We’re thinking through now to handle coronavirus-related concerns as well. Our AP has upcoming travel plans to one of the cities that is currently on my company’s “do not travel” list, and if I were to travel to one of those cities for personal travel, I’d be banned from the office for 2 weeks. And, I think this guidance might actually expand to “if you or a household member has traveled to [hot zone city]”. So, I think we need to tell our AP she needs to cancel those plans or it means I can’t go to work, and if it means I can’t go to work, that creates a meaningful difficulty for our family.

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

You can’t see how an AP would not be interested in coming to the US to spend months locked into your house with your children with no abilities to go outside?I think you are forgetting it’s a cultural exchange. You are right though, do them a favor and get a nanny and see how well you can control her own social outings outside of her work hours!

Kids are some of the least at risk for coronavirus with very few cases of sick children reported, so yes you are being over the top and I would skip right past you too if I was them.

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

You seriously aren’t letting your kids go to the zoo, playgrounds and the library right now? That’s very extreme.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

This post epitomizes that host families do not really care about the cultural experience, they just want cheap childcare.

get a life!

Anonymous wrote:I'm interviewing now, and these girls Do. Not. Get. It. They're horrified at the suggestion that they can't take kids to the library, zoo, playground, wherever, while this virus is spreading. And none of them have given a thought to limiting their own social outings due to medical risk (not just for them, but for the family they live with). But, but-- that will ruin *my special superfun year* of partying in the USA! Me, me, ME!

They will start taking this seriously once an au pair or two dies from coronavirus, or if it takes root in their home countries. The agencies need to talk some sense into them, because it's a serious risk to match now. I wouldn't do it.

This post epitomizes that host families do not really care about the cultural experience, they just want cheap childcare.