Does any have, or have had, au pairs?

missk_ensington

Zara33 wrote:

Why do you only need a carer for 3 hours in the evening and all weekend, do you pay your au pair £50 a week?

Because I get home at 6pm and DS is in bed at around 9ish, so during those times is when I could collapse and DS could cause injury.

Yes she is paid £50 a week pocket money, although I intended increasing this to £65 at Easter if she'd worked well.

Zara33

missk_ensington wrote:

Because I get home at 6pm and DS is in bed at around 9ish, so during those times is when I could collapse and DS could cause injury.

Yes she is paid £50 a week pocket money, although I intended increasing this to £65 at Easter if she'd worked well.

OMG i can't believe you just said that, you can only collapse during 6-9pm you never collapse whilst driving or when you are at uni/work :rolleyes: only that 3 hours that you have to look after your son.
As for the "pocket money" yeah i would be a crap au pair also.

Edit to say you pay someone seven quid a day for 24 hour care

missk_ensington

Pocket money is what all au pairs get, it is £50 a week purely disposable income. More disposable income I might add than I have some weeks, and more than most of my friends have per week.

Do you have £50 a week purely disposable income?

I do blackout at other times that 6-9pm, but if I'm at uni/work there is going to be someone around to get help, the problem is behind closed doors when nobody knows Im unconscious.

Zara33

If the going rate for an au pair is 50 quid a week i'm getting one tomorrow!

lottee

missk_ensington wrote:

I do blackout at other times that 6-9pm, but if I'm at uni/work there is going to be someone around to get help, the problem is behind closed doors when nobody knows Im unconscious.

Nothing to do with the OP I know, but as mentioned before - driving? I don't want to offend you, but if your condition was that bad, surely you would be unable to drive? Sure there would be lot's of people around if you had a black out behind the wheel, but probably from the accident you would of just caused???

missk_ensington

Zara33 wrote:

If the going rate for an au pair is 50 quid a week i'm getting one tomorrow!

It depends on what hours they work and where you live (I.e, London or North) but yeah £45-70 a week is the norm.

Don't forget all their food, board etc is included which will cost you a few quid extra. Why do you think I hired one? I didnt have any choice, there were no childcare options that suited my needs and I needed someone on hand too, so two birds with one stone

lottee

Zara33 wrote:

OMG i can't believe you just said that,

:rotfl: Sorry, but that reminded me of Vicky Pollard from Little Britain!!! Cracks me up every time!

Oh & BTW agree with your post too.

missk_ensington

lottee wrote:

Nothing to do with the OP I know, but as mentioned before - driving? I don't want to offend you, but if your condition was that bad, surely you would be unable to drive? Sure there would be lot's of people around if you had a black out behind the wheel, but probably from the accident you would of just caused???

No offence taken. I've had this condition over 6 years and I've never once blacked out whilst sat down (something to do with the gradient the blood is circulating at according to consultant) Hence why I can still drive.

Anyway, this isn;t a disability thread, it is about au pairs and what to expect of them. I'm fairly new with au pairs, she is only my 2nd one and I really wanted to know if anyone else had had teething problems, and how they would address niggles.

Thanks for the useful advice people have given- Rachie B, lottee, etc.

If anyone can solve the chomping issue Id be very grateful, as it is a wierd one. Also if there are any lone parents who've had au pairs Id love to hear from you about what you've done when you've got a boyfriend?? I'm worried about what she'd think if she found a bloke here she didnt know! I think I'd be quite embarrassed

Pink.

missk_ensington wrote:

This thread is not for me to justify my illness, it is to ask other people who have had au pairs how much time they spend with them and where they would gage the employee/friend barrier.

DLA is nothing to do with my au pair whatsoever, and for Direct Payments I have had an in depth assessment where they have agreed I need live in care as my nearest family is over 70 miles away and in the possibility of an emergency I'd be stuck without someone on hand.

I have never blacked out sat/laid down, thus I can continue to drive. In fact, not driving ant getting from Yorkshire suburbs to uni 70 miles away would probably cause a blackout in itself carrying 6x 1200 page anthologies.

Finally, Yes it is easy to fake syptoms for certain illnesses, such as blackout, back pain.... So what? So making an honest observation that people can easy fake syptoms means that I am as right as rain?? I am okay, other than intermittent blackouts, however one blackout could be thet one occassion my 3 year old runs out onto the main road outside and is killed.

There are inconsistencies in what you are saying.

Either you have black outs and are not able to be in sole charge of your child or for that matter your car, or you don't and should not be claiming DLA for possible black outs.

Pink

Edit.....just read your last post.

Zara33

missk_ensington wrote:

It depends on what hours they work and where you live (I.e, London or North) but yeah £45-70 a week is the norm.

Don't forget all their food, board etc is included which will cost you a few quid extra. Why do you think I hired one? I didnt have any choice, there were no childcare options that suited my needs and I needed someone on hand too, so two birds with one stone

So you think it is perfectly acceptable to pay someone 50 quid a week for 24/7 care?