Nice people thread part 7 - a thread in its prime

PasturesNew

Michaels/allergy: Blond woman on Channel 4 'Sunday Brunch' was just asked if she's allergic to any foods and she said 'white fish', they asked her how allergic and she said "I'll die" ... and then said she'd been eating fish all her life and had a pack of 2 plaice, ate one one night, ate the 2nd the next night and lost her hearing etc etc ... called 999 and they said she was having an anaphylactic shock and ambulance crew stuck an epipen in her - and then she was tested. Apparently the body can tolerate foods until suddenly it decides not to and they are researching why that happens .. and now she has to carry an epi pen everywhere with her. They asked how long ago and she said "3 years"/

vivatifosi

michaels wrote: »

Bit worried about DS today, yesterday he suddenly had a vomiting bug then managed to eat a bit of dinner and hold it down then sneezing, snot and temperature this AM then suddenly had what appeared to be an allergic reaction to toast and jam this morning even though he is only officially allergic to some nuts. Piriton sorted it out but now his temperature is going out of control, even with calpol and ibuprofen he is 39.6

Poor DS. I agree with the others who say keep an eye and don't be afraid to call the docs.

Incidentally, you'll recall I mentioned that my aunt broke her ankle on Christmas Day.... The Urgent Care unit at my local hospital called her back 10 days later and had finally got round to reviewing her x-rays and she had a break in a place that they hadn't previously noticed as they hadn't reviewed the xrays properly. Cue comment from local docs surgery that they have a rather lax attitude to urgency there.

So, if you do need to take DS to hospital, please consider taking him to Watford, they just don't have the skills in acute medicine at the urgent care units. It's a PITA that you can't go to the QEII now as that's only A&E for adults.

PasturesNew

My snow came down Friday morning/afternoon .... it mostly cleared yesterday, looks like it's all gone now.

vivatifosi

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

The board is getting a bit mental again.

Which reminds me.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~Edmund Burke


Just saying....

Dribley wrote: »

Probably due to all your Immigration threads:mad:

Please guys, the NPT isn't the place for that kind of talk.

If the Debate the Economy thread is the Wild West, then the NPT is the homely tavern where people come for a quick and friendly brew, though if they step outside again for pistols at dawn, that's entirely up to them.

Though you are of course welcome to take a table and discuss your position on mushrooms. I wouldn't mind guessing you'll have a different view on those too.

lostinrates

I have something too. I woke up feeling hungover...not fair, haven't had a drink or almost a month.

Dh said he would go out an do the bare minimum with out me and we'd do the res together later. It's later and he's heading out alone. I feel rough but not deathly.

Generali

We had to sack the au pair tonight. I feel very sorry for her: she's a very long way from home (Europe) and is 19 years old. It wasn't much fun for me either but let's not look at that: I've still got a house and a job, she has no job and is homeless in a week.

We asked for someone that can drive and cook and that is responsible. The last item on the list is qualitative but the first item is binary for certain and the second is close.

She can neither drive, although she has a license, nor cook.

The final straw was on Friday. We had 2 tradesmen coming to the house in the morning which we warned her about. She claims to have been downstairs in the house or in the back yard for the whole morning. TV off, no music. Tradesman #1 left a card at the front door, wedged underneath the door. It was still there when Mrs Generali came home.

Tradesman #2 left cards at the front and back doors and stayed at the house for at least 20 minutes: we know that as there were a series of phone calls to Mrs Generali.

We then spent 2-3 hours trying to call Au Pair without success. Normally her phone goes to voicemail when it rings out but this time it went to the boooooooooo number unobtainable noise after a few rings.

She is unable to explain any of this stuff.

Were we reasonable in firing her? I can't leave young kids in the sole charge of a person I can't trust and I think she was BSing us. If she'd said, "Sorry, I was going out in the evening and was tired and went to bed for a bit and dropped off" then I'd kinda cope with that. She'd have received the mother of all bollockings and then I'd have left it.

Lying from someone looking after my kids. No way.

So waddya reckon, am I a complete AH or have I done what's right to protect my family?

PasturesNew

Generali wrote: »

So waddya reckon, am I a complete AH or have I done what's right to protect my family?

I'd have said you're a right AH ... except in this instance.

There's a whole big and important list of important things she's failed to care/bother about.

What time/s did this happen? Where were the kids? How do au-pairs work on the basis of living in the space where they work, but the kids being at school, for example? I've never met an au pair .... it's HUGELY a POSH ALERT!!

vivatifosi

I think she was stupid Gen. I don't know if I would have done the same - possibly - but I don't have kids. I would certainly have been annoyed and would probably be looking for ways to terminate her contract. I think I am less clinical than you, but that's not a bad thing on your point, trust me, I am the queen of procrastination.

Can you get another au pair easily?

lostinrates

I would have let her go, but......a week is not long enough notice IMO. When you have a young au pair there is a small responsibility involved IMO....it's a mutually beenficial arrangement because these kids are young, inexperienced and not ready for much else.

If your kids c0cked up on the other side of the world from you at nineteen...you are man enough to know they need to take responsibility but, you would want them to have enough time to find somewhere safe after a teenaged panic.


I would find it hard now at my age to move, get more income etc within a week.

What is her situation with staying in oz with n placement?

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'd have said you're a right AH ... except in this instance.

You're not the first person to say it and I doubt you'll be the last

PasturesNew wrote: »

There's a whole big and important list of important things she's failed to care/bother about.

Yes she has as well as not being competent at her basic job that is.

PasturesNew wrote: »

What time/s did this happen? Where were the kids?

That's the biggest part of the problem: I simply can't work out a way for this to have happened the way that she says it. She would have been sitting in the corner of the house that the tradesmen walked around to go from the front door to the back door. They would have gone past 2 large windows and a patio door to get to the back door. Plus also they're knocking on a metal framed flyscreen. Have you heard the noise those things make?

PasturesNew wrote: »

How do au-pairs work on the basis of living in the space where they work, but the kids being at school, for example? I've never met an au pair .... it's HUGELY a POSH ALERT!!

Au pairs for school age kids work in the morning for a couple of hours giving the kids brekkie, brushing teeth, making packed lunch, walking them to school.

Then they have from about 9.45am until 2.30pm off to do whatever they want.

Then they do 2.30 - about 6ish when they should take the kids to whatever's going on after school (sport, scouts, music, playing with mates), give them a bath and make dinner.

For that lot they get a room, food, broadband and $220 a week.

As for the POSH ALERT, it's not really. You have a stranger sharing your house and it's a cheap form of childcare. It's less than before and after school care for example. It's very easy to underestimate the cost of kids if you don't have them