First day of "work" at a new job, with LO tomorrow. Eek.

LI444

I'm freaking out a little. Tomorrow is the trial-run of me starting a new job, where I drive my mom's friends' oldest two children (four and six) to school, come back, take care of the one year old for two hours while their au pair has a break, and then go get the oldest kids from school, come back, make them lunch, and put the youngest two down for a nap.  With my two month old along.

They're really nice people (they gave us an almost brand-new glider/crib) simply because they were re-modeling their daughter's room.  But they're also a little...weird.  The last time I babysat their six year old was a baby, and they just wanted me to watch him on the video monitor while I studied.  He threw up on himself once, and I called to let them know and told them I was about to go and change him and clean him up, but they insisted I not go upstairs because it might scare him to see a stranger, so they drove forty minutes from the party they were at to come and clean him up.  He sat in vomit and cried the whole time, and I was so uncomfortable with that.  After that I got married and moved, and I only moved back to the area recently.

And the reason I'm going to be working for them is partially so the au pair can have a break in the morning, but it also sounds like they want me to "watch" her because the youngest "bumps his head" a lot.  On top of all this both of them tend to ask a question, listen to the response, and then stare at me for a long, awkward pause.  My husband noticed this too, so I know it's not just me.

They have a tendency to expect a lot of participation, possibly beyond what I'm willing to give.  For example, they told me they rejected another au pair's application because she said she would help out after one of them got home, during the au pair's free time, but that in general she wanted her time to be HER time.  I thought that was reasonable, but they said she was obviously not interested in being "part of the family." 

I have a feeling it won't work out, and though we need the money, my husband has been awesome and keeps reassuring me that if it feels uncomfortable, or is too hard to manage with our baby along, I can just turn them down.  I'm nervous about it, though.

melissapgreen

Hmm.  GL.  I don't wanna sound like a hick or anything, but what is an au pair?

LI444

melissapgreen:

Hmm.  GL.  I don't wanna sound like a hick or anything, but what is an au pair?

 

Basically I think it's like a nanny from another country.  The person employing them provides room and board, and the au pair provides babysitting.