From au pair to nightmare

by Danielle McLaughlin © 2009 irishtimes.com
YOUR INCOME is down, your debts are up, and your childcare costs are more than €2,000 a month. Welcome to the world of the cash-strapped parent, struggling to balance the books in the aftermath of a drastic pay-cut or reduced working hours.
As the recession bites deeper, parents may consider dispensing with the services of a nanny or crèche and opting for an au pair instead. Au pairs became one of the symbols of success in Celtic Tiger Ireland, cheaper than a Hermès bag and without the long waiting list. But for many, an au pair is now a necessity rather than a luxury, as mum slinks back to work rather than to the hairdressers.
But are au pairs really a childcare solution? Almost three years ago, heavily pregnant with my son, and with my freshly-scrubbed daughters then aged one and three in tow, I waddled in breathless anticipation to the airport arrivals hall to greet Katerina (not her real name), our first au pair.
They say that you never forget your first. Well they certainly got that one right. Katerina, 18 according to her agency profile but looking a young 12, ambled awkwardly off her flight (paid for by us) and launched our household into three highly charged weeks of compulsive brand-name shopping (paid for by us), tearful home-sickness and loud teenage tantrums before we drove her, at her request, back to the airport for her flight home (paid for by us).
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