From Karen the Harvard professor:
I know every family is doing something different in terms of house rules with Covid, but I’m curious to know what those who are pregnant or with newborn are asking of their au pair. I’m due 9/1 and as things open up and 9/1 approaches we want to institute stricter rules. It would be helpful to know what others are doing especially if pregnant/with newborn.
For example, does it seem reasonable to say only building you can enter is our house, no public transit or anyone’s car? Tell us anytime you are leaving house where you’re going? We want to track your phone?
The other Karens in the au pair host mom group approve:
we are in the same boat! Good to hear other families are doing similar things
think that’s reasonable given your situation. AP might
not but I would have an honest conversation. Also does
she have access to your car? [Answer from Original Karen: “she doesn’t have access to our car. She doesn’t need it for her job and tbh I don’t want her driving it”]
How do these au pairs even get to the U.S. anymore? They can’t, which has led to “The Great Au Pair Rush” (NYT). Exactly when Government Daycare (i.e., K-12) shut down, the cruel Trump Administration also shut down the supply of foreign daycare labor.
Related:
- https://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2019/10/07/au-pair-infatuation/
- https://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2019/01/18/the-49-year-old-father-and-the-au-pair/
- https://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2015/04/29/au-pair-to-green-card/
- https://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2017/11/26/american-moms-supervising-online-dating-for-young-foreign-women/
- https://philip.greenspun.com/blog/2015/05/13/angelika-graswald-life-insurance-versus-child-support-net-present-value-calculation/
You shouldn’t be so harsh on this “Karen,” Phil — notwithstanding her Harvard affiliation, she may not yet know that the 13th Amendment has been ratified.
Jack, it does not appear to be so. Most folks still salves to their jobs and references. You just more or less free to change current owner…
Au pairs can still enter the country via the Southern Border. But then Karen might not get her preferred choice of English or French.
Why don’t they lock her in the basement and chain her to the wall?
With refreshing lotion and complementary basket!
I had to give my au pair a car and a smart phone, to keep her happy. No, I did not put a tracker on the phone.
In the 4th link is this great quote:
> One site that I DO have an issue with is seekingarrangement.com… Gross… So gross
How is a woman who is a full-time mom who has an au pair in a position to criticize such a website? She is practically the embodiment of such a concept.
> She is practically the embodiment of such a concept.
Close, but not quite. seekingarrangement.com is very similar to her situation, but is different in that it usually comes with the expectation of significant ongoing sexual activity. There is typically very little expectation of sex with an anxious, hovering au pair manager.
GPS house arrest tracking anklets for employees coming soon to your company. Social media is going to take a hit if people are not sharing vacation photos to avoid gov’t or employer quarantines. So much unplanned winning in the plandemic.