The Downs of being an Au Pair

I don’t believe I ever really went into the personalities of the children I take care of. If I did, it was probabaly a newbie's mistake. I should have settled in before even trying to describe them,because I can bet now my views have altered significantly. So I take care of 3 girls, 9, 7, 4, and my youngest two I really do adore they have their moments but they don’t hate me for just being me ya know?

My 4 year old, she's a typical toddler. Just started their kindergarten which is just Day care but at the school lol she, has half days, loves Dora the Explorer, speaks no english but understands it, when she does speak english it's only random words she learns from me. Loves to be tickled and cuddled and hugged and kissed. Has the curlyest hair ever, and LOVES baths. She's not a morning person, and if you want her to eat you have to feed her as she won't do it herself. If you want her to drink water you have to feed it to her, and sometimes bribe her. She has this piercing shriek and she often pulls her hand back to hit you, but she won't hit me, I made that very clear in the beginning. She's sweet and I will miss her when I leave, she's gets very attached to the Au pairs, and the last one who was with her for 2013 is taking a while to get over. I don’t want her to be that attached to me, it's very difficult for her, some days she asks for her and I feel for her knowing that she's not here. Other then feeling inadequate at times to help her with that, I love her very much.

My 7 year old, this one well she can be a brat at times but she aplogizes for that right after she is one. She hits her father but not me because I do not tolerate it, I refuse to let a kid hit me, I'm not gonna hit you, so your gonna treat me with the same respect and not hit me. She screams and she often use to throw a lot of tantrums, she still does but I walk away and then 30 seconds later it stopped. I'm not giving my attention to that. She's often sick, something happened with her stomach last year and she was in the hospital for a month and now we(her mom and dad and I) have to make sure she gets the reccommended about of fiber and calcium and stuff. At the moment it's gluten free week and she hates it..lol. Anyways she's a morning person, she wakes up at 6am every day with no alarm and is very happy about being awake. She likes to be tickled, cuddled, and takes up a lot of her parent's attentiion causing resentment in the eldest. She's very sweet though, everyone calls her the 'monster' as apparently she's a terror at times. Some days I see that, she gets that way but it doesnt last that long and I can usually bribe her out of that mood. She's very affectionate, and always wants me to braid or brush her hair. She looks up to her oldest sister, and despite being the middle child doesnt get too jealous of the youngest.

The 9 year old, I'm well aware I can't even say that she's my 9 year old, that ship has sailed and I wasn't on it. It's gone and eff it ya know. At first glance, pretty girl, freckles, nice smile, sweet. Once that wears off, devious little brat comes through, if she's mad your going to feel it, she slams things, throws things, screams, takes it out on you or whoever else is around. Given my current mood thiis will turn into a rant if I'm not careful, so I'm just gonna focus on her good parts. Some days I think are okay, and when she's going to bed, she lets me read to her, and she's nice then, she's kind then. Some nights we talk and its like a totally different girl, but only when it's us. As soon as someone else comes into play she's meaner then ever. I don't understand and I've tried but a person can only take so much before they distance themselves away from her. I'm getting there.

So I guess you're wondering what brought this on, I need to get this off my chest, and this is my blog, so I'm venting and getting it the hell off my chest

I could just be over sensitive from the weekend, but I know what I heard ya know? They tell you when you apply to be an Au Pair( I know now I will NEVER be an Au Pair again Fuck that but I digress) As I was saying when you become an Au Pair, that means your not just an employee but an extended member of the family right?

My current family the father, and the mother do treat me like a member of the family. My 4 year old and my 7 year old does as well, now the 9 year old does not. Ever since I got here she's not been what everyone has been telling me she is. She's extremely smart for her age, I will give her that, but out of the 3 of them she's the worse one for me. Everyone calls her the 'goody two shoes', but she's not.

Maybe it's cause I've lived with her and they only see the public persona, but she's the ones that throws things at me and tells me to pick them up(yes like a dog...I refuse...fuck that) She start screaming at me for being a stupid idiot( I find that calling her the same in return, well I don’t like the words she uses it very harsh...the term brat really irritates her so that is my word when she gets into that mode) Somedays she curses, but then quickly takes it back and then might say a quick sorry just so I won't tell her parents. I thought they were really just wrong to her when I came, but now I don't see it that way.

Today for instance It's Monday but I didn’t have to cook today because they neighbors outside are having a block party. I know cool right? The mother told me this morning on a post it (thats how we communicate in the morning as I never see her) and then the father told me again.. They both said there's a block party with Barbeque, no cooking we're all going, uncluding you. Okay so thats my mind set right? I'm invited, but when I get home with my 4 year old and the 9 year old from school and we start talking, she tells me point blank..we're doing dialogue again.

“So what are you going to be doing for dinner?” The 9 year asks.

“The neighbors are bbqing remember?” I point out.

“Yes I know, they invited the family, not you,” she says.

~Stares at her for a second before shaking my head~ “Well an Au Pair is part of the family, as it says in the contract. So I'm coming too,” I reply as if she was slow, because at this point she was acting it.

“Yeah I know when we have family parties and stuff you're allowed to come but this is different,” she said with a pointed look.

“Well your parents said I could come,” I sighed.

“But you're not supposed to,” she muttered out before sighing loudly and stomping up the stairs.

So you see how is one supposed to take that? I saw the the parents like 10 minutes ago. The father told me to come outside and I was like thanks but you know...your oldest made it clear I wasn't invited, thanks though and walked upstairs. I knew he wasnt gonna let it go as I didn’t hear the door close.

And maybe 3 minutes later the mom comes up to my room and is like, you're invited, I invited you. Theres like the entire block, families she doesnt even know are there, and she points out that they knew I was their Au Pair and I was invited too. I probably won't go I just don’t want to anymore ya know? I'm not even hungry, I have never had that happen to me before, and its really not a nice feeling. I was then told, it was a miscommunication to what the eldest said to me...how the fuck do you miscommunicate that? Seriously?

6 months left...its a damn shame, I'm loving the experience getting to travel and stuff, but I'm really starting to hate her. And I know that's wrong to hate a child but she's very devious...you have no idea.. I guess it did turn into a rant...well at least I feel better..slightly.