The other dozens of times I went with them, I paid for everything myself (unless it was my b-day, Xmas). We usually spend 4 or 5 days there, I once or twice and I’d watch the smaller kids for them the other days. When they wanted to take all the kids and were going to expensive or harder or ski places, they offered to drop me off at the local ski place (the one I was used to) if I wanted. I thought it was very nice of them to introduce me to the sport, I’d forever thankful to them for giving me the chance to experience such a unique thing (since I”d never have this chance in my home country).

When I was an aupair in Norway (yeeeeears ago – in 2004), my HP took me on a Ski Vacation. I rather… dislike skiing. I don’t like mountains, they are high and steep, there are avalanches and people get hurt/die when skiing. My father had forced me to ski when I was younger (10/15 years before). I didn’t like it then, I still don’t.

However, that didn’t bother me too much as I was accompanying the family to take care of the baby (who had just turned 1) while they went skiing with the older children (schoolaged) and then spend some time playing or in the pool with the older children when the parents relaxed with the baby later.

All in all, this was a “regular” work week for me – hence the family paid for room (shared with oldest girl) and food. They also forced me to ski on the last day there – I got to use the HD’s skis (who took care of the baby while HM went “skiing” with me and the two oldest) and helmet as well as one of my HM’s old snowpants. Usage of the nursery slope (where I got run over by 2 year olds more than once) was free if I remember correctly and I didn’t have to pay for the skipass… not that I ever really wanted to ski.

On the way back home, after a week of vacation, my HP went cross-country skiing with the two oldest and dropped me and the baby off at a parking area. There was a café, however I was left without money to get food/drink for either baby or me. I couldn’t even use the restroom as that had to be paid for and after a week of daily hot chocolates and snacks (while going for endless walks with the baby, as they family didn’t cover “snacks” during working hours on the trip) I was totally broke, I had to change the baby on the backseat of the car. They were gone for 4+ hours, while I walked up and down the parkinglot with the little one – no cellphone signal, no idea when they would be back, not allowed to turn on the radio/heating in the car. Thankfully, the weather was extremely nice.
If you drop your aupair off in the middle of nowhere (!) at least ask her if she has money for a cup of coffee or a piece of cake – if she doesn’t, either give her some, pay her (part) of her pocketmoney early or lend her some that can be deducted of her next salary. Make sure your AP has the possibility to keep the child(ren) and herself occupied, fed, and SAVE. Also make sure that your aupair knows beforehand what she will have to pay for (snacks, drinks, skipass…), especially as holiday resorts are often a little more expensive than what the AP might be used to

Also, when my HM wasn’t sure if her husband would be able to join us, she mentioned something about me skiing with her anyway, because she ‘just hates to ski alone.’

if me skiing is a safety issue, shouldn’t it be a safety issue whether or not she likes skiing alone? And I don’t like thefact that she lied about which au pairs had gone skiing- IMHO, they just don’t want to pay for me and they want a constantly available babysitter. Fine! I don’t even mind that much- I just wish they would be straight with me and not act like I’m stupid. Sheesh.

My own opinion– this is one of the rules I would bend. I would make sure that the au pair had some privacy (especially for the bathroom & dressing, which can be managed by taking kids into parent’s room for a while) and that the au pair was able to watch tv, relax, stay up w/out bothering kids, sleep without kids waking her, etc.

I’d bend this rule b/c it is just so costly to get yet another hotel room… and given a choice of not going or sharing a room, our au pairs have always chosen to share rooms.

However, if we were going somewhere that cost wasn’t the issue (e.g. grandparents, visiting friends) I personally would give the au pair the more private place since it is especially hard to have privacy in these situations any other way. my $.02. I’d love to know the ‘rules’. cv