If you are a host parent, you know about the summer vacation dilemma, do I take my au pair on our family vacation or not?

There are pros and cons to this issue.  Some of the pros is that you have a built in babysitter where you and your spouse can take some time off by yourself - have a quiet, romantic dinner alone, go sight-seeing that is adult oriented, or even have a beach day by yourselves!  Luxury, right?

One of the major drawbacks in taking your au pair is the cost!  Today, in our depressed economic climate, many host families are feeling the pinch and cannot take their au pair on a family vacation. 

Then, what do you do with your au pair?  Leaving her home may be a disaster in the making - she can have unsupervised parties, etc.  One solution to this is to plan her 2 week vacation around your's.  Make sure she is going away during the time your family will be on vacation. 

Make sure she has the travel arrangements made in advance - many au pairs will tell you they are "going" on vacation, but when you finally check her schedule, you find she has nothing planned and it is too late!  Then, you have no choice except to leave her home alone. 

To read a great discussion by host parents regarding the summer vacation dilemma I recommend aupairmom.com - check out the blog discussion at http://aupairmom.com/. 

What are other parents doing for their summer vacation plans?  Do they include the au pair?  If so, will she be "working" during that time, or a combination of working and her vacation days?

Let us know!

Edina