Au-Pair Non-Adventures.
I'm really disappointed that I had to cut my adventure so short, but it was the best decision for me.
I loved the girls but they didn't speak any English at all, which I was told they did, and it was just too difficult.
Also, the mum told me she worked, which she doesn't which would have affected my decision to go, and she did very bizarre things.
For example, she tried to underpay me by saying she paid for dinner, to which I pointed out that I had offered to pay my share and if you went into work and your boss said 'I did something nice for you so I'm not going to pay you properly' it wouldn't be acceptable, I also pointed out that she hadn't told me the girls had friends overnight 3 days this week so I ended up looking after 3 girls most days but hadn't charged her for that and she screamed at me in the street.
She also lied to me and said we were going out for 10 minutes but we went round a friends for tea and were there for about 5 hours, whilst there she expected me to look after about 10 children then (she knew I worked in a bar before going there) her and her friends put a load of cocktail making things in front of me and said 'now you have to make us cocktails' - not even asking nicely, or asking at all!
And they're just some of her behaviours towards me. She also said I wasn't filling my hours so she didn't have to pay me much when my hours were 6 hours a day and I was with the girls for 10 or 11 hours daily!
Also, before my flight home she wouldn't let me say goodbye to the girls and when we got to the airport she didn't even get out the car to say bye. I'd hoped to end on positive terms even though I'd chosen to leave but clearly not.
I'm so glad to be home. Even though it was a very short adventure I've learnt so much about what is important to me and I'm so appreciative to be home. It's sad but I made the best choice for me and I'm happy with it.