The astonishing reason why more middle-class families are hiring au pairs.

Look, it’s lucky I was sitting down when we recorded This Glorious Mess this week.

Because Rebecca Sparrow blew my tiny mind.

Brilliant Brisbane-based author Bec came on Mamamia’s podcast for parents to talk about au pairs. You know, those nanny/housekeeper/homewreckers that rich people have.

If you are sensing that I have no idea what an au pair actually does, you’d be right. Which is why we asked Bec.

She says that having an au pair has changed her life, that far from being an intrusion, the two young women she has had in her home to help with three small kids have been a very positive addition to her family and then, then she broke my heart by telling me an au pair would cost me, in one week, less than my kids’ child care used to cost PER DAY.

You can listen to the whole episode here:

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“Oh Holly, sit down,” says Bec. “I get up to 35 hours of child care work a week for about $200. Obviously I cover food and board and internet… and that’s going by recommendations from au pair organisations that have been set up. We’re paying what it’s been recommended to us to pay.”

Yes. That’s right. Before my daughter started school this year, we were paying a total of $250 PER DAY to two different (very excellent) child-care providers. Gah.

While I was reeling at all the dollars I could be saving if only I had a spare room, Andrew quizzed Bec on what impact having an attractive young foreign student might have on your marriage.

And let’s just say, Bec put him in his place pretty quickly.

Also, this week. Andrew and I talk about sex. Quite a lot.

First, we talk about the sex-ed book that had all the Gen Ys in my office trying to scrub their eyeballs with scouring pads.

You know, THIS ONE:

Then, we got into the video a NSW mum made called The Mum Code, all about the precise algorithms and timing at which a man could get some with his lady. You can see it, here.

Lastly, what do you do if you hate your kids’ friend’s parents? We try to solve the problem of a listener, Craig, who’s young boy’s bestie has horrendous parents.  And those horrendous parents keep popping around for “wine time”. Awks.

And if you have no idea what we’re talking about, here’s how to download a podcast.

It goes like this: