Having to work when "you're off"

This post is based on many stories I've heard, and also on my own experiences. I am sure that 99% of you will know what I am talking about. We've all been there:

• "...and while the kids are in school, you're off."
• "...when the baby is asleep, you're off."
• "We are all going on a family trip on Monday, so you will be off."

So you are looking forward to some time for yourself, for your time off. And then the day comes and host parents speak again:

• "After you bring the kids home from school, you're off, but can you please do the dishes, cook dinner, hoover the house and take care of the laundry?"
• "Oh, he's asleep? Great! Can you look after the ironing for me?"
• "We're leaving now, so don't burn the house down and before we come back, can you please clean the house, cook something for us for when we come back, make the beds and tidy the kitchen after the breakfast?"

Sometimes it feels like "being off" means something else to the host parents than it does to the au-pair. Host parents seem to think that the expression means that you don't have to look after the children, so you have time for other chores and when that's all done, you can spend some time alone.

What "being off" means to me is that I don't have to do absolutely anything, being off means that I can be off,  that I can leave the house. It's almost like the parents think that our only job is minding the kids and that doing all the chores is something we enjoy doing in our time off.

Imagine that you work as a nurse in the hospital and they tell you that you are off on Friday, but they will need you to write the patient reports. But don't worry, you don't have to deal with the patients, you're off!

Or you're working at a bakery and your boss calls you up and says that you don't need to bake on Tuesday, so you're off, but you still need to come in and clean the shop. 

So, dear host parents, please, please, please, please, when talking to your au-pair, don't use the expression "you're off", unless the au-pair is absolutely free of any work and can stay in bed or leave the house without any worries. 

If there's something that you're need your au-pair to do that does not involve children, just say something like "Hey, the kids are in school, so you have a bit of peace and quiet, can you please do the ironing and clean their bedrooms?"

How about that? Wouldn't it make the life easier?

Did you ever experience such "time off"? Would you tell your host parents that you don't agree with that? Tell us all about it in comments!