All About Life Without Maids

[nobody1968]

NatTif Mummy:

Hi all,

My maid no 4 went back for good after her 4th yr with me. Life is hard after she left, I have never actually done much household chores since a kid and never need to really cook even after marrying my DH of 14 yrs.
Life starts 5.15am during week days to wake my gals up for sch. Prepare their food & drink > walk them to MRT station > rush back shower > go to work at 7am > 8.15am to 5.30pm work like crazy > go home buy dinner > house work, busy with kids, misc > drop dead at 11pm
I am only reaching 1st month without my dear maid 4 and missing her very much!

Try ordering tingkat and get time a part time maid to do housework during the weekends.

Definitely lighten much of your load. So you can spend quality time with them at night.

[NatTif Mummy]

Hi all,

Thanks for suggestions & concern. My gals are 13 & 10, both very pampered by the maid for the past yrs. I am slowly adjusting, organising, planning & fastening my pace. Right now, I want to go thru this ‘withdrawal syndrome’ phase first by oursleves before considering of tingkat meal & part time maid. All of us at home need to be more independent & responsible, that’s one reason why I am not hiring another.

[nonKiasu]

schellen:

Joy:

the only way that I thought of that is not washing the plates is to use disposable plates ...

Then, I think in the long run, a dishwasher will be cheaper.

So much abt dishwasher and difficulty of washing dishes...
I thot a solution is to get everyone in the family to wash their own dishes while mummy only wash the big item like pots.
My three 5 y.o. wash their own dishes. They have no complaint abt doing this chore as it is a routine now. It started when my previous maid left in Dec last yr and I was trying out without maid - survived for 11 weeks.
Now my new maid has been with me for 1 month. But DSs can wash the dishes cleaner than her!!! Yes, my DSs still continue to wash their own dishes even I have a maid now bec I am going to try without maid again in 1 or 2 yrs time when DSs are more independent and help me with more housework. Hey, don't say I child labour them, k.
I will try again when my triplets go P1.

[schellen]

nonKiasu, not child labour lah. It's called character building. (I got this from Calvin's dad in Calvin & Hobbes.)


If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find the thread on how we get our kids to do chores.

[Picolo]

Hi all,


I'm very glad to chance upon this thread! It gives me inspirations to go without a maid, probably after 4 years. My 3 kids are in lower pri and k1, and I need to work, drive some of them to schools, buy groceries, drive kids to attend swimming & piano lessons.. so it is not easy to cope without someone to do the housework and the cooking. However, I enjoy bringing the kids out (for a swim, picnic, science ctr, etc) on my own, without the maid. It's so much better for bonding, and much more fun.
:love:

[b2b3m4]

I have 3 kids, 1, 4 and 6yr and i must say i totally enjoy the times without a maid. I have gone maidless ever since i was preggy with the 3rd one. Life was tough initially esp trying to cope with 2 young tods, pregnancy then new born. It is a lot beta now. The youngest can walk on her own and play with the sisters.

Ya, my tods are required to put away their toys, plates, clothes etc. They dress themselves and comb, tie their hair in the morning. The older ones will always help to care for the younger ones like help the youngest to wear her shoes, the oldest will help the middle one to tie her hair. I still need to nag everyday to get them to pack off their dirty laundry, pack their toys and bags.
However, their teacher feedback that they are very well behaved and helpful children. I’m just so glad that i sent the maids off packing.
Yes, life is quite hectic, esp for a kiasu mum who puts her children in many clasees. But one just have to find a comfort level for everybody. E.g neatness at home, time for relaxation, energy to do cook and chores.

[Luanee]

Yeah I can join this club too!!


Got a full time maid since 7yrs ago when dd1 was 1yo. After changing a few along the years, finally decided to do without one when the last 3 gave so much problems.

I am a FTWM with 8yo and 3yo dds currently. Adjusting to life without a maid is not that bad since my dds usually stick with us rather than the maids whenever we are around anyway. Just have to close one eye with regards to housework haha.. Must also add points to DH for helping quite a lot

[Lucianna]

Hi Hi,


Recently i sacked my maid (too many problems with new & ex-spore maids, new maid normally think that they come here for holiday, old maid will think they are smart). Been having maid for the past few years.. life w/o a maid really terrible. House in the mess but im used to it after 3weeks. Everyday rushing back juz to get dinner for my P4 son. Only weekend i can mop n sweep the floor. Every two days i will wash & iron our clothes.

In fact w/o maid is sooo good. So many privacy. As long as u dont mind hse in d mess shld b alrite.

We, working mum shld learn how to bear wif it, i believed one day we will be able to make it! Is a matter of time to adjust.

WE CAN MAKE IT! yeah yeah!

Cheers!

NatTif Mummy:

Hi all,
Thanks for suggestions & concern. My gals are 13 & 10, both very pampered by the maid for the past yrs. I am slowly adjusting, organising, planning & fastening my pace. Right now, I want to go thru this 'withdrawal syndrome' phase first by oursleves before considering of tingkat meal & part time maid. All of us at home need to be more independent & responsible, that's one reason why I am not hiring another.

[wildboys]

It's almost a year since we went maidless. :celebrate: With two preschoolers at home, it's inevitable have to close many eyes to some of the mess. It's almost a one-woman show for me because many times my in law and my hb still think there is a maid at home (yah, the maid is me, somemore is free). finish the last piece of food and just leave the the empty wrapper or container on the table?? :x :x :x BUT, I still prefer to be maidless! I have learnt how to manage a household in more effective ways and also cooked much much better nowdays. Plus. no way for me to handle BOTH in law and maid problems at home!!! Downside is becoming more aunty too.

[MintyMin]

I wan to go maidless soon too…


After reading frm the 1st post to the very recent one, all the more am determine not to have anymore maid after my current (getting bolder as if she is employer, sigh).

I have 3 kids, 5, 3 & 1yr, am a FTWM with a DH tat refuse to help out wif housewrk or kids, if he does… i guess it will be consider SPECIAL… sigh…

My 2 olders kids r in Full Day childcare juz next blk, and currently my maid is at hm wif my younger together wif mum visiting occasionally to spot check maid…

Mum does the marketing everyday, coz she prefer freshness of food for my kids… N i do marketing on saturdays/sundays…

wonder hw possible is it for me to b maidless, if i haf a DH who totally waits to b served… guess he is my biggest challenge.

As for my kids, they are quite gd at keeping toys after play esp my DD1, though he grumbles if sisters doesnt want to keep, but still help me to do so…

N all the gadgets you ppl get r super ex… wonder when i can afford since am in financial woes…

Like is sad… but i hope to make the best out of it n have wonderful life wif my kids w/o maid who gossips, give black face n haf time to read newspapers n no time to give me a fully clean hm…