All About Full-Time Maids

[riash]

qms:

OK. This is an issue which we will have to agree to disagree because it's a difference in viewpoint.


I am not sure how old the elder boy is, but if we consistently teach the boy he should not treat his sibling in this manner, we are treating the root of the problem. We can't condone such behaviour, and expect the maid to stop the elder boy's behaviour. Teaching the elder boy goes a long way than telling the maid she should watch out for the boy's behaviour.

The key point here is to be consistent in teaching the elder boy (what happened to the elder boy if he bite his sibling again? The next time he bites his sibling again, does he get the same treatment?).

Of course I agree that the maid should also have pulled the elder boy aside and called the parents. Our recommendation shouldn't just stop there.

totally agreed that discipline is the parents responsibility. we are aware that ds1 will hug and sometimes he will bite...and the maid knows this. Was just mad that she allowed it to happen when all the time we always pull the kids apart to prevent this.

[moonee]

peapot:

My houserule is she's not allowed to have any handphone. I find that once she has handphone, she will give alot of problems. We bought a handphone for one of my previous maid. She use the phone till 1am and

I m a light sleeper, I can hear her talking!! Then she starts using my housephone to cut down on her phone expenses. All her friends start calling my house! I was so mad!! So I tell myself, its enough!! No more hp for her.

Moonee, actually you can keep her hp and give it to her in the night.

Yup, we did keep her phone till evening for 6 days. On the 7th day she requested to go back to the agent. No reasons given, i was kind of surprise as she was under no work stress and appeared cheerful but was dropping hints that she had 82 smses the last few days. I decided to compromise and told her that she can keep the phone but to use it discreetly and not while shes working. She agreed but that same nite my dd saw her using the phone openly in the kitchen. I reminded her of the conditions set for her if she wants to keep her phone,,, btw, her 1st emplyer kept her phone and she bot another on the sly, when found out after 6th months, they threw her back to the agent. The agent confiscated her 2nd phone and transfered her to another employer who kept her phone and gave it back in the nite. HA HA!! just when her 6mth loan ended, she was thrown back to the agent, her 2nd transfer cost her an extra 2 mths loan and again just when she completed her 2mths and abt to see her fulll salary she was booted out again.
she seem to have a lot of smses, as i notice her going to her room to check frequently. Well, I close my eyes as she gets back to what shes doing.
Last Sunday while we were all out, her cousin came by my place. lucky she does not hv the key and last nite my mum caught her talking and cleaning the cooker. Too much! reminded her tat her loan is ending next month and if she wnts to c her money, she better not get too carried away with the phone. Think the phone is gonna cost her her job.

[janet88]

There are reliable maids, but as rare as a diamond.

After my reliable maid went home, the one who replaced her was lazy and just out to enjoy life.

When she was done ironing, she lie on the floor and slept. Whenever she goes to my mum’s place, she will go to the kitchen and lift up the pot covers to see what food was avail :x She eats the most and does the least. Sent her home bcos I cannot tolerate her laziness and rudeness.

[mummy of 2]

janet_lee88:

There are reliable maids, but as rare as a diamond.

After my reliable maid went home, the one who replaced her was lazy and just out to enjoy life.

I also experienced this. Have changed 3 maids since my reliable one went home. Now waiting for 4th one to arrive

[janet88]

mummy of 2,

We calculated pros and cons of part-time vs maid…in the end we took a maid because the baby doesn’t stop vomitting or soiling herself after the part-time leaves. After the 4th maid (when daughter turned 5), I just had to send her off b4 I lose my sanity. Strangely, I did not have the urge to get another one anymore.

My first maid was a gem although she ate like a glutton…but can’t have the best of both worlds right ? Anyway, she is still in contact with me and even hinted to come back. I told her that her hubby and 2 year old daughter are very important and shouldn’t be left on their own.

[moonee]

lovekidsverymuch:

Yes moonee I totally understand ur position... I also fail to understand why do they have to talk so much :?


Even though we too have phone we hardly do talking dunno wat msges they have :?

Mine is not calling home all the time or hv any problems with kids n husband. Think she has a boyfriend thats why shes addicted to the phone. Now she wants to transfer to a bigger hse where no one can c her using the phone, shes not happy working for me even though I tried my level best to accomodate to her needs..gonna be called up by MOM for taking the 5th maid in 12 mths. I was successful with my past maids but since I went back to my old agent I have been very unlucky or could it be becos I took 2 times transfer maids. Anyway he recommended the last two transfer maids to me and talked me out of taking a fresh maid.

[jtoh]

I have decided never to get a transfer maid following my experience.


When I interviewed my ex-maid, she gave the impression that she was good, hardworking, honest and came with a letter of recommendation from her ex-employer.

Soon after she started working for me, all her true colours came out. She was VERY rude, talked back, used her handphone while working, chatted on the phone until 2am at night, lazy, very very vain, and to top it all off, she was messing around with men on her Sundays off. Plus, she was in poor health.

When I sent her back to the agent, I told them about her poor attitude and her poor health. I did this thinking they would advise the new prospective employers to have their eyes open when they took her. Yes, I was stupid to think that agencies did that. None of the smarter Singaporean employers would employ her because she was 41 years old and because she refused to let them talk to me. They were smart enough to realize she was not good. So what did this agency operating out of Tanglin do? They highly recommended her to a brand new expat employer. Someone who’d never hired maids before so doesn’t know what to expect.

All I can say is good luck to her new expat employer because my ex-maid is going to crawl all over her head and demand 2 days off a week, extra medical etc pretending that all this is standard for a maid. She tried that with me and I put her in her place. This new expat employer will not know any better.

So don’t trust agencies when they tell you transfer maids are good. Always ask to speak to the ex-employer. Reference letters are not good enough because anyone can create one using just a computer and printer.

[janet88]

Transfer maids are those sitting in the agency everyday, hoping for a new employer (victim) to take them. Although prospective employers can interview and see them in person, agents will not say the truth why these maids were returned.


I took 2 transfer maids bcos I was very mad with mine then...and don't have time to wait for new one from Indonesia. Their ex-employers will not tell you the true reason(s) for returning them.

These transfer maids should not be taken bcos they requested for a change of employer (bcos maids are are smart aleck/calculative), or else made the employers SO mad that they returned them to agency.

My first transfer maid (Indo) claimed employer's kids bullied her. She was downright lazy and had attitude problem...loves to dress up and sleep on the job. 2nd transfer maid worked in incense shop every day (illegally) and wanted change of employer. When I interviewed her, I told her she has to do housework and cook. After 3 months, she told me she doesn't like to cook. :stupid:

[gumiho]

jtoh:

I have decided never to get a transfer maid following my experience.


When I interviewed my ex-maid, she gave the impression that she was good, hardworking, honest and came with a letter of recommendation from her ex-employer.

Soon after she started working for me, all her true colours came out. She was VERY rude, talked back, used her handphone while working, chatted on the phone until 2am at night, lazy, very very vain, and to top it all off, she was messing around with men on her Sundays off. Plus, she was in poor health.

When I sent her back to the agent, I told them about her poor attitude and her poor health. I did this thinking they would advise the new prospective employers to have their eyes open when they took her. Yes, I was stupid to think that agencies did that. None of the smarter Singaporean employers would employ her because she was 41 years old and because she refused to let them talk to me. They were smart enough to realize she was not good. So what did this agency operating out of Tanglin do? They highly recommended her to a brand new expat employer. Someone who'd never hired maids before so doesn't know what to expect.

All I can say is good luck to her new expat employer because my ex-maid is going to crawl all over her head and demand 2 days off a week, extra medical etc pretending that all this is standard for a maid. She tried that with me and I put her in her place. This new expat employer will not know any better.

So don't trust agencies when they tell you transfer maids are good. Always ask to speak to the ex-employer. Reference letters are not good enough because anyone can create one using just a computer and printer.

There a lot of hearsay about Transfer Maid.

I consider myself lucky for employing a responsible TRANSFER maid and I believe it all depend on the Maid Agency we choose. The Maid Agency allow me to speak to her ex-employer and from her ex-employer I heard a lots of criticism and compliants about the maid. As we urgently needed a maid therefore I came to an agreement with the Maid Agency that they will grant me an additional replacement if the TRANSFER maid cannot \"survive\" with us.

Well.... this TRANSFER maid had been with us for 4 months and I find that her working attitude is good. **cross-finger**

We are also impress by the Maid Agency service. They will give us a follow-up call every twice a month to check with us on the maid's performance. So far I had employed 2 maids and both MIA after we took in the maid. :rant:

[janet88]

lovekidsverymuch,

The maid’s employer has 2 shops selling incense…my former maid will go there at 7am until 9pm. She will do all the packing of incense and is very busy during the Chinese 3rd and 7th month.
Her employer will buy either chicken rice or nasi lemak for her lunch & dinner everyday. Employer’s 3 children will go to the shop after school and maid is there on the ‘pretence’ of looking after the kids.

Because I desperately needed a maid then, when she told me she wanted to learn to cook, I blindly accepted why she wanted a change of employer. After 3 months, I realized that she hated to cook and preferred to eat packet meals instead. She was my 4th maid and the only Filipino I had ever employed.