All About Life Without Maids

[wobblejelly]

myWQ:

We have been surving without a maid since our kid was born. Not easy, ut beats the hassle and potential problems of having one.

Agree, :celebrate:
I am a FTWM with 2 kids and maidless. Fortunately for us, we go to our PIL home for dinner everyday. Housework can be a really chore but I'd rather not deal with a maid.. Heard too many horror stories.

[myWQ]

minnie2004:

Accidentally bumped into this thread last nite and after reading all your posts I was also convinced to try maidless after my current maid leaves end of the month. I even did some research on irobots etc. Ironing (mainly DH's work shirts) and car washing can be outsourced.


However, this morning as I was doing yoga in my weekly class, I started to have doubts again. Who's going to look after my kids at home if I'm out doing yoga? Probably my yoga classes will be the first to sacrifice . Also, as we don't have parents and PILs here, is it still possible for me and DH to catch a weekend movie from time to time?

Cooking is another issue. We always cook 3 dishes and a soup for dinner. Although these are not hard to prepare, I'm not sure if I can stand the heat in the kitchen

So despite all the benefits of going maidless, I'm afraid I'll still have to hire another replacement at least after my kids are old enough to be left alone at home. In the meantime, I'd better train them to be more independent to prepare for that day

I take it you are a SAHM? Our problems are quite similar, except we have families in SG. I am currently taking care of the baby myself, and have to rely on my parents or hubby to help out when I need to run some errands or just to have some alone time.

Lucky for me I don't have much household chores to do. Hubby irons his own shirts and will packet dinner back. He also cleans the floor couple of times a week. It also helps greatly that he can come home anytime if needed.

So in our case a maid doesn't really feature in our daily needs.

[myWQ]

wobblejelly:

myWQ:

We have been surving without a maid since our kid was born. Not easy, ut beats the hassle and potential problems of having one.

Agree, :celebrate:
I am a FTWM with 2 kids and maidless. Fortunately for us, we go to our PIL home for dinner everyday. Housework can be a really chore but I'd rather not deal with a maid.. Heard too many horror stories.

So lucky, you staying near your IL's place?

[nonKiasu]

minnie2004:

Who's going to look after my kids at home if I'm out doing yoga?

I have my facial on weekend when my DH is at home to look after the kids.

minnie2004:

Also, as we don't have parents and PILs here, is it still possible for me and DH to catch a weekend movie from time to time?

Same here, I have no PILs to help and my parents are impossible to look after my DSs. We can always catch DVD at home after the kids to to bed.

minnie2004:

Cooking is another issue. We always cook 3 dishes and a soup for dinner. Although these are not hard to prepare, I'm not sure if I can stand the heat in the kitchen

Definitely an issue. We throw lots of diff ingredient into a soup and just cook 1 soup dish. Or steam a big fish. Time consuming is washing leafy veg. So eat lots of brocolli, cauliflower or big leafy veg.
Simple dishes only and of course no frying. Mostly steam dishes or soup. We steam even the chicken wings and surprising my DSs love them esp with noodles. If anyone want to eat fried ones, we eat out. No fried stuff at home.

[minnie2004]

Thanks nonKiasu for your suggestions. I guess I can probably shift my yoga class to weekends too and let DH watch the kids. So he can have some quality time with the kids .


As for cooking, we do stir-fry dishes quite a lot. We don't steam that much, only fish, sometimes chicken. I'm afraid my kids (actually it's more my DH) will get bored soon eating steamed stuff all the time . Maybe I shud buy some cook books for steamed dishes :idea:

[minnie2004]

myWQ:

I take it you are a SAHM? Our problems are quite similar, except we have families in SG. I am currently taking care of the baby myself, and have to rely on my parents or hubby to help out when I need to run some errands or just to have some alone time.


Lucky for me I don't have much household chores to do. Hubby irons his own shirts and will packet dinner back. He also cleans the floor couple of times a week. It also helps greatly that he can come home anytime if needed.

So in our case a maid doesn't really feature in our daily needs.

Hi myWQ, you're indeed very lucky. You have a supportive hubby and parents. My hubby will never iron his own shirts, not to mention cleaning the floor .

[janet88]

If I have to prepare a lunch, it will be a all-dump-in. So, it will either be chicken or pork ribs. My kids love soup, so all-dump-in means there will be soup, vege and meat. With a maid, it will be 2-3 dishes and a soup.

[nonKiasu]

minnie2004:

My hubby will never iron his own shirts, not to mention cleaning the floor .

Same here! In fact, I will be grateful if my DH just pick up hangers, put laundry into the laundry basket and don't dirty the floor, tables, bed, etc. I told him recently that without maid, can you pls have more outstations? I was so much freer when he travel last month!

[janet88]

Nonkiasu,

When I had a maid, my hubby was on my nerves too and I was worried about him staying at home after he has retired :?:
Now that there is no maid, he has to iron clothes, keep and fold laundry. But when he mops the floor, he refuses to change water :x and I have to change the pail of water. That really makes me super mad :x

[nonKiasu]

janet_lee88:

Nonkiasu,

When I had a maid, my hubby was on my nerves too and I was worried about him staying at home after he has retired :?:
Now that there is no maid, he has to iron clothes, keep and fold laundry. But when he mops the floor, he refuses to change water :x and I have to change the pail of water. That really makes me super mad :x

No way my DH will do any housework. Our triplets arrived after 8 yrs of marriage. During the 8 yrs, with only 2 of us, we have no maid and he never lift a finger on any housework. So, put all my hope on my poor DSs.
Btw, do you kids do housework? If do, must learn from you on how to train them.