All About Full-Time Maids
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Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"1915647\" time=\"1561379353\" user_id=\"48901:
have to be very patient because their language is really different from ours.
Learning curve for Myanmar helpers is typically very steep and the language barrier is high.
mum is fed up with Indonesians and she doesn't like filipinos.
first 6 months no off day and mobile phone. even if she can use mobile phone at night, take it back after 2 hours.
back then, my maids promptly disappear at 9pm and use the mobile phone until they can't wake up at 6 the next morning. -
Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"1915685\" time=\"1561394313\" user_id=\"48901:
Same. All my helpers help out in the food preparation (like chop garlic, soak veges etc.) and with the cleaning up. Cook rice, steam fish, steam broccoli basic ones, they have been taught too.
My helpers use pre-paid phone cards to call home - IDD on my land line. $10 to $20 of card value a month. Each call is about 1 hour. They are clear about their objective for being here so will not spend money on frivolities.
My time-table is in both English and Bahasa.
None of my helpers can cook well. Their involvement is largely in food preparation and cleaning up. The only few dishes they are taught are boiled vegetables, chaiwanmushi, steam ginger prawns, scallop pasta in tomato puree and osmanthus jelly.
Cleaning is their bread and butter.
In case of emergency when I can’t rush back in time to cook, the maids have been trained to prepare simple dishes like fried rice or spaghetti or I simply dabao back.
My current helper use Skype to call home once or twice every month. She will request and my DH will set up for her. Helper’s hubby has my DH handphone number (in case of emergency). Sometimes helper’s hubby will Whatsapp her (to my DH’s hp). Most of the time are just love messages like “I miss you...” (according to helper cos we can’t read Bahasa Indonesia).
I have had 5 helpers (incl current one) so far since I first started employing maids 15 years ago. None of them owns a hp as it was agreed upon before they came over to my house at the agency. -
All my helpers have their own mobile phone. I don’t give wifi access though. They want to use, they pay for their own data. All my helpers have off days too.
1st helper, 23yrs old when she 1st joined us, with me for 9 years. She was very good. Cannot complain. Cooking, cleaning, and the occasional child minding, all very good.
2nd helper 29yrs old, with me for 2 years, also cannot complain. Good attitude. excellent cleaning, cooking a bit weak but willing to learn. Ok with the occasional child minding as well.
3rd helper, 32yrs old, with me for about 1 year, hmm… cooking ok, cleaning erm. Lazy. Was about to tell her to pack up and go when she told me she needs to go back.
4th helper 29yrs old, with me for almost 2 years. Cleaning good. Cooking haiz. Attitude haiz. No black face or talking back but just not willing to learn and can be rather oblivious or act blur. Beyond the basic cleaning and housekeeping, gotta prod then she will move.
All indon, all muslims, all experienced helpers when I hire them.
Now I am on to my 5th helper. 44yrs old, This one is different. Indon catholic, no experience. Agent asked if I am willing to give her a chance. She is agent’s church mate in Indonesia and the family met with some hard times as the husband was retrenched and have been unable to find stable employment. In order to support her daughter’s education she decided to work as a helper. I interviewed her and found her rather pleasant, she speaks decent English. She is still rather new with us so I am still assessing her. So far ok in the cleaning department, cooking a bit of a hit and miss. She will totally spoil my dog. Can see that the dog likes her as well. He does not greet the 3rd and 4th helper the way he greets this helper. -
janet88\" post_id=\"1915719\" time=\"1561431614\" user_id=\"12950:
nope. my father retired but mum said she can't retire because she still has to cook and do housework. my father doesn't lift a finger to help.[/quote]both parents retired yeah..best is to treat the housework as exercises..but if that causes unhappiness, then I guess probably getting someone to help may be better ba..
Janet, is your mom still working?MrsKiasu\" post_id=\"1915580\" time=\"1561351247\" user_id=\"43981:
[quote=janet88 post_id=1915578 time=1561350878 user_id=12950]my mum applied for a Myanmar helper...can't cope with housework and cooking.
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lee_yl\" post_id=\"1915745\" time=\"1561436857\" user_id=\"17023:
wow .. leeyl, u can still find a helper with no hp owndership ... lucky.
Same. All my helpers help out in the food preparation (like chop garlic, soak veges etc.) and with the cleaning up. Cook rice, steam fish, steam broccoli basic ones, they have been taught too.Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"1915685\" time=\"1561394313\" user_id=\"48901:
My helpers use pre-paid phone cards to call home - IDD on my land line. $10 to $20 of card value a month. Each call is about 1 hour. They are clear about their objective for being here so will not spend money on frivolities.
My time-table is in both English and Bahasa.
None of my helpers can cook well. Their involvement is largely in food preparation and cleaning up. The only few dishes they are taught are boiled vegetables, chaiwanmushi, steam ginger prawns, scallop pasta in tomato puree and osmanthus jelly.
Cleaning is their bread and butter.
In case of emergency when I can’t rush back in time to cook, the maids have been trained to prepare simple dishes like fried rice or spaghetti or I simply dabao back.
My current helper use Skype to call home once or twice every month. She will request and my DH will set up for her. Helper’s hubby has my DH handphone number (in case of emergency). Sometimes helper’s hubby will Whatsapp her (to my DH’s hp). Most of the time are just love messages like “I miss you...” (according to helper cos we can’t read Bahasa Indonesia).
I have had 5 helpers (incl current one) so far since I first started employing maids 15 years ago. None of them owns a hp as it was agreed upon before they came over to my house at the agency.
must get contact of your agent
my one and only one 10yrs ago already had a hp, that time agent told me v difficult to find one with no hp lei ... they need a hp to maintain their \"sanity\" & de-stress -
MyPillow\" post_id=\"1915870\" time=\"1561516066\" user_id=\"70594:
wow .. leeyl, u can still find a helper with no hp owndership ... lucky.
must get contact of your agent
my one and only one 10yrs ago already had a hp, that time agent told me v difficult to find one with no hp lei ... they need a hp to maintain their \"sanity\" & de-stress
Ya, ALL my helpers (including the current helper) don’t own a hp. My house rule ever since I first started employing maids 15 years ago. I think not all maids need to carry hp, some don’t mind going without one as it’s really a distraction. My current helper even told me that even if I were to give her off days, she won’t dare to go out alone.
I think no hp is good for both sides. If helper’s hubby kept saying, “I miss you” and her 2 young children kept calling “mummy pls come home now”, I m sure she would not be able to finish contract.
I only go to one agency since day 1, Nation Maids. Nation’s staff there said my past records very good, maids all finish their 2 years contract with us. Very rare nowadays as MOM statistics shown majority of the maids did not even finish 1st year, with Myanmar maids having the highest turnover.
Why would maids lose their sanity if the employers treat them as family members? My helper gets to go out during weekends to dine well. If we travel to nearby countries, we bring her along. Wash car once a week, change bedsheets once a month, wash toilets wash clothes only on alternate days, no need to cook, wake up at 7am... I think as a whole I treat my maids decent. -
lee_yl\" post_id=\"1915899\" time=\"1561520176\" user_id=\"17023:
yl,
Ya, ALL my helpers (including the current helper) don’t own a hp. My house rule ever since I first started employing maids 15 years ago. I think not all maids need to carry hp, some don’t mind going without one as it’s really a distraction. My current helper even told me that even if I were to give her off days, she won’t dare to go out alone.
I think no hp is good for both sides. If helper’s hubby kept saying, “I miss you” and her 2 young children kept calling “mummy pls come home now”, I m sure she would not be able to finish contract.
your helper is really mature.
I totally agree with you the helper doesn't have a hp...if hubby or boyfriend keeps telling her 'I miss you' or 'I need money'....confirmed distracted. my first indo worked 1.5 years because her mother arranged for her to get married (28 years old, so considered 'old' by their standards).
donkey years ago when there was no hp, mum's helper received letters from her bf working in japan. she went berserk when she saw pics of naked women pasted around bf's bed. -
The biggest headache is when you go on overseas holidays.
Where did you guys park your helpers at when you went overseas?
Did your helper get to spend her usual day-off or get locked up at home during your vacation?
Did you guys seek approval from MOM before you sent her to the dorms or relative’s house during your period of absence? -
I applied to MOM for approval before parking her at friend’s place. Approval came with reminder that she is not supposed to work at another address …
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my mum is going to park her helper at my place during the 10 days she will be away.
the helper will be arriving next month and being a newbie, how can she be left alone at home?
if asking MOM for approval, the reply will be the helper is NOT allowed to work at another address. does that mean the helper is going to watch TV and surf Net all day during her employer’s absence while the employer’s friend still needs to feed and house her?
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