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    All About Life Without Maids

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Domestic Help
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    • B Offline
      briskcross
      last edited by

      Hubby and I have 2 boys, 8 and 3 years old. Never had a FT maid because we cannot overcome the idea of inviting a stranger to stay with us. A local auntie (got thru’ agency) comes in once a week to clean the house and do ironing, and I do the cooking and laundry. Elder son goes to after school care, younger son to child care because we don’t stay with our parents. I do part time work so I get off early to fetch them. Maybe tiring sometimes but it keeps me always thinking of more efficient ways to do things. Teachers also comment that my boys are independent. Somehow I believe that by training them to do a lot of things by themselves at home, it actually engages them and builds up confidence.

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      • DesertWindD Offline
        DesertWind
        last edited by

        briskcross:
        Hubby and I have 2 boys, 8 and 3 years old. Never had a FT maid because we cannot overcome the idea of inviting a stranger to stay with us. A local auntie (got thru' agency) comes in once a week to clean the house and do ironing, and I do the cooking and laundry. Elder son goes to after school care, younger son to child care because we don't stay with our parents. I do part time work so I get off early to fetch them. Maybe tiring sometimes but it keeps me always thinking of more efficient ways to do things. Teachers also comment that my boys are independent. Somehow I believe that by training them to do a lot of things by themselves at home, it actually engages them and builds up confidence.

        Hi briskcross,
        Wow, sounds like you have a very good arrangement! Everything works for you including the fact that you are able to do part-time work hence gets off early to fetch your sons. 😉
        Thanks for sharing!

        :celebrate:

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        • M Offline
          MintyMin
          last edited by

          Sent my maid off 2 weeks ago and have been doing maidless since den… can’t tahan to have another maid… as she was my 4th one… I have 3 young kids, aged 5, 3, 1… having a hard time to cope wif hsewrk n looking after them…


          Routine will start at 7am till 11pm n it goes on again the nxt day… dead beat tired… n sometimes really feel like giving up… wonder hw i can survive with all hse wrk… though hb promise to help… but he can be in his room watchin tv while i wash the dishes, feed the kids, etc… damn pek chek…

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          • M Offline
            MintyMin
            last edited by

            tat i agree… sigh… watz wif all this men…


            Now am contemplating to hiring a maid bak… but i love my privacy and bonding session nw with my kids… though it can get real challenging to cope wif the tiredness, demands and hsewrk

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            • FunzF Offline
              Funz
              last edited by

              celtricia:
              tat i agree.. sigh.. watz wif all this men..


              Now am contemplating to hiring a maid bak.. but i love my privacy and bonding session nw with my kids.. though it can get real challenging to cope wif the tiredness, demands and hsewrk
              How about a part time helper. I used to survive with that cos I cannot wrap my head around having a stranger in my house and I hate house work. I may switch back to that when my current maid finishes her contract with me. I prefer to engage from companies rather then finding those independant ones. It will be costlier but I guess I have peace of mind cos I know that if anything were to happen, I can go after the company. And the good thing is they bring their own cleaning supply and even things like pails, mops, etc. And if they break any of my stuff, they will replace it.

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              • M Offline
                MintyMin
                last edited by

                Funz:
                celtricia:

                tat i agree.. sigh.. watz wif all this men..


                Now am contemplating to hiring a maid bak.. but i love my privacy and bonding session nw with my kids.. though it can get real challenging to cope wif the tiredness, demands and hsewrk

                How about a part time helper. I used to survive with that cos I cannot wrap my head around having a stranger in my house and I hate house work. I may switch back to that when my current maid finishes her contract with me. I prefer to engage from companies rather then finding those independant ones. It will be costlier but I guess I have peace of mind cos I know that if anything were to happen, I can go after the company. And the good thing is they bring their own cleaning supply and even things like pails, mops, etc. And if they break any of my stuff, they will replace it.

                Am still looking for a part time helper. Not sure where should i get it from too.. any good ones to suggest?
                TIA! 🙂

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                • C Offline
                  cherrygal
                  last edited by

                  LKVM:
                  celtricia:

                  though hb promise to help.. but he can be in his room watchin tv while i wash the dishes, feed the kids, etc.. damn pek chek..


                  Well it happens all the time... dunno wats the best solution is :stupid:

                  The best solution is to ask him to do specific tasks, not ask him to \"help\" (too vague for cavemen). I tell my hubby to \"carry baby\", \"wash dishes\", \"mop floor\" etc. I cook and do the laundry (coz he can't cook and can't sort). And I tell myself not to bother HOW he washes or mops. Otherwise he will tell me to do it myself...

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                  • D Offline
                    duriz
                    last edited by

                    cherrygal:
                    LKVM:

                    [quote=\"celtricia\"]though hb promise to help.. but he can be in his room watchin tv while i wash the dishes, feed the kids, etc.. damn pek chek..


                    Well it happens all the time... dunno wats the best solution is :stupid:

                    The best solution is to ask him to do specific tasks, not ask him to \"help\" (too vague for cavemen). I tell my hubby to \"carry baby\", \"wash dishes\", \"mop floor\" etc. I cook and do the laundry (coz he can't cook and can't sort). And I tell myself not to bother HOW he washes or mops. Otherwise he will tell me to do it myself...[/quote]I agree with both and probably more Moms out there.
                    I'm luckier, DH cooks.
                    But when its comes to housework, I have already briefed him to be more automatic and not let me get too crazy then \"explode\".
                    As we only have a PT maid come in weekday mornings, evenings and weekends are very hectic for me.
                    Now I have \"trained\" DH to come to me and ask:\"Honey, what do you need me to do now?\"
                    I will then give him specifics and yes, try not to be too fussy about how things get done or how clean/tidy/organized they are. So long as they get done.
                    Sometimes in order to give ourselves a break, we need to give others a break as well.

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                    • C Offline
                      cherrygal
                      last edited by

                      Hi everyone

                      I am currently a FTWM, mother to 2 kids (dd just 10mths old). Never had maids in my whole entire existence. My mom, who used to work full-time as well, just refuses to engage one as she has heard too many horror stories. Both my kids were looked after by my mom when they were babies. MIL refused to help. DS was sent to a CCC when he turned 20mths old. DD will be the same unless I don’t work. We currently live with my parents.

                      My typical day would be to cook dinner after rushing home from work, bathe, take over the baby, make baby sleep at 11pm…my bigger kid is seriously neglected. My mom is the superwoman. She washes the laundry in the morning, starts cooking porridge for my dd, carries dd around, cooks lunch for her and my dad, bathes dd, coaxes dd to nap, prepares the ingredients for dinner, all without a maid. My dad helps to carry dd occasionally.

                      That’s how we cope…just to share. Not much time for ourselves, but at least we don’t get maid problems.

                      Sometimes, I wonder why people who only have 1 kid need a FT maid. Perhaps they have had maids when they were kids and thus cannot live without one? I think I learnt how to be independent thanks to my maid-less childhood.

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                      • D Offline
                        duriz
                        last edited by

                        Hi cherrygal,


                        DH, DD and I stay with PILs.
                        Our PT maid comes in weekday mornings for 3 hours to clean the house and do laundry (wash and iron).
                        My MIL looks after DD.
                        Some mornings, my Mom comes over to help MIL and play with/feed/take care of DD.
                        In the evenings, DH comes home to cook.
                        When I get home, I do whatever remaining housework there is. I do not let the maid do anything that is related to DD. So I'm the busiest with DD's items e.g. preparing the ingredients her meal for the next day, wash and sterilize all her food utensils and bottles, clean her toys, wash/sort her laundry, express and store BM, feed and play with her, bath her, read her a bedtime story AND go to bed with her at 9pm, because I'm exhausted as well.
                        So you can imagine, it's non-stop action for me when I get home after work on a weekday and over the weekends when my eyes open after I'm awake.
                        I did not grow up with a maid. My Mom worked and my Daddy took care of my older brother and I 😉

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