Any Recommendation of a Good Maid Agency

[beanstalk]

Instead of saying you are a family with 3 young kids, you could emphasize to the prospective helper that you are very hands-on and will not require her to do much with regards to the kids. She only has to focus on housework and cooking.


I am sure you will not ask her to do more than what you yourself can handle.

[Awonder]

Hi beanstalk, Oh yes, I never let my previous helper over work as I know very well how much to handle in a house as I do all the chores when I was taking care of my 2 elder children without any help previously. I let my helper plan her own time and when she did not clean up certain places for a while, I did not mind cos sometimes she had to spend more time with my ds when I was coaching my 2 elder children.


I did tell them what you mentioned and like I said, I am always around at home and also like to spend quality time with my ds so I would not have let her watch over him the whole day long. Btw, I am a very possessive mother and would not bear my child looking for someone else for comfort instead. Thats how I work out with my previous helper taking turn whenever theres a need such as sometimes I do the cooking, she will look after my ds and vis versa…

We have told all the maids we had interview that they mainly need to take care of my 18 mths ds and do housework but well…and there was even one maid that told us frankly that she dont want to take care of toddler so thats it, we stop the interview…wonder why her bio-data "tick" that she can do all.

Thanks for your advice and now me and my dh are testing this few days whether we can handle on our own, but still keep it open of getting a maid cos I still need someone at home while my dh travel…

[peapot]

Sigh! Yes, now choices are limited. If you have read the Saturday’s Straits Times, we can only see 2 hands raised for Indonesian maids who wants to work in Singapore compared to the dozen of hands raised for Hong Kong Taiwan. I swear my maid has read this article and probably drooling over it now. I can’t pay the $700 to $800 salary like in Taiwan or HongKong. So, if at the end of the day she still decides to go then I have no choice but to revert back to the "not so capable" Myanmar maids.

[princeton]

I was turned down by so many maids, phil or indo, when they heard I’ve 3 young children. They will ask questions like, how long are the children? boy or girl? Actually, all my girls go to childcare or student care as i have no maid currently.

[Awonder]

Hi Princeton, are you a SAHM or a working mother, it must be hard on you to cope with 3 kids. I did think of sending my 3rd child to childcare but just cant bear cos when my 1st child was in there around 2 yrs old, he keep falling sick for the whole of 9 months till we pull him out and take care of him myself.


I have read about the Indo maid article in Straits Times but I don’t understand what kind of news they are relating to us. Are the ST telling us that we should pay more to them so that they will come. Its not fair to compare us to Taiwan or HK cos our pay check is different, I suppose. Sofar, this is the market rate and sofar this is so much we ordinary folk can afford. For me, employing a maid is not a luxury but a need and if I did not have my 3rd child, I would never even employ one. Actually, I just need help for just 2 more years till my toddler go to nursery but too bad my maid can’t work for me anymore. She is good and we even up her salary from $320 to $450.

I think its not a big deal if they don’t prefer here, so be it, we cant force them. Now I was thinking what if we don’t allow maid here, what will happen?

[All-in]

Get an Indonesian maid. They are more patient with children. I am a SAHM with five kids. I was working till I have my 5th child. I usedleft all my kids at home with only 1 maid. The maid was OK with the kids and they are also friendly with her. However, I have to admit that the Indonesian maids those days were great. They were not highly educated. Back home, they used to help around the house, doing household chores while their parents are out in the field tending to the farms. Their families are poor and they are willing to work hard when they are here. They were paid only $230 per month and yet they gave quality work. Maids nowadays have to pass the English test and they have to have a minimal high school education. As such, they are more learned and would also expect more. Sometimes, I wonder if we really need such smart lasses around where what we really needs are people who can do simple household chores and cooking. Anyway, good luck to your search for a good maid.

[marilyn_28]

All-in:

Get an Indonesian maid. They are more patient with children. I am a SAHM with five kids. I was working till I have my 5th child. I usedleft all my kids at home with only 1 maid. The maid was OK with the kids and they are also friendly with her. However, I have to admit that the Indonesian maids those days were great. They were not highly educated. Back home, they used to help around the house, doing household chores while their parents are out in the field tending to the farms. Their families are poor and they are willing to work hard when they are here. They were paid only $230 per month and yet they gave quality work. Maids nowadays have to pass the English test and they have to have a minimal high school education. As such, they are more learned and would also expect more. Sometimes, I wonder if we really need such smart lasses around where what we really needs are people who can do simple household chores and cooking. Anyway, good luck to your search for a good maid.

Hi, i have this Indonesian maid who is with us for 3+ years. I got her as a fresh new maid with aboard experience when i'm expecting my DS. So i taught her everything from scratch and even bought a English - Bahasa Dictionary for her in order to facilitate her understanding when we talk to her. Everything goes well till the 2nd year after i renewed her WP. She told me that she will not be going for her home leave and requested me to give her 1 off day per month and she wants to buy a mobile phone so that she can call home. at that time, i think it's fair enough so i allow her to buy a phone and gave her 1 off day per month to go out with her auntie who is working as a maid in Singapore. Supposingly nothing happens when i was at work till last October, my brother-in-law told me that me that he saw a man outside my house. At that time, i was shocked but i just kept quiet and did not confront her. Till a few weeks later, my neighbour told me that she saw my maid with a man at downstairs. Thereafter, i question her but she refuse to admit till i say both my brother-in-law and my neighbour told me about it and she got angry and told me that no such thing. She will admit if she has bf but in actual fact she do not have one. Her boyfriend is in Brunei. And she is always wearing nice & sexy clothes and always talking on the phone happily even though she's with me as if she is the employer. i told her off and she's unhappy. She talks on the phone till 3am every night and she wakes up late in the morning. But when i confront her, she put the blame to my daughter. Thereafter i decided to install a IP Cam at my house, i saw her not doing her housework but talking on the phone very often. Well, this is just a very brief comments about her and i'm considering whether to post it at Singapore Maid Review Forum as she is really a good liar. Now that i got a new maid and she's from Philippines, i feel that i really make a good choice to let her go back earlier.

[darling_sunshine]

Hi, Awonder.


I share your sentiments about maids nowadays. I’ve employed maids from different nationalities. During interview/ shortlist, I set forth my criteria to do general housework and help to mind children (but children are @ childcare during the day). They readily agree but the moment they start work at your home, they change their minds by the 2nd wk and ask for transfer. Reason is it’s easier for them to get a new employer when they have already arrived than being stuck back home waiting to be shortlisted.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much protection for employers when maids default. I have had issues with MOM for frequent change of maids (even when it was the maids who either run away or they request for change) and also kena from MOM when past maids complained just to take revenge (once they get transfered out). It’s frustrating but yet I had no other choice.

I’m working with 2 young kids and my other half travels regularly. I just need that helping hand. But I have not been lucky with any maids.

Word of advise from my past experience:
Filipino maids are more demanding and expects a lot more (esp the experienced ones). Very ya-ya one.

Indon maids - not very detailed in cleaning and suka suka. I’m a hygiene freak cos of young kids so I can’t tahan lor. Cannot tell them sala one, else will cry big time & boycott when not happy. sometimes duno how to please them.

Myanmar maids - language super lousy. smart ones very keng one. but at least can tahan scolding though they wouldn’t apologise. very strong character one. slower in learning (takes about 4 - 6 mths to pick up) blur ones super damn blur. oh… they spoil your things & keep quiet one. At least Filipino & Indon will tell you & apologise.

[Awonder]

Hi darling,


Have you manage to get any maid now? Actually we intend to get one new maid direct from Indo but also aware of similar situation of what you mentioned so we decided to wait for a transfer maid. We have just confirm a Indo transfer maid and is coming in this weekend. At least, this one readily agreed to work with us so its a good start. Hopefully, everything goes well…and well, there goes my privacy again.

[alvinlkw]

Hi everyone! I am looking at employing a full time maid to take care of my daughter as well as my parents. The issue is that my parents stay a few blocks away and I let my mum take care of her. Can I employ a maid to follow the kid around and help out whenever she goes?

I am apprehensive about employing a maid given all the horrible maid stories I heard but I guess I have not much of a choice give our busy working schedules. Anyone has any recommendation for maid agency or maid to transfer?