Who just started having maid at home w kids without adults?

[zhizunbao]

mrswongtuition:

thinking:

Hi Mrs Wong


How much does a CCTV cost? How does it work?Do you let your maid know that u have CCTV?
My boys are in lower primary. And I'm getting ready to go back to working life....

There are many different types and price depends on what you want.

You can get cheap internet cameras which work with your wireless internet system at home for viewing from office but downside is there's no recording unless you record on your computer (need to leave it on). Price range from $200 - 600 per camera. Recommended brand: D-Link.

Or you can get those proper CCTV with recording function. Cheap sets from China can cost around $600 (with 2 camera and installation). From Korea it's more reliable but slightly more expensive. My hubs is selling these machines so we know which are good and which are not These might require some cable works, depending on where you want to install them.
You can choose pure recording only or you can choose those with internet viewing (newest model is iPhone compatible). Mostly go by motion sensor (only record when motion detected).

I do not let the maids know that there's CCTV. The CCTV was in 3 main areas: Kitchen, Living/Dining Room, Bedroom (my son's - mine's locked). We did remind them NOT to change in the bedroom. Only can change in the toilet.

My current maid is very good, so we installed it to watch the main door only.
My previous maid, the CCTV caught her stealing food & money. & she accused us of abuse when we sent her back to agency (she ran off with help from other maids to go to embassy). Embassy called us to investigate and we had ready proof - CCTV footage of her wrong doings & footage of normal daily life at home.

I have friends who install and they switch it off once they are home for privacy. It's up to you. I'm too lazy to do that so we leave it running 24/7.

HI Ms Wong,
I'm thinking to install camera at home before maid coming. As we are out for work at day and kid in childcare and only maid at home, occasionally will let kid stay at home when sick. We'll inform main about CCTV as we only need them to deter maid's misconduct. We guess recording is important and real time internet viewing is optional (but don't mind if insignificant price difference).Any recommendation? Thanks

[peapot]

Actually I m one of those who leave my gal to the maid since she was 8mths old. Now my gal is 8 and still cared for by maid without any adult at home. No-inlaws and my parents too old to care for my gal so no choice. IT’s really heng suai, I guess.

During these years I have changed 4maids.

I have installed CCTV at home so perhaps it could have help. A good maid would be very concerned that there is a CCTV at home but a lousy maid doesn’t care if there are 10 cameras around.

I think it really depends on yourself whether "ne fan de xia ma" and also whether circumstances force you to take this route.

[peapot]

Actually I m one of those who leave my gal to the maid since she was 8mths old. Now my gal is 8 and still cared for by maid without any adult at home. No-inlaws and my parents too old to care for my gal so no choice. IT’s really heng suai, I guess.

During these years I have changed 4maids.

I have installed CCTV at home so perhaps it could have help. A good maid would be very concerned that there is a CCTV at home but a lousy maid doesn’t care if there are 10 cameras around.

I think it really depends on yourself whether "ne fan de xia ma" and also whether circumstances force you to take this route.

[peapot]

Actually I m one of those who leave my gal to the maid since she was 8mths old. Now my gal is 8 and still cared for by maid without any adult at home. No-inlaws and my parents too old to care for my gal so no choice. IT’s really heng suai, I guess.

During these years I have changed 4maids.

I have installed CCTV at home so perhaps it could have help. A good maid would be very concerned that there is a CCTV at home but a lousy maid doesn’t care if there are 10 cameras around.

I think it really depends on yourself whether "ne fan de xia ma" and also whether circumstances force you to take this route.

[dokomo]

Hi peapot,


do you inform your maid about the cctv when she first came?

my dd will be going to church kindy (only 3hrs) starting next year. I am considering getting a maid help me look after dd after she’s back from school. A friend has been telling me cannot leave maid alone with child. makes me worried whether can leave dd with maid afterall… anyone any advise pls?

TIA!

[Busymom]

Both our kids have been cared for by maids without any other adult supervision, not even spot checks. For the first one, we had a camera which was really old technology, so it wasn't very effective to view online and after a while, we got too lazy to even check. Still, it acted as a deterrent, I supposed. We only had 2 months to observe that maid before I went back to work, which was probably not too ideal.


For the second one, we started to have 2 maids, one of whom had been with us for some time, so there was less worry on our part. Still, we upgraded our cameras so that it was easier to view online... But after we changed our PC, some of the cameras (the cheaper one that we placed in the rooms) were not working well again... haiz. By that time, we could trust our maids, so we kinda left it as it is.

Maybe time to change our cameras again, since going to have 1 relatively new maid plus another new maid in a month's time... :frustrated: Good news is, technology is so much better now than compared to 7 years ago when we have our first child.

One thing I have to say about leaving our kids with the maids without other adults, we learnt to close an eye sometimes with our maids. Our priority is always about our children's safety, rather than that piece of work not done properly, etc.

Not ideal, but what to do.

[dokomo]

Based on ur past experience on maids caring for kids with no adult at hm, what type of profile of the maid do u look for? Young vs old, single vs married, with children vs wo children. Thot those with children may hv more patience with kids? Indo vs pinoy?


I know getting a good maid depends on luck, but at least it shld help me when sourcing for one.
:thankyou:

[DesertWind]

dokomo:

Based on ur past experience on maids caring for kids with no adult at hm, what type of profile of the maid do u look for? Young vs old, single vs married, with children vs wo children. Thot those with children may hv more patience with kids? Indo vs pinoy?


I know getting a good maid depends on luck, but at least it shld help me when sourcing for one. :thankyou:

Hi dokomo,
For looking after children (especially infants) and with no adults at home, definitely you need maid with experience. It is better if they have kids themselves so they have the motherly instinct in them and know what to do. In terms of age, I think mid-to late-twenties is ideal. Still for the first one-half year, we park the baby and maid with our PILs. After that then leave her alone at home with the baby since my PILs also said she is reliable.

For me, my maid looked after my 4 yo boy since infant and when recruiting, my husband insisted someone with working experience already in Singapore. Before she joined us, she had previously worked for one Singaporean family for 5 years looking after 3 kids! That time she was single and new and her employer sent her for training etc. She is also sensible and like kids hence also personality wise we were assured based on her past work experience!

My maid is Indonesian. However, some prefer Philippino since they can speak English better.

All the best!

[Busymom]

dokomo:

Based on ur past experience on maids caring for kids with no adult at hm, what type of profile of the maid do u look for? Young vs old, single vs married, with children vs wo children. Thot those with children may hv more patience with kids? Indo vs pinoy?


I know getting a good maid depends on luck, but at least it shld help me when sourcing for one.
:thankyou:

We have almost always gone for those who are in their 30s. Feel that they could be more matured, although energy wise, cannot be compared to the young twenty-something.

Most of our maids have also been married. Only 2 so far were not. One was ok, very stable, very patient, no BGR issue, no family issue... Another was also ok taking care of my newborn (at least for that few months when she was with us), but BGR issue at home caused her to terminate the contract just after a short few months...

Some of my friends also had very good unmarried maids, so really depends on luck.

Perception is Filipinos can be cleaner or more hygienic, less likely to practise black magic. Downside is, they are more likely to have attitude problems and show you black face, which I experienced and tolerated for 4 years from my first maid. The subsequent ones were actually quite ok though. Indonesians are easier in that perspective, but if you are not lucky, you could have maids who are very promiscuous (my mom, sister, friends had such maids before...).

Lastly, don't choose one who is too vain looking or too pretty.

Good luck.

[dokomo]

Hi DesertWind and Busymom,

Thanks for both your advise! I will keep the above in mind when I am on my search for the maid. Concurrently, I better make sure I install window grill and camera very soon. Things may not be that bad afterall.