All About Life Without Maids

[Jav]

Kay Poh - ing,even though I can't do without maid yet. But for those like cooking, maybe this could also make your life easier 

if u don't like frying messiness can try happy frying pan! Click e link below for more info as shared by many other parents.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=25600

[24hr-mum]

hi


soon i will be joining this club too, the No-Maid Club. Cooking is number stress for me. Never had a chance to really cook before. it was my mum, my mil, and maid who cook

[moom]

Hi 24hr mum, what made you decide to join this club? I have 3 kids, youngest only 3 years old n honestly, find it quite a struggle daily, especially with logistics :(. The cooking part, I am still learning.. By trial and error

[b2b3m4]

24hr mum & moom,

I’m a FTWM with 3 kids too. 2 in childcare n 1 in Pri school.
Cooking is not so bad, just involves lots of planning. Few things to consider when planning to cook.
1. Cook/ prepare all things that can be done in advance.
eg. in the morning, I’ll prepare my soup/stew/rice in thermal pot and let it cook for the day. When home just heat up the soup or stew, rice can eat direct (or microwave if u want real piping hot)
2. Try to cook with as few pots/pans/plates as possible. I use my Corningwares and Le Creuset. Cook and serve all on the same dish –> less washing to do later.
3. Clean up immediately after cooking. USe those kitchen cleaner/detergent, spray & wipe with wet cloth and done! Easier and less tedious.
4. Use oven or toaster to "fry" food. No need to look after and kitchen is kept cleaner. If u own a kitchen oven, u can grill /oven a few food at the same time
5. Rice cooker. When cooking rice, can use the top insert to steam fish, egg, chicken and tofu at the same time.
6. Make extra portion of food esp soup or stews or curries. Take out the extra before serving. Cool and freeze up. On days when I really can’t think what to cook, these dishes are good back-ups.

[24hr-mum]

wow great tips!

my kids only k1, p1 and p4 next year.
chk with u, do ur pri sch gg kids take sch bus to and fro?
if u hv a presch kid at home, and if both pri sch kids are gg to different pri sch, do u wake up the presch kid at 6am also and she/he follow u to wait for the sch bus or send the older kids to pri sch, or u just let him/her continue sleeping and at home alone while u bring the pri sch kids to take sch bus downstairs? what happens if hubby travel overseas?

[b2b3m4]

24hr mum,

Ah!!! Logistics, that is the stressful part. Never the cooking.
Depending on how safe is your area, I allow my P1 to go downstairs on her own while i look out from the corridor.
I always make my kids greet everyone they meet in our block. So somehow most residents know my kids pretty well and do look out for them.

[24hr-mum]

that’s a gd idea, except that the street in front of my plc is two-laned and one-way, so when the bus stops at my gate, the door opening is on the other side, so the child has to look out for cars herslf if she crosses the lane or getting up and down the bus on her own, even tho i can look out for her from my room window.

[Breadandmuffins]

Hi 24hr mum

Yes, in yr case I will do what you did as need to chk for cars. What about yr DH? Will he be around when yr preschooler still sleeping?

I am also thinking of going maidless but cannot do so cos the logistics part cannot cope. 2 youngest ones are 5 and 3yr old. 2 older ones are in P3 and P1. If no one else at home, I must bring them everywhere I go which is like half a day out of the house sometimes. (cos I also do the sending and fetching to everywhere)

How are you going to cope with the housework when u go maidless? Is it part time help plus kids help?

[24hr-mum]

my dh wil b sendg no 1 to sch. no 1. and 2 r diff sch as diff gender. stimes he travel. sch bus is last resort cos gotta leave hm

at 615 evn tho sch jus 5min n 15 min drive. r u a sahm? hsewk can b done in the morng since all at sch

[24hr-mum]

any recommendation of thermal cooker, or something that can help

u fry vege without hving the oil splattering (cos there’s a cover) and hving to mop the floor?