All About Life Without Maids

[daranic]

2ppaamm:

Angelight:

Hi Mummy 2ppaamm,


You are an encouragement to me cos i'm going maidless soon. Was it tough in the beginning without a maid? Does your hubby help with housework?

Hi,

I cannot really remember if it was tough or not anymore, because it has been a while and I am so used to having no maid, I can no longer imagine having to live with one again...

It was difficult living with maids towards the end. I had a good maid one time, for seven years, and every time another maid comes to assist her, she will take good care of things, teach the other maid and get things organized, so things were good. However, after she left, I could never find good maids. I had two maids who quarreled, I decided to try and live with one. When I had one, she refused to work because she said the work load was too much. When two maids were good friends, they talked the whole day and not work. In the end, I planned to be maidless.

I started by introducing the technologies even when the maids were still around. Making them see that the robot can do just as much. They still didn't get the hint. Then, I started to pack the house, still didn't get the hint. Started to cook more often, they eat more. I started to bring the kids everywhere I went, they happy, happy just chatted more. Then one day, I got the agent over and said goodbye. By then, I had already taken over much of the work and was confident enough.

My mother, sister, mother-in-law, sis-in-law, my neighbours, my neighbours' maids (most of my neighbours have multiple maids), all thought that I was very brave and probably could not survive. My mom moved in to live with me for 3 months thinking I would crumble. My sis asked my mum if it was even possible. But hey... three years later, nobody can doubt that it is! And, my house is sparkling clean and my kids are well-fed, and my kids still do well in school without tuition, and I still keep my full-time job.

My husband helps! Of course. He mops the floor whenever I cannot. He will make sure the garden is taken care of. When I saw that he had to water the plants till late, I ordered the DIY irrigation system and installed it myself. Heh heh... I turned into a handy woman! Even my mom was suitably impressed. Now, even when I am overseas, the garden gets irrigated everyday on a timer, so it is green. My husband trims once a month or so.

There is so much joy in being self-reliant. The maids did help when the kids were very small, and I had 5 all very close in age. But, it is time I teach my children rather than maids. It is time to take back the household and put things in order. Time to bring up the kids up with my own values. Taking back the household is the best thing I think I have done.

It is difficult, perhaps. But I have forgotten how difficult it was. I can only now appreciate how fun it is to cook, bake, clean, polish, decorate and still be able to hold down a job. And then tell those younger or those starting out that they can. If only I had known it is not so hard, I would not have been held ransom by maids and their agents for so many years, and over about 15 maids? Enough was certainly enough.

So :rahrah: go for it, it is not easy, but certainly worth the while! If it cannot work out, look for a maid or look for part-time help. Heh heh.... you won't be worse off.

Good one! And I really salute you!

I remember sending off my last maid 5+ months ago after having enough of each and every one of them. I have the phobia of not being to handle it. I started reading how mums here cope with work, kids, housework in this thread. And I got inspired by many of you here, esp 2ppaamm.

It is tough in the beginning. After 5+ months, I am coping fine with my mum's help. I too, cannot imagine having maid again. It is tough physically occassionally but I really feel happier emotionally and pyschologically. No stress, no complaint from mum, no scolding, shouting at the maid, no black face to see. I have my space and I do what I like and the way I want it to be done in my own house.

My mum is moving out in 3-4 yrs' time to her own house. It will be another learning curve to cope on my own w/o her help. In the meantime, I am training my kids to do things on their own. I believe we can all do it when the whole family helps and gets involved!

[micollh]

when i told my family member including DH that we should go maidless after my maid decided to go home to her son after a good 3 years here..everyone including DH objected.. they doubt this will work.. as we have 2 young kids.. yougest being 2. but after following this forum.. im rather (actually 70%) think i can do it.. DH is hopeless in housework.. after 4 months now.. he chip in as much as he can..kids happily help light chores like hang clothes. but they still continue to mess up the living room with toys..headache part.. now.. seem like my mum, in laws still think i have a tough life without maid.. they will say things like \"not easy with 2 young kids\" in laws will like feel heartache that their son aka DH need to do housework etc.. but i feel with technology in place .. i dun really have \"tough\" life.. just that i insisted to cook daily for kids's health.. so the washing up etc is a bit of a chores.. but i do it willingly so no complaint.. and yes no need to raise voice at maid anymore.. no need to handle another personal feelings anymore.. just my closest family .. feel so at ease..those who is still deciding.. invest on machines to help u.. dun try to do everything by urself.. as the machines can REALLY help.. and if really no choice.. get part time cleaner..i haven got one.. as i feel i haven reach there.. .. am looking fwd to my anniversary of being maidless.. lalalala

[Xiaodingdang.019763Work]

Hello,

I am new to this forum. May I join this thread? :lovesite: By way of introduction, I have a toddler. We've had a helper for the last 27 months and are planning to do without one from the early part of next year. While this prospect makes me anxious, it also excites me. Seems to me that my helper is just never ever content. She came as a \"new\" helper and had 4 day-off a month right from the start, two additional day-offs on public hols, annual bonus, start of contract allowance, courses, monetary incentive on passing the courses, negotiable time-off to run her errands, advance salary when she requests, ang paos in between, gifts etc, and still has a litany of additional requests, moods, and envying the \"good deals\" that other helpers get. Having a helper also hasn't worked out for me financially because I am limited in the work that I can take on due to the demands of looking after my toddler who is very attached to me. We don't have other family members who can help out, which is why I am anxious about going it alone next year after toddler goes to childcare. :xedfingers:

Husband does not like to do housework when he is back from work. He is finicky about cleanliness though, so he will do housework but after a couple days, he will grumble and grumble. On my part, I don't mind some mess and grime, but fairly can't bear grumbling!! :siam:

I am very very interested in the Scooba as we need to mop the floor everyday. I read that it is a good floor washer, would it be too much of an overkill to use it everyday? I don't vacuum much - only over the rough surfaces. More than half the floor in the house is smooth tiles, the MagicClean works quite well. But mopping is heavy work. And I have a dog.

I was soooo happy to find this discussion and do hope to learn and share ideas and make friends here

Xiaodingdang

[coralie]

Before using the Scooba, u have to vacuum the floor 1st, ie, use the Roomba.


For me, I used my cleaning robot to vacuum twice a week and then do manual mopping on the weekend. Just my personal preference.

[Xiaodingdang.019763Work]

coralie:

Before using the Scooba, u have to vacuum the floor 1st, ie, use the Roomba.


For me, I used my cleaning robot to vacuum twice a week and then do manual mopping on the weekend. Just my personal preference.

Hi Coralie,
Can the Roomba do any kind of wet-wiping of the floor? I have a dog at home, and she tends to make the floor sticky. Hence, I have to MagicClean/ Vacuum/ sweep and mop everyday and that takes a lot of time and energy. I read somewhere that Roomba has an attachment that can mop?

My ideal is to just MagicClean or vacuum daily, and use a steam cleaner once a week to wash the floor. But the stickiness gets quite unbearable. Husband can't bear a day without mopping, I can tolerate three days max.

[coralie]

The Roomba can only sweep and vacuum. It doesn’t have the wet-wiping/moping feature. To mop/wash/scrub the floor, have to use the Scooba.

[Xiaodingdang.019763Work]

Thanks Coralie Guess I will get the Scooba first, and I will be the Roomba until I save up more dough for it. Its quite tough financially, paying for helper and playgroup fees simultaneously. :moneyflies:

[straffan23]

I find so much hope and inspiration from many of you in this forum. Indeed, life is still with a full time maid now, but I am giving myself (and maid) another year to go before deciding whether to renew her contract.


I do have a question - my DD will be going to P1 in 2014. What may be my options for a FTWM like myself - where might be a good place to send her to after school? A neighbor with older kids? An after school centre? This is my primary concern.

[micollh]

straffan23, mine going P1 in 2014 too… now still haven decided the after school arrangment. either the student care within the school or grandparents. most working parents i talk to said student care is the choice.

[2ppaamm]

Xiaodingdang@Work:

coralie:

Before using the Scooba, u have to vacuum the floor 1st, ie, use the Roomba.


For me, I used my cleaning robot to vacuum twice a week and then do manual mopping on the weekend. Just my personal preference.

Hi Coralie,
Can the Roomba do any kind of wet-wiping of the floor? I have a dog at home, and she tends to make the floor sticky. Hence, I have to MagicClean/ Vacuum/ sweep and mop everyday and that takes a lot of time and energy. I read somewhere that Roomba has an attachment that can mop?

My ideal is to just MagicClean or vacuum daily, and use a steam cleaner once a week to wash the floor. But the stickiness gets quite unbearable. Husband can't bear a day without mopping, I can tolerate three days max.

Why is the floor so sticky? :?