All About Life Without Maids

[xenophilia]

1amber:

Dear Xenophilia


My advice is to send your kid to a childcare. Check out the good ones that you can pop in anytime to have a look. I have had a bad experience with one at Pasir Ris but other than that I am sure there are many good ones around.

If mom and MIL cannot commit to taking care then they should not have a say in how DD should be cared for.

Thanks 1amber. I like what you said... If mom and MIL cannot commit to taking care then they should not have a say in how DD should be cared for.

I hate to admit, the maid issues are taking a toll on me. I started having nightmares... LOL

[icemountain]

b2b3m4:

icemountain:

Sounds great! I've been reading up on dishwashers and so far Bosch and Miele come up tops. I don't mind spending $$ on a good one that can last. I hear Miele is really quiet too? Is this the one you have?

http://www.harveynorman.com.sg/home-appliances/kitchen/dishwashers/miele-g-4300sc.html

Yep! Thats the one. There is only 2 other stand alone dishwasher from Miele in SG. Think they were in the range of $2K to $4k.
You can view all 3 models at Harvey Norman at Millenia Walk. Don bother to go down to their Miele boutique in town, they only have the integrated dishwashers.
It is really quiet. Quieter than my washing machine. For the above promotion, it comes tog with miele dishwashing tablets. U will need to buy rinse aid, salt is not necessary for water in SG.
After u purchase, a miele personnel will come to your home to demonstrate and show u how to use the dishwasher. U can get ready some tricky pots and pans and she will show u how to load all of them in. She will bring some Miele products too, so if u want to buy any Miele dishwashing powder or any other stuff, u can get it from the Miele rep.

:thankyou:

[icemountain]

xenophilia:

1amber:

Dear Xenophilia


My advice is to send your kid to a childcare. Check out the good ones that you can pop in anytime to have a look. I have had a bad experience with one at Pasir Ris but other than that I am sure there are many good ones around.

If mom and MIL cannot commit to taking care then they should not have a say in how DD should be cared for.

Thanks 1amber. I like what you said... If mom and MIL cannot commit to taking care then they should not have a say in how DD should be cared for.

I hate to admit, the maid issues are taking a toll on me. I started having nightmares... LOL

Hi, I empathise with your situation. Like you, my maid is also my first. Like you, I treated her well so in turn, she can be happy here and treat my kids well. My maid goes to bed at 9pm, only gets up at 8am AND sometimes naps in the afternoon too. I don't mind so long as she does her chores.

However, it has resulted in a situation where you feel taken advantage of. My maid got a smartphone and from that day on, was practically addicted to it. She's not allowed phone in the day but she just checks and checks and smses all day, from the day she started working for me. I've warned her many times, each time she lays off for a month or two, and then starts again. Things got to a point where instead of keeping an eye on my toddler in the playground, she was glued to her phone and my neighbour had to keep an eye on my kid instead.

There are many situations where I gave chances again and again, where a typical employer would have sent her off already. I counted on the fact that despite everything, she will not mistreat my kids behind my back, and that's the most impt thing to me.

In the end, I've lost faith in her after I found out she's been taking my child out when I'm not home. Not that I think she's up to no good ie. meeting boyfriends, but she takes for granted my kindness to her and thinks she can get away time and time again and defies the very few rules I have.

I thought it over very long and hard too and was angry for a few nights when I found out what she did.

My friends told me if I'm not happy, then send her away. No use thinking so much and fretting at night. I'm also opting for cc for my little one.

[Angelight]

Xenophilia, I totally empathised with your situation. Like you, my mum and MIL did not help with taking care of DD since she was born. Mum’s health not good and MIL got 3 other grandkids to look after. So I took care of DD’s needs since she was a baby as I’m a SAHM, but got a maid to do housework and cook.


But recently, I’m maidless cos my maid finished contract and I decided not to renew. DD is also older now, though I still have to take care of her basic needs, plus housework, cook etc. It’s not easy, I won’t lie to you. But it’s a matter of changing ecpectations.

I have changed from expecting my house to be spick and span to learning to close one eye to dust and dirt accumulating - again - few days after I have cleaned it. It’s frustrating, there’s no end to housework. But I have learned to live with a less clean house. I used to have time to read my fave books and practise piano. I hardly have time now. But I have no regrets of not having a maid. I have more peace of mind - not having to worry about another human being, or whether she will change or influenced by other maids. Anyway, it’s getting more expensive to hire a maid these days, and getting more unaffordable for a single-income family.

So dun worry too much. Maids are not the only source of help. Child care is also a good alternative.

[peapot]

Sorry what I m about to say may make people angry but I can never understand why SAHM needs maid. If I m one I would never want to have a maid. The extra expenses, lack of privacy, see their black face, Hp issues, laptop issues …unless I m staying in a big bungalow then different story, house too big and probably dH is rich enough to not even bat an eyelid on extra expenses. But then big bungalow would mean you would have not just maid but driver, gardener, housekeeper, cook lah ha ha…

[janet88]

peapot:

Sorry what I m about to say may make people angry but I can never understand why SAHM needs maid. If I m one I would never want to have a maid. The extra expenses, lack of privacy, see their black face, Hp issues, laptop issues

SAHMs have maids for certain reasons.
With my #2, I couldn't cope having to coach older one in his school work, housework and cooking. Part time ones leave after 4 hours and with newborn, work doesn't end there.

After 3 maids in 4 years, I had enough of their black faces.

[Imami]

peapot:

Sorry what I m about to say may make people angry but I can never understand why SAHM needs maid. If I m one I would never want to have a maid. The extra expenses, lack of privacy, see their black face, Hp issues, laptop issues ......unless I m staying in a big bungalow then different story, house too big and probably dH is rich enough to not even bat an eyelid on extra expenses. But then big bungalow would mean you would have not just maid but driver, gardener, housekeeper, cook lah ha ha......

Peapot, u only have one girl mah.... Some of these Sahms have multiple kids. Multiple kids scenario and single kid scenario cannot compare.

[ammonite]

Actually there are also people with three and more kids without helpers. It does boil down to expectations - be it of house, of children, of personal time etc. we just find a balance somewhere. No right or wrong. Sometimes it’s also about mother’s age and health versus kids. I have no maids, but I personally won’t mind getting a part timer to come in once a week if I can find a good reliable one.

[autumnbronze]

Hi peapot,


I am a SAHM.

I not angry lah. I post later our reasons k.

[Angelight]

Hi, has any of you ordered the robot cleaners from Autovac or Robotvac? Which has better after sales service? Need some advice as I’m not sure which supplier is better. Thanks!