Maid or no maid

[mummynbb]

Hi, would like to get some advise from mummies who have experience looking after a newborn and a 3yo. I’m going to deliver soon and contemplating whether to hire a maid to help look after my baby and do general household cleaning when i’m working.


I run my own small business from home but i do need to meet clients and attend meetings on a regular basis. My hubby travels about 20% of the time and doesnt help with chores.

Has any mummy been in this situation? Is it possible to cope without a maid, for example getting a relative to come over and help look after baby for 1-2hrs when i need to attend meetings?

Heard many horror stories about bad maids so quite worried if i have to leave my baby to the maid even for that 1-2hrs each day.

[sundaymorning]

Hi,

Well, i think its better to have someone to help you with your chores especially and ease the workload. to me , its quite tiring to take care of both together .

i would suggest you to look for a maid and specify to the maid agency, you need one to take care of a baby . With that it lowers the risk as they will find more of maids that are fine with taking care of children.
Have surveillance camera that enables you to watch over your baby while you are out . This will be safer

[pinkybear]

It will be very tough for you. For me, my maid takes care of my baby while I work.


Agree with sundaymorning to ask your maid agency, you need a maid who can take care of a baby and to install a surveillance camera.

[janet88]

My #2 arrived when my boy was about 4…extremely jealous of younger sibling as he used to be KING…it’s hard to explain to him that he is a gor gor and try to love 妹妹. He’s too young to understand. Furthermore, a newborn requires more attention too…very difficult for you to split yourself into 2…your older one will become more attention-seeking.


With 2 kids, there is naturally MORE housework + you have to work at home. I suggest you try to arrange for a relative to pop over to supervise maid when you have to go out.

[ammonite]

mummynbb:

Hi, would like to get some advise from mummies who have experience looking after a newborn and a 3yo. I'm going to deliver soon and contemplating whether to hire a maid to help look after my baby and do general household cleaning when i'm working.


I run my own small business from home but i do need to meet clients and attend meetings on a regular basis. My hubby travels about 20% of the time and doesnt help with chores.

Has any mummy been in this situation? Is it possible to cope without a maid, for example getting a relative to come over and help look after baby for 1-2hrs when i need to attend meetings?

Heard many horror stories about bad maids so quite worried if i have to leave my baby to the maid even for that 1-2hrs each day.

Hi I was in your shoes. I had a regular part timer coming in once a week to clean and iron, and she could also babysit. But I asked a relative to do it instead when I die die must go. My business took a backseat during the first two years, but by then I had regular clients and didn't need to go for meetings much.

If you don't want a maid, I suggest you look for a regular part time cleaner and a regular part time nanny. This way you have a regular time slot for meetings and clearing paperwork. If your husband travels and does not help out much, try to arrange for two part time slots for each of them. You decide which configuration will work best for you.

I am not sure where you stay, but there is a Playdays Playschool that I saw recently at sunset way. They have drop off and accompanied programme for young kids. I saw many expats there, and I think such a place would have been useful to me back then for emergency situations.

[ammonite]

Oh and food is very important. Please make sure you have lots of easy to cook food at home. Do online grocery shopping if you have to. I did not find two children hard to handle, and i had lovely neighbours who opened their doors to my 3 yr old all day, inclusive of lunch, haha. He spent a lot of time playing with other children and house hopping, and my hubby took him for outings over weekends. Right after I returned from hospital, I took him to the playground and i still took him out everyday with baby in a carrier. He only felt the change when the younger one started crawling about.


But it was hard to have paperwork and meetings in the mix.

[Glacier]

I think its very difficult for me to do without maid, my skin is sensitive and my hands will be dry and swollen easily with all the washing and cooking will heat my sensitve face. I rather work in office than do household chores.

[longmao.029846irene]

Hi i was in ur shoes, n maidless. I am also holding a PT teaching job as well.

I dun feel comfortable wif maid esp if i need to repeat myself many times a simple job eg: washing etc. wat i did was I send my 3YO to a reputable daycare wh i can hv d confident tat their curriclum is gd enuf to see him thru K2 ( dun like chgs).By sending him to daycare, i am free fr preparing meals @ d same time his time is well spend in learning, interacting wif frenz in class. My oni need was to prep simple dinner bt in ur case u can also opt for tingkat n Certain daycare do provide dinner as well. Bt for me i prefer to fetch DS hm early ard 5pm to spend sm playtime wif him aka bonding. Wif tis arrangement i nap wen d bb nap. Part time cleaner can b arrange to pop by to do cleaning bt for me 1 morning can finished all necessary chores. During times i need to teach, will send BB to mum’s place. I guess is all abt ur expectation. Personally for d type of $$ spend on a maid, if not of GOOD help, i rather invest in my kids education.
Wish u d best. Cheers

[ammonite]

Glacier:

I think its very difficult for me to do without maid, my skin is sensitive and my hands will be dry and swollen easily with all the washing and cooking will heat my sensitve face.

No wonder your nick is Glacier! no offence, just couldn't resist being cheeky.

[peapot]

ammonite:

Glacier:

I think its very difficult for me to do without maid, my skin is sensitive and my hands will be dry and swollen easily with all the washing and cooking will heat my sensitve face.

No wonder your nick is Glacier! no offence, just couldn't resist being cheeky.

I once had a maid with skin condition like yours. I bought her gloves and medicine all the time. With her condition like that she can't take care of babies because she will have medicine on her hands and she wouldn't be able to touch the baby. So employers do make sure u check their hands and ask maids during interview especially when u are getting one to care for your baby. My gal was already in primary school so I could still accept this maid.