Hi all please help shed some lights into my situation and give me ideas. would really appreciate.


recently divorced and moved to a one room flat near to my 13 yo daughter’s school. She is able to take care of her own daily need and i have a part time maid coming to clean the house weekly, dinner is solved by tingkat.

However, i run a small business and all the income comes from overseas work, which used to require travelling once a quarter, but from next year onwards for 1-2 weeks every month. Currently, my relatives will take turn to come stay over and keep my girl company. but i do know this is not a long term solution as it inconvenience them.

I thought of giving up this business that i spent last 7 years building up and it has finally established itself (abeit overseas). Being a not very highly educated single mum, this stable overseas income is very important to us.

Getting a full time maid seems to me now the only viable choice, she will have to sleep in the living room, wakes my girl up for morning school and accompany when she is home from 5 to sleep at 9. She is going to be very free as she wont need to cook and there wont be anyone at home from 7am to 5pm.

Do you guys foresee any problems that i should take note on my pros and cons list and potential solutions?

Would really appreciate some lights in this. Thank you.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/38561/do-i-really-need-a-maidRSS for NodeFri, 01 May 2026 10:18:09 GMTFri, 27 Jul 2012 23:30:49 GMT60I try to avoid employing maid. My reason : one more person to look after & to give instruction & there’ll be an extra person in the house, feels funny (maybe not use to it). Try to get my DH, DSs & even DD to help around & always remember that when new toys are brought out to play, old ones must be properly keep first.


I still wash the dishes, only mid & year end holidays, I instructed my DSs takes turn to help. As for mopping of floor, my DH helps. I only magic clean it. My DH also helps washing the toilets & DSs once in a blue moon come to help but using only plain water without the detergents. Think they’ve fun playing with the water when scrubbing.

Mainly, the laundry & cooking are done by me except when I’m sick. Sometimes once in a while, we dine out.

The workload need to be distribute among the family members else we mothers will be overloaded & can fall sick easily.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/859278https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/859278Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:45:03 GMTYou don’t need a maid since your daughter seems independent. Send your daughter for enrichment classes or day care if you’re worried that she’s not utilising her time properly. Are your relatives willing to put her up after school? Perhaps she could go to their house and do her homework / study and then make her way home in the evening. This way, she will feel that she is in good hands, has company and a conducive environment to study.


Maids are a lot more hassle. You will need time to train her, and waste energy re-teaching her and lecturing her if she doesn’t learn or refuses to learn. These days, maids don’t come equipped with the required skills. Don’t succumb to maids if you can help it.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/840645https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/840645Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:26:03 GMTI too will agree to say that no need to have a maid but it is good to have a female adult relative / neighbour that u trust to keep an eye on yr daughter!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/826395https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/826395Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:55:02 GMTAgree with PhoBia on "hiao" maid. I have seen a guard leaving my neighbour’s house at mid-day when they are out at work. Hard to find sensible and responsible maids nowadays. In worst case, they influence your girl with their values and attitudes.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/826292https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/826292Sun, 19 Aug 2012 09:07:48 GMTseem like the chances of getting a bad maid is pretty high

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/825505https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/825505Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:47:10 GMTYou don't need a maid! You'll end up worrying more than previously.

As no more supervise them and your daughter is young, it's really dangerous.

What if you are unlucky and get a 'hiao' maid.....brings men home, then the men starts to prey on your daughter instead.....Terrible consequence. :slapshead:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/825258https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/825258Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:45:30 GMTMaid is for doing housework & taking care of young children & old folk. Your child is an independent 13 years old girl. Your place is small & it is easy to maintain. You can consider move near to your relatives’ place. Let your girl take bus to school or transfer to a nearby school. She can stay at the relatives’ place when you are not in town. It is not cheap to hire a maid & you need to be around to supervise the maid. You really don’t need one.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/824444https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/824444Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:04:36 GMTI agree… no need a maid.


The maid may potentially give you problems especially when they know you will not at home for now and then

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/811490https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/811490Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:33:21 GMTIt is a crazy idea to have a maid nowadays especially with the new ruling and maid attitude. Just sent my maid back after 16 years of having one with all the different nonsence each. If you have other option, go for it.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/811479https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/811479Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:35:13 GMTDon’t go looking for trouble.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/810444https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/810444Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:03:00 GMTAnd u never know if your maid will bring her "friends" up to your house and of course endangering your daughter at the same time

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/808739https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/808739Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:29:12 GMTI agree with slmkhoo. You don’t need a maid, and having flexi living arrangement for your daughter may work better for everyone. A maid is often regarded as a solve-all solution… but this if often not the case in reality. You might end up spending the money and attracting more problems. An aunt used to say, after she has a maid at home, she had an extra ‘daughter’ to worry about!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/808635https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/808635Mon, 30 Jul 2012 05:33:39 GMTThanks you echo exactly my heart. That’s what my relative did. But now they think there should be more permanent solution. They juz offered another choice. That my girl go stay with them ‘permenantly’. Either way I am juz so saddened and so is my girl. She is already in sec 1 and she argued she can be home alone which is potentially not a safe option either.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807477https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807477Sat, 28 Jul 2012 07:13:38 GMTI feel you do not need a maid. If you look at the maid threads, most are having problems with one. I need one as I have 3 young kids, if I have a choice I would go without one. If maid is going to be free and there is no one to monitor, you really do not need one. Better option may be a good after school care, and with your relatives coming in to help out on the days you are not in town. You do not want to be caught in a situation that you need to worry about your child AND the maid. Watch for your child though, 13 yo can be a change of phase in their lives, esp moving onto Sec 1.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807466https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807466Sat, 28 Jul 2012 06:44:14 GMTOh there’s a restriction on that?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807404https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807404Sat, 28 Jul 2012 04:23:10 GMTLiving in a 1-rm flat, I doubt you will be eligible to hire a FDW.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807369https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/807369Sat, 28 Jul 2012 03:15:23 GMT