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    All About Life Without Maids

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Domestic Help
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    • JoyJ Offline
      Joy
      last edited by

      Janet,

      so glad everything like this is over for us right?

      No need to listen to things like, mdm ,my coffee finished, my sugar finished and that is being consumed in less than a month.

      janet_lee88:
      Joy:

      I remembered those days when she wanting to go home, while waiting for new maid to come in, every day she just refused to do work, bang here bang there, and I have to clear all the rubbish at home...I just dislike that feelings...Hired a maid is not foc, and these maid really one of the kind.

      Having said that, if really needs extra pair of hands, cannot cope, as in mentally and physically stress, maybe its ok only to certain extend.That is just one cent of my thought.

      There were a few occasions when my maid refused to move her butt. She didn't say what she wanted. Just sat on the chair and didn't do anything. We had to prepare our own lunch and wash up.
      If we take replacement maids, they are usually problematic ones. But if taking new ones, have to pay for safety course, passport thumb print and health check. These maids aren't cheap and yet they give us so many problems.

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      • janet88J Offline
        janet88
        last edited by

        Joy,

        It seems so calculative when we deduct their money or tell them how much their stuff at supermarket is…but really have to be hard-hearted bcos if the maids don’t pay for them, their biscuits/toiletries/coffee etc are not treasured. I provide toothpaste and soap but my toothpaste lasts longer than theirs :x (1 person using).

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        • P Offline
          pinkycheeks
          last edited by

          For the past 2 months eversince I returned my maid back to the agent (upon her request), my mind was in peace. Of course, my concern is just the housework but I did what I can. I leave the ironing for a part time helper to do (so you can imagine the 'mountain' after 1 week.. hehehe).


          But the most important thing is no stress thinking of these maids. My mind was peaceful. However, hubby told me to give another try coz eldest son is going to P1 next year, 2nd son going to Nursery. Need a maid to fetch them to n from school coz we r both working. I told him we could put them in student/child care, but he said to give another try. 😞 Sometimes, we can go into arguments because of maids. Even my 2 children dislike having maids and I can see how happy they are when there's no maid at home. Now, I am praying that we get a good maid. 🙏

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          • janet88J Offline
            janet88
            last edited by

            pinkycheeks:
            For the past 2 months eversince I returned my maid back to the agent (upon her request), my mind was in peace. Of course, my concern is just the housework but I did what I can.


            But the most important thing is no stress thinking of these maids. My mind was peaceful. However, hubby told me to give another try coz eldest son is going to P1 next year, 2nd son going to Nursery. Need a maid to fetch them to n from school coz we r both working. I told him we could put them in student/child care, but he said to give another try. 😞 Sometimes, we can go into arguments because of maids.
            Hubby & I can have arguments bcos of what the maid doesn't do. Since your kids are young...#2 in Nursery, it's hard for you not to have a maid. When your kids are both in primary school, then you can consider before/after school care.

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            • C Offline
              cyberpie
              last edited by

              I only had a maid once because at that time my mum was ill and I just had a son. Once her 3 yrs was up, it was sayonara.

              For a while it was stressful, sometimes quarrels erupt between hubby and I over housework and supervising the kids.
              It took time for us to adjust … and it has been 10 years that we have been maidless in S’pore.
              Ironically, relationship with hubby has improved as we began to sort out our responsibilities, children adapted to life in child care / student care, and most of all, they learn that housework is a shared task. At times we have to rush from work to pick up the kids, but overall we learn to make some sacrifices.
              But at least I feel that I don’t have to worry over another human being, someone whom I have no control over. Housework is the biggest downer, but hubby and just devote 2-3 hours over the weekend to get it over and done with. I mean at least we get to sweat it out and just sacrifice some hours of mindless shopping anyway, haha. I’ve seen on the Oprah Winfrey show that in a lot of Scandinavian households, that’s how they do it as depending on in-laws or hiring maids is out of question.

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              • janet88J Offline
                janet88
                last edited by

                cyberpie:
                Ironically, relationship with hubby has improved as we began to sort out our responsibilities, children adapted to life in child care / student care, and most of all, they learn that housework is a shared task.

                But at least I feel that I don't have to worry over another human being, someone whom I have no control over
                My relationship with hubby improved after we sent off the maid. Without a maid and the extra expenses, we don't argue or quarrel much. We shared the housework and if need be, we just close one eye.

                When there was a maid, we were unhappy with each other's habits. Like what you mentioned, there isn't another person in the household to stress over.

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                • S Offline
                  smurfette3
                  last edited by

                  janet_lee88:
                  cyberpie:

                  Ironically, relationship with hubby has improved as we began to sort out our responsibilities, children adapted to life in child care / student care, and most of all, they learn that housework is a shared task.

                  But at least I feel that I don't have to worry over another human being, someone whom I have no control over

                  My relationship with hubby improved after we sent off the maid. Without a maid and the extra expenses, we don't argue or quarrel much. We shared the housework and if need be, we just close one eye.

                  When there was a maid, we were unhappy with each other's habits. Like what you mentioned, there isn't another person in the household to stress over.

                  Same here! I used to have a maid cos of my 3 boys, I found it hard to cope. Then the maids I had were all not good. One stole, another kept going out for long periods to buy things from NTUC for me but would come back much later. In the end, I decided no maids for now and hubby and I communicate more as we work on the housework. Quite ironic, maids suppose to help you have more time with family. But in the end, we were getting more stressed by them :shock:

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                  • G Offline
                    gsksp
                    last edited by

                    I have maid for 13 years and every maid give me problem (minor to serious issue) but I need them to look after my children, so I have to close one eye. Recently just sent my maid back home and decided not to employ anymore cos my 3 children are big enough to look after themselves and I also want to train them to be independent too. Honestly, I am very happy with this life-style without a maid (peace of mind). I maybe a bit tired cos I have to rush home to buy dinner n do some house chore but I am willingly to do it.

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                    • janet88J Offline
                      janet88
                      last edited by

                      These hopeless maids don’t and will never know the amount of money we have to spend b4 and after they arrive to work…agent fee, doctor checkup every 6 months, salary, maid levy, accomodation, food and lodging etc etc.

                      If they work well, somehow the expenses are justified. Without a maid, I trained my kids to pack up their toys and tidy up the house. Hubby and I share housework and we communicate more.
                      These hopeless maids complain and compare without using their brains. :x

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                      • C Offline
                        cyberpie
                        last edited by

                        Well, of course we need to get creative in making sure some aspects of housework involves less human labour. 2 things work for me: one is a dryer, which i use when i need to dry uniforms urgently; the other is the roomba, which hubby will set to work on its own when he leaves for work. Then we come home to a clean floor, and viola, there is no maid involved!


                        The only manual labour is still the ironing …

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