All About Full-Time Maids

[Anna Ng]

Yesterday I sent my maid to the agency for counseling session. After that I saw her keep crying in the kitchen and she also said sorry to me. How can I handle her now? Can somebody advise? Pretend nothing happen or ?

[bzmum22]

Anna Ng:

Yesterday I sent my maid to the agency for counseling session. After that I saw her keep crying in the kitchen and she also said sorry to me. How can I handle her now? Can somebody advise? Pretend nothing happen or ?

What's the counselling session abt?

[hquek]

Anna Ng:

Yesterday I sent my maid to the agency for counseling session. After that I saw her keep crying in the kitchen and she also said sorry to me. How can I handle her now? Can somebody advise? Pretend nothing happen or ?

I usually tell my maids (in a gentle but firm tone) 'sorry no cure, cry no use, next time do better can already'. And if she persists in drowning in her tears, i will call the agency and tell them to talk to her. It's easier for someone to talk to her in her own language.

I'm fairly hard hearted, will be half wondering if she is putting on a show. But yes, there is a risk she may be the next to jump, hang or do whatever crazy things.

[hquek]

And oh, I will also then remind her why she is here in SG. not to get scolding, but to do work, do it well, ma’am happy, you will also be happy. 2 years later, wallet full full, go home and stay happy.

[Chu Liu Xiang]

Anna Ng:

Yesterday I sent my maid to the agency for counseling session. After that I saw her keep crying in the kitchen and she also said sorry to me. How can I handle her now? Can somebody advise? Pretend nothing happen or ?

Hi Anna

I see you're pretty active here. Can ask how many maids have you changed since the first maid?

[Anna Ng]

Dear bzmum22:

I’ve feedback to my agent about my maid, the agent suggested to send her back and talk to her. Just received an email fr agent and she said my maid got homesick especially she needs to take care of my little boy who is same age with her son. She got 3 children.

Dear hquek:
Yes, i got to remind her the purpose she is coming here. Thanks for your advices.

Dear Liu Xiang:
3 maids in a year. The first one super good worked abt 11 mths and claimed that home sick , i let her went for home leave and never return. 2nd worked for a week and said don like children (i got 3 children) and requested to transfer. Now is the 3rd one who have been with me for 1 month.

[hquek]

hi anna ng,


homesick boh pian. Different pp have different ways. I used to think that by letting her call home, it would be better. but then this current maid tell me she dun want to call home. Probably that better also becos if she don’t see, she won’t feel. In fact she also tell me she don’t want home leave becos once she reach home, it’s hard for her to want to come back to work.

Feel sad for her (and them in general). but what to do? this is like one of the better ways to earn money in many multiples of what they can ever do in their homeland at this time.

[Anna Ng]

true lor, that’s why i always tell my 1st maid, she got to suffer for 2 years, earn money, settle down the basic living first but too bad she still not able to overcome this problem. She even tell me "money is not important, staying with family is more important". As a mother of 3, i got to let her goes. But for my current maid, she really poor and "bon pian", die die must work but don know whether can "tahan" after clearing her loan

[hquek]

Then you got to keep feeding her dreams…tahan these 2 years and she can go back with loads of goodies for her kids - education, housing etc will not be a problem. If she only clear the loan, then she’s back where she started…and she lost that few months with them. She must stay strong for her kids becos if she don’t do that for them, no one will.

[hquek]

I do prefer those that are really poor and have to work. My current one is from a farming family and she is the eldest of the brood. Feel she’s committed to working. The previous one - family a bit weird. Father farmer but her sis seems to be quite well off, and her bf (then) also seem to be from alright family working as driver. She only stayed a year and went back - supposedly her sister bought a keropok machine and wanted her to go back to run that business…but last I heard she’s back in Jakarta - I suspect working for her sis again.


Sigh…thought she went back to be boss. Oh well.

Anyway, her best friend from downstairs. She left her employer becos she grew tired of them after many years and went back to start food business. My ex-maid told me she was doing very well. But after my ex-maid left, suddenly her best friend came back to work for employer. Not many months later, this maid disappeared. Her employer told my family that this maid was stealing from them…not just once but few times already. She tested her finally by putting few hundred bucks in her wallet. 1st day okay. 2nd day okay. 3rd day money disappeared…in full! Maid was sent back without delay. I just found it sad that employer didn’t bother to pursue police case becos then this maid may likely come back to try her tricks again.