Advise on Baby & Maid Exps

babycutie,
You can ask your agent to explain to her over the phone first and make sure she understands and agrees to everything. Then when she arrives ask her to read again and sign it.
KC is right that after she is employed she might not follow, but since you have the paper with her signature it will be a lot easier for you to talk to her. Just take out the paper and show her.

Since your current maid ask to go herself then it should be OK.
 


Tamarind,
Thanks for your swift reponse. This is actually the 2nd agency i went.. the first agency also same thing leh...i have to pay the levy until the maid is transferred because they mentioned that I am still the rightful owner employing the maid so have to pay the levy. But the 1st was fast, within 7 days, she got transferred as the agency is a big agency. For this one it is a small agency and thats why coming to 30days still stuck with them. But i will go back n read the contract again. But i am really very lousy in those pages of contract. This same agency has replaced with another maid and offset and transfered whatever the 1st maid outstanding to the 2nd. But in the end, i still have to pay some loan $ for the 2nd maid. I feel like buying an air ticket and send the 1st maid back but dont know it will affect the 2nd maid contract.
Wow, u changed 5 maids within how long? You have experienced with 3 agency, none of them have imposed the loan thing or levy fee?
 
KC,
I changed 5 maids in one year ! The first maid agency used post-dated cheques, so I got back my loan. I had to pay levy until the maid is transferred, but it is only a few days. I can't remember what is written on the contract, because they have 10 pages of it !

The second one is owned by my hubby's auntie and there is no contract ! This is the worst mistake I made. I absolutely cannot stand the maid, and sent her home myself. I lost $500 of the loan because my hubby find it pai seh to ask it from his aunt.

With the third agency I have to pay $2000 upfront. I can also use post-dated cheques but I will need to pay a higher agency fee. This time I read the contract very carefully, nothing was written about the levy.

If your contract does not say that you need to pay 30 day levy, then you can actually keep the maid (before the new maid comes) with you until the agency find another family for her. This way you don't have to pay anything extra. But in your case you cannot tahan the maid anymore, so you have no choice lor.
 
Tamarind,
Thanks for the website...quite informative for new employer.
This is a run away maid...so i dont dare to keep her in my house anymore as i have young children. I have sent her back to the agent and now paying her F&L at $10 per day. max is 30days. As for the levy, i have to pay until she is transferred out! But so far her agency still cant find her another new employer as two weeks ago she scalded her hands with oil...(nobody wants). In this case, i have no choice but to wait for her transfer and pay the levy. Lucky the levy is at max 30 days and it another 8 more days from that.

By the way, you must have a lot experience in changing maids now? What are your priority and seting for your maid?
 
KC,
Those are painful experiences I wish I don't have. I also learnt a lot from my neighbour, her current maid is her 6th one now.

My main priority for the maid is to be kind to the children, and be able to take care of their daily needs like feeding and bathing. She must be able to cook for herself too, because I cannot cook and I am not going to buy cooked food for her. She must be able to keep the floor clean. These are not very demanding, right ? But all my first 4 maids cannot even achieve this !
 
Zinaw,
I find that buying cooked food is expensive. It will cost a lot less if she cooks for herself, and more nutritious too.
 
Tamarind,
I think all the maids are the same. Dont know our expectation so high or something wrong with them. My current one is Filipino and transfer maid. SHe cannot cook(we still take her), now learning from my hb. My son dont want her..sianz, everytime i have to tell her, her 1st priority is to take care of my kids esp. in the morning, household chores can do when my boy goes school or nap in the afternoon...but she everytime like to clean clean clean. My mum has to bathe, feed and take care of my 3yr boy. ALso have to take care of my 6mth gal on everything(feeding milk, bathe etc). Dont know how my mum cope when i work. She also likes to eat a lot and tackle at the same thing she likes. We give her eat biscuits, got oreo and those square cream biscuit. SHe keep attacking on the oreo and finished up within a week. GOt 2 teabreaks for herself - one morning and one noon! She just come for 2 weeks and like very greedy. She use the maynonise, strawberry jam but didnt touch on kaya jam. Everytime we have fruits after dinner, she defintely have one portion too (somemore we cut). But she still can ask my mum to give her try the 'balu ku'on the table.
There is nothing we can do now...just be patient and let her try on....if not i dont want maid anymore...stress!
 
I too have my fair share of maids. Actually I am going to pick up my 3rd maid tonight.

i have 2 maids in a period of 3 mths and the frustrations is so great that I decided to stop having maids (I am a SAHM) but after 3mths, very tired looking after 2 toddlers and keeping the house clean. I saw a ad in the paper that an employer is looking to transfer her maid and I took up the offer. I did save on the agency fee but if she is not good, I will have no replacement. The only good thing is the employer did tell me her good and bad points so that I can look out for. So wish me luck on this!
 
KC,
U pampered your maid too much liao. She is only 2 weeks with you and already so daring. What is your purpose of getting a maid? To help to look after your 2 kids right? But ended up who is doing? Your mum right? So who is the maid after all??

I think you really have to sit down and consider. No point wasting your $$ to engage a "useless" maid who eat and sleep and don't work much.

Get the maid to cut the fruits for you. If you want, you can filter out her portion for her.
Don't let her serve herself.

If possible, set a time table for her to follow so she won't clean, clean and clean all the time. If after all these, she still can't perform. Then you maid is considered incompetent. Better change another one. If you can go without one, then don't. Maybe u can consider part time maid to do cleanup since your mum is taking care of your 2 kids.
 
KC,
My 1st maid is like yours. Even though I tell her to concentrate on the baby, clean the floor 3 times a week, she still insisted on cleaning the floor everyday. She is forever cleaning and wiping everywhere nonstop, like psycho like that. My 4th maid finished one whole can of Milo (the biggest tin you can find) in one week ! I stopped buying any milo for her. A maid should only eat what you give to her, she should not eat anything without permission.

There are good maids out there. There is a maid in my neighbourhood who single-handedly took care of a new born and a 4 year old boy, and do all the housework. The parents are working and always not at home. But it is difficult to find one, my neighbour has 6 maids, only one of them completed the 2 year contract, that maid is able to take care of her 3 children and do all the housework.

For a good maid, you also have to treat her reasonably well, if she does not like to work for you, she will ask for a transfer.

I think some maids may not be too good at first, but if you are patient enough, teach her and be nice to her, she may turn out to be a very good maid. But I am someone with no patience, so must depend on other families to train for me
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babycutie,
I totally agree with what you wrote.

mummy69,
Wish you good luck on your 3rd maid !
 
tamarind,

Can u share with me the duties of your maid?


For mine, its listed below:-

Everyday tasks:-
1) Bath baby twice daily (morning 8.30am and afternoon 2.30pm). And clean and wipe baby in the evening (8.00pm) before my girl sleeps.

2) Boil water and sterilise all baby bottles at 6am everyday.

3) Wipe all table top and TV console top every morning.

4) Sweep and mop the floor. (My girl crawls on the floor so have to keep the floor clean).

5) Cook meals for 2 adults for lunch and 3 adults for dinner.

6) Mop the kitchen after every cooking.

7) Feed my baby.

8) Empty my girl bowel at least once everyday. (Have to carry her over the potty to do so cos my girl don't want to sit on it).

9) Attend to my girl when needed.

10) Handwash baby clothes everyday.


Once a week task:-

1) Clean and wash 2 toilets (common toilet on Thursday and Master bedroom on Sunday)

2) Wipe all window grilles (Monday)

3) Wipe all ceiling fans (total 4) on Tuesday

4) Iron all working clothes (Saturday or as and when she is free)

5) Do marketing for 1 weeks consumption.


Two or three times a weeks task:-

1) Machine wash all adult clothes. Normally I will throw all our (hubby and me) soiled laundry in a basket outside our room for the maid to wash. The maid can mix her clothes with my mum for washing in the washing machine. Washing of our clothes and their clothes are done on separate days due to constraint space for hang dry.

2) Fold all clothes after dry.


Basically above are almost all the jobscope of my maid. Do you consider them tedious? My mum will be around to help to look after my girl if the maid is busy.

My maid don't have access to my bedroom. We will lock it when we (hubby and me) are not at home. The maid will only sweep and mop our room when we come back in the evening. Sometimes if its too late, then we will tell her don't need to clean on that day.

There will be another baby coming along next February. Do you consider above task tedious with taking care of a newborn and a young toddler? Night attention will be needed.

Please share with me your duties you have for your current maid.
 
My maid is here for 3 days now. She has been in Singapore for 8 mths, so she can do some things without much coaching. So far so good but I know it will take at least 3 weeks to tell.....
 
Mummy69,
All the best to you.

Give yourself more time to monitor her performance. Usually first few days they are very "hardworking". After few weeks, they will become more lazy liao. But so long they do what they should be doing and after cleaning/washing, the things they have washed are clean then it should be ok lah. Don't need to be so hardcore on everything.

They are humans after all.
 
babycutie,
I have a timetable for my maid.
6:00am Wake up feed milk to my girl (she can drink herself), and my baby boy. Wash and sterilize milk bottles. Hand wash baby clothes and hang to dry. Hand wash her own clothes, and any kitchen floor towels and hang to dry. She cannot use the washing machine to wash her clothes. Cook oatmeal for my mother for her breakfast. Wipe table tops.

8:00am Eat breakfast. Start to prepare porridge for the children.

9:00am Bathe my boy

10:00am Feed porridge to the children. My mother will feed my girl, my maid will feed my boy.

12:00noon Bathe my girl. Cook for herself only and eat lunch. My mother prefers to cook on her own. Then play with the children.

2:30pm - 6:00pm The children will sleep. My maid will fold baby clothes, mob the floor, and prepare for dinner for me. Bathe herself.

6:00pm Feed the children porridge. Cook dinner for me.

8:00pm - 9:00pm Wash all dishes, clean the kitchen and wipe the kitchen floor, must kneel down and use hand to wipe 2 times.

9:00pm - 10:30pm Play with the children. Bathe my girl. Clean and wipe my boy.

10:30pm Feed the children. My maid sleeps with my son in one room, my mother sleeps with my girl in another room.

Once a week:
1. Wash toilets
2. Do marketing
3. Change and wash mattress and pillow covers

I ask her to wipe the windows and shelves only when she has time. Now with 2 babies she has not wipe for a few months already. No choice have to keep one eye close.

I wash me and my hubby's clothes myself, because I prefer to wash dark coloured and light coloured clothes separately, most clothes will put inside the dryer but some need to hang. I am scared that she ruin my clothes so better do it myself. I also iron and fold me and my hubby's clothes.

I find that it is better to specify the amount of time for the maid to finish her task. My 3rd and 4th maid love to take their time to wash and clean after meals, end up my mother has to take care of the children for a long time. I also printed the timetable in both English and Mandarin(for my mother), and have it pasted in a prominent place. This is because my mother complain that my previous maids always said that I ask them to do something (which I didn't) so they cannot take care of the baby. With the timetable my mother knows what they are supposed to do at what time.

My current maid can handle the above timetable reasonably well. My mother will help when she needs to cook or eat. I told my maid that when the children are awake, she must play with them, because my mother's legs are no good, cannot crawl or run after them. Any cleaning of the house must be done only after they are asleep.

My maid sleeps with my boy, he sleeps well through the night since he was 3 months old. I told my maid if my boy wakes up at night, then she can take a short nap in the afternoon after the children sleep, but she never does.

Personally I think your timetable looks OK for an experienced maid except for the cooking for lunch and dinner. If your maid is slow then she may take a long time to cook, end up your mother will have to take care of your children.
 
Tamarind & babycutie,

Thanks for posting yr timetable. Can see it really focus more on taking care of your kids...this is what i want. I have given my maid a schedule on the priority but not like the with timing. i will try to follow one for my current maid now.
 
Tamarind,

Thank you for sharing your time-table. I can now re-draft a time-table for my new maid.

I have found a replacement from the same agency who worked in Singapore in 1997 to 1998. She took care of 1 newborn till 2 years old. I really hope this will be my last search.

Does your current maid have handphone? Do you allow your maid to carry handphone? I really discourage my maid to have a handphone. I have told the agency about this and request that no handphone allowed.

If everything is ok, she will work with us from 24 Sept onwards.
 
Tamarind,

Sorry. Just to ask. You ask your maid to cook her own lunch. So normally what does she cook for herself? Or what did u give her to cook for herself?
 
babycutie,
I don't allow my maid to carry handphone. That day I was at Ikea, this maid is supposed to watch over 2 young children. Guess what ? She found herself a comfortable spot to sit, then just start smsing on her handphone, and took no notice of the children. I cannot understand why her employer allow her to do that.

I hope your new maid will meet your expectations !

What about your current maid ? Is she going back to Indonesia or looking for a new employer ?
 
babycutie,
I let my maid buy anything she wants to eat, she usually buys chicken, fish and vegetable, total about $15 a week. She will cook some meat, enough for a few days at one go. Then everyday she will take out a small portion, heat up in the microwave to eat with some boiled vegetables and rice. Really saves a lot of time this way.

Before my boy is born, there was a period when she does not eat any dinner ! She said that the work at my house is so easy, she is getting very fat, so she must slim down.

My 3rd maid (filipino) ate maggie noodles everyday. In the end she complained that we put things in her food, and made her sick and weak ! She even threatened to go to the embassy ! My 4th maid (Indonesian) ate only one egg and rice every meal, because she was too lazy to cook for herself, if she continued like this I think she will die very soon.

How about your maid ? What does she eat ?
 
tamarind,
I will hand my current maid back to the agency because she still has loan repayment with them. I will have to pay all her loan repayment if I send her back. She is less than 2 months with us.

I will sit down with my mum to discuss together the new maid time-table.
 
tamarind,

All my maids (total 3 plus current one) ate what we are eating. We only allow them to eat after we had our meals.

The maid do all the cookings. Only simple lunch is need on weekdays because only my mum and the maid will be eating. Sometimes my mum ask the maid to "ta pao". Dinner, she has to cook for us (total 4 pax include the maid). Because my hubby likes to drink soup, so everyday the maid has to start cooking the soup at 2.30pm and slow boil till dinner time.
 
Tamarind,
Wow,yr 3rd and 4th maid...so super...ate maggie noodels everyday and the other 1 egg + rice...how to tahan?

My current one...eat what we eat but after our meal. Unless we come back late by 8pm, my mum will distribute one portion for her to eat first. Normally those good fish, we will eat by ourself and ask her to fry those cheaper fish for herself. At least 1 meal (dinner) got 1 veg(with pork), 1 fish, soup, sometime with meat or extra dish.

Morning, she normally eat bread (Gardenia brand h0r) sometime i buy kueh or cake, i will give her 1 too. But if no extra kueh or cake, she will definitely go eat biscuit/coffee/tea. both morning and noon. Is she eating too much?

I was thinking we should set up our own MSN to talk our maid issue. I told my friends i can write a book on my maid issue rite. But now tamarind shld have more experience than me.
 
babycutie,
Since u are handing yr maid over to the agent, i believe u have to pay for F&L ($10 per day) Rite? How about their levy fee? My agent took over my previous maid but i have to pay the levy until she is transferred (max 30 days)... if by 30days still cannot transferred, the agent will take over. But hor, after 30 days still have to be my name too, if she is not transferred. How about yr case?
 
babycutie,KC,
My mother likes to eat food without salt and oil, because she is super health conscious. That's why the maid cannot eat the same food as her.

KC,
Sigh...I am forced into this situation. It is not that I am fussy, everyone of them really give me problems ! To make long story short:

1st maid (filipino) : clean and clean everywhere like psycho, always cry and cry for no reason (I never scold her)

2nd maid (filipino) : she sweat so much, it is like raindrops coming out of her body, how to take care of new born like this ?

3rd maid (filipino) : refused to squat, when baby vomit on the floor, she will throw a towel on the floor and use her leg to kick, like this how to be clean ? She likes to rock the baby very hard to get her to sleep, even when we repeatedly ask her not to do so.

4th maid (Indonesian) : very slow, very difficult to teach because she has very unsteady hands. I can't even teach her to wipe the baby bottom properly. I am still prepared to keep her because I am sick of changing maids. After 2 months, she told me that my girl is so beautiful, she feels very sad because she aborted a baby before ! She asked to leave.

I myself cannot believe that I am so unlucky to have to change so many maids. My current maid number 5 is not perfect, she is a bit absent minded, and her speed is not very fast. But she seems to adore the children and take good care of them and this is good enough for me.
 
KC,
You mean your maid eats breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, altogether 5 meals ? That is a lot, most maids only has 3 meals. If she gets fat she may become more lazy. It is not necessary to provide morning and afternoon tea for her.
 
KC,
My agent never told me about the F&L thing leh. I ask them about the levy and they said we have to pay maximum 3 weeks if she still can't find new employer. After 3 weeks, the agent will take over.
 
tamarind,
Wow! U r as unlucky as me.....

My 1st maid (Indo) - Ex-Malaysia. Very efficient. Can take care of newborn very well. Too bad she steals pampers, gauze for washing baby mouth, unused floormat and some $$ (I believe) and my CD (claim given by her friend). So we send her back to agent.

2nd maid - New maid. Never work elsewhere except Indonesia. Very slow in the beginning. Can't really take care of newborn but my mum train her until she is competent. She can take care of my girl and do housework when my mum was hospitalise for about 1 month and rest at nursing home for another month. I asked my FIL to come over to jaga but he din help much cos he dunno how to babysit. He only play my girl. On her 10th month with us, she approach me one day telling me she worked here 10 months liao, she misses home, want to go home. Its her 3rd time requesting to go. 1st 2 times request for transfer but I refused and told her I will send her back straight home. I think because she knew she still have loan to serve so bo bian still stay with us. When she knows she has finish serving her loan, she ask to go home. So home I sent her.

3rd and current maid: Ex-Sin for 7 years. Not suitable to take care of toddlers. Too pamper by her ex employer. When I gave her time-table, she was surprise that she has to follow time-table because her ex-emp don't give her. Her ex-emp even let her pray everyday and PUASA during Ramadan. She can't fold our clothes decently. Iron clothes also not straight. Washing toilet, before she wash, my hubby told her how she should wash and where to scrub. After washing, in between tiles still dirty and my hubby use hand to rub and the stain comes out. She not happy. She told my mum that everyone in the house scold her and she don't like to be told. Actually we did not scold her, we just tell her how to do it so that it will be clean. As my mum is the one facing her everyday, she told me that this maid can't make it. So we decided to change. I don't think she can take care of my girl alone if my mum is not around.
 
tamarind,
my current maid eat breakfast at 5:40am and thats why we told her if later hungry, can go eat some biscuit. She is new maid, thats why very curious in food too...anyway i bought those cheap cheap biscuit after 'her attack on my oreo".

Babycutie, i have to pay $10 f&L for my previous maid leh...by the way,what happen to yr maid? How come within 2 months u transferring her?
 
Babycutie & Tamarind,
My 1st maid (Indo, ex-HK), very competent in house cleaning but cant take care of my 2 kids...at first always hide in the kitchen, dont come out and take care of kids. Have to ask her, tell her for almost 2 months. LIke to talk back to us, pin point my mum when something wrong, my son dont like her too.

2nd maid (Indo-ex Malaysia): Can take care of my new born. But dont listen to us, tell her 3/4 times, keep repeating the same mistake or like to do what she like. Imagine she can dont shrink off the water when handwashing my bb clothing. Let the water drip n drip the whole kitchen floor. We told her few times cannot like that have to squeeze dry but she like no huey. At night can clean up the kitchen for 2-3hrs.
Scarli last month run away.

3rd one (current new Filippina): still very fresh...teaching her, have to be patient..hope this one works well or else i am not employing maid anymore. NIGHTMARE!
 
KC,

We find that she is incompetent in taking care of my baby girl. We suppose to hire her to take care of my girl. But ended up my mum feed my girl (lunch and dinner) and empty my girl bowel. There was once when she put my girl to sleep at 4.45pm, she also sleep till 5.45pm. Usually she suppose to cook dinner at this hour. Ended up my mum so fed up and cook our dinner. When the maid woke up later and ask my mum whether need to cook dinner, my mum answer her cook already. Cannot afford to wait for her. I reprimanded her when I come home after work knowing this from my mum.

I don't think I am wrong to tell her off. She should be doing what she should be doing at that time and not sleeping right?
 
babycutie,
Why your first maid steal pampers and gauze ? Very strange, what she need it for ?
Of course you are not wrong to tell your maid off. She is in your house, so she must follow your rules. This is call job requirement.

KC,
Your maid especially the second one is a nightmare ! Where did she run to ? How long was she on the run ?
 
tamarind,
I also dunno why. When I ask her, she tells me so that my baby will listen to her and it will be easy for her to take care. Sounds like black magic. So scary. My mum happen to find out that everytime when she carry my girl in the room, she will open her drawer and apply something on her eyebrow. Dunno what she is up to. She also almost "ransack" our house opening all the cabinets and storeroom and shoe cabinet to check every content. Then can tell my mum that our storeroom have a lot of things and still can put a lot of things. Think she is up to no good. EXCEPT our bedroom she has got no chance because she has no access when we are not around.
 
Tamarind,
Its really a nightmare for me! She scott off her w/permit n passport (inside my brief case) + my MRT card and go around. Even go for job interview at another employment agency. See experienced maid....too smart! Later in the evening, she guai guai went back to the agency and the agent 'escort her back to my house". I dare not want her anymore and get her transferred since there are loan outstanding. But worst is she run away, i still have to pay her 30days F&L and levy fee.This is really unfair to employer. As the contract stated that if employer wants a transfer of the maid, she got to pay her F&L and levy fee until she got a transfer (Max 30days).
Thats why i swear to myself i will never those 1/2 man agency anymore.

by the way, Tamarind and babycutie, any recommendation of good agency from your side since both of you have changed maids before?
 
KC,
So far I only use 2 agencies only. I find so so. It depends on our luck to get good maids.

You can visit this web www.maidlibrary.com.sg for more info.

I ever called Hyperlink to search for maids. They have more choice of Filipinos and most of them can call employer to check. But I find their pay too steep so I did not choose their maids. Furthermore I can only get Indo because my mum can't speak English and they have limited choice of Indo maids. Because the agency is at Orchard area so most of their maids work with employer staying at private estates.
 
babycutie,
OIC. That maid is really scary.

KC,
You are very right about those small agency. I made a terrible mistake going to a one woman agency ! My 1st one is Nation, got 2 maids from them but both are incompetent. My 3rd one is Brooktree, got one bad maid and my current maid from them. Both did not give me any problem when I return maids to them.
 
Tamarind,
Your 3rd agency from Brooktree!! my previous maid, 2nd maid is from there!!! Now my current replacement maid is from there too.
U mentioned u did not pay any F&L for the return maid rite? For both as well? How about the levy fee? This Peter asked me for 30days F&L cum i have to pay thelevy fee unless the maid is transferred out! Please let me know urgently...as i have not settle the previous maid issue with him. Is it convenient for you to give me yr mobile so that i can talk to you?
 
Hi KC

You may want to try www.lucky.com.sg.
I got my philippino maids from this agency. I was adviced to get a philippino maid if the maid's main responsibilty is to look after babies and young children. So far, I find this agency very reliable and honest(good reputation). You can also view the biodata/work experiences of the maid online as well as their testimonies from past employers.

Re: indonesian maids, there are some good ones around that I've seen, but in general, would prefer philippino maids. Off days is mandatory (once or twice per month), also in my opinion, it's better to let them go out and meet their friends afterall they are human beings not to be cooped up at home all day, though some may think they may get bad influence outside of home, I have seen more indonesian maids having no off days getting into trouble.

It will be good to put together a task list timetable for the maid to follow, as a routine so that she has a clear understanding of what tasks are required of her, in what sequence etc. It helps to have a timetable detailinng what needs to be done, and how you like it to be done, at what time etc. planning ahead.
 
Hi All,
Very scary to read so many stories on Maid.
My maid is from Indo. Agent is homekeeper - http://www.homekeeper.biz/

They have online biodatas and i notice that their maid's biodata also used by Nation - I saw my maid in Nation as well.... so beware that they do share biodata.
BUT their Agency fees are DIFFERENT. Nation one is about 500 but i only pay about 290 at homekeeper (got promotion at tt time).

My concept is if i saw the same maid in several agency, she must have some capability, if not why big name like Nation will want her.

Personally, prefer married and better still got children (my current maid is).
I always constantly remind her tt she work here is to save money for her son future schooling.

Since she is married, used to doing housework in Indo so she more on the job, no need keep reminding her. But definitely got English problem in the begining, now she improved, i also happy.

After those bb and maid cases in the newspaper, we do not allow her to carry my gal unless we say can.
So we constantly remind her tt she is here to keep the house clean, she is in charge of the house cleanliness.
I will also let her know tt, if the house is clean, bb can then grow healthy - encourage her.

Just my experience.
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Hi hoho03

Yes, agree with you that I also prefer married maids with kids, because they have dependents to feed backhome esp for children's education, and one with kids will tend to know how a mother feels towards the child since she has her own, of course, this does not apply 100% to all maids who are married with kids.


Depending on the core responbilities of the maid, if her job is to take care of housework only, then the requirements are different. If the main duty is to take care of the baby, the expectations on hosuework could be secondary.

Alot of the horror maid stories reported on papers are on indo maids. I always believe that the extreme cases works both ways - the maid must have been provoked or ill-treated somehow to a certain extent. Also, philippino maids are more vocal and if they are unhappy they will voice if out rather than keep it in their heart vs. indonesian maids who are much quieter and less vocal.
 
Ya Lenny,

Most of the cases are on Indo maid, tts why i did not tell my maid any of these cases.

I always let her know tt if u don't let me know what u need or want, i cannot help her.
Always joke with her, i already have a bb, u want to be my big bb too!
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There was once she constipate for about 4 days - she don't like to drink wter, she did not tell me but told my mil. After i knew, i told her if she don't know how to take care of herself and sick, i have no choice but to send her back to agent.
When my bb did not pass motion in the morning, i will force her to drink wter, and explain to my gal why must drink wter. So i ask my maid, u heard what i told bb, so she must also drink a lot of wter.
Also scared her, if she sick, pass to bb how?
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Agree competely tt whoever, including boss, sibling, maid are human afterall, should work both ways!! 2 way tickets! heehee...


Good luck 2 those searching 4 a maid. Bear in mind tt if u r good to her(got limit one lah), she will be touch and good to u one and we also will not be gulity.

I have friends whose maid work for her donkey years!
Cheers!
 
Hi Hoho03

Doesn't your maid read papers ? My maid read the papaers at my inlaws place and thus she gets to know about those maid abuse cases and sometimes she will tell me about those cases she read. I guess we expect a certain level of maturity in them too, to take care of themselves.

No maid is perfect, sometimes if we can close one eye, we obliged, i.e. managed by objectives .. if the objectives get done well, I will let go of certain things if it's not overboard.

When I select my maid, I have a criteria in terms of physical aspect :

- No superlong hair , no rebonded hair
- No tattooed eyebrows
- No long nails or painted nails
- No skimpy or strappy clothes of course

My first maid was a 30 year old single philippino iwth 5 yeras experience in SG , had waist long rebonded hair, long nails and painted nails. Very focused on appearance. Didn't like her paiting her nails now and then, esp the nail paint smell stinks and my bb was nearby. Hair always dropping all over as she refused to cut to shoulder length, we bought her hair accessories to bun it up (even let her choose the one she likes) but she ended up not wanting to use it. Even did cross stitch on my sofa while she was hugging my baby watching TV at the same time, and told her that it's dangerous to do so. Fired her within 3 months due to her stubborness. The current maid I had is a philppino, married with 3 kids. However, note that those with alot of dependents have alot of money problems - every month, she always have someone at home needing money, and many times we lent her and let her pay us off slowly, but told her that we are not lending her anymore $$ to help her family's problem. Their dependents awlays take her as "money tree" and she being away from home, has no visibility to what's going on back at home.
 
Lenny,
Thanks for the infor. Every houeshold maid got stories to tell one lah.."jia jia you beng nan nian jin". wow how come u still choose your first maid since she has long hair, etc etc. This kind is rather vain one lor.
Sometimes u tell them that children is priority and housework is secondary, they will keeping doing n doing their housework....especially those Indon-maid that i come across.

Hoho, make sure the maid drinks lot of water..or else get heaty and fall sick easily..

Tamarind, nice talking to your earlier!
 
Hi KC

I didn't have any such criteria when I chose my first maid and hence I learnt from experience.
I give my current maid appraisal and feedback, and the task she is required to do I will rate it. I list down how often I expect her to wash toilet (every night), mop the floor daily, scrub tiles etc. so the tasks in a way has been scaled down.
 
KC,
Nice talking to you too !

Lenny,
My current maid's family also keep chasing her for money. There was once her sister needed C-section, her sister's husband called to ask her to send money ! I had to advance one month of her pay. Anyway I think this is an advantage to us, because it will make her more hardworking since she really needs the money.
 
Hi Tamarind

i believe this is their culture in philippines where they help one another financially in the village and furthermore being far away from home, there's nothing much she can do except to send them money as she can't assess the situation back home to verify if indeed the request for more money is true or not.

In the past, we helped her alot finanically even my inlaws also offered her loan out of kindness , not for emergency cases, but to buy land back at philippines where my inlaws knew about it and loan her about 400 bucks last year. My maid's hubby is always drunk and doesn't come home, and when in need of money, her husband will sell her cow or farm animals and there was once he did that and she broke down and cried and vowed to get back the cow no matter what as cows are very precious to her back home, like an asset. With 3 daughters aged between 9-16 to support, it has not been easy on her alone, given that her husband spent her money and doesn;'t come home. Soemtimes I told my maid that instead of sending pics of herself during her outings on her off days, maybe she should send pics of herself working in the house otherwise her family thinks she is having a good time here. I feel that lending her money has not become an advantage to us, because I dun think they equate the loan to "more hardwork" and instead they will thnik that they can always rely on us for advancements or loans. My maid always send all her money back home and hardly keep any for herself, and honestly she's really bad at money management and it's not our biz to teach her to save or manage her own money. Her problem should not become our problem all the time.
 


Lenny,
You mean you advance salary to your maid more than once ? You are very generous to your maid. I know employers who will never advance any salary. In fact my neighbour kept 2 months of her maids salary in a bank account.
I have advanced one month of salary to my maid. I advised her to keep her money so that when she is old she will not starve. Well now she has saved 2 months salary already.
 
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