Since last year, whenever Christmas time is approaching, my brother in law's best friend will send over his maid to our place for a few days. This is because his mum is going for her year-end holiday and hence, they decided to let the maid stays with us temporarily (rather than leaving the maid alone in the house)
For 2010's Christmas, my MIL cooked extra portion of food for the maid (her name is Adriana) during her temporary stay at our place and Adriana helps out with cleaning our place, mopping the floor and hanging our laundry. She was around when we celebrated Christmas that year and we gave her a Christmas present too!
Adriana playing the guitar while we sang Christmas carols!
For 2011 Christmas, Adriana is back for 5 days and during these few days, she tagged along to a few of our family outings. I'm writing this post to share of my experience of having a maid:
Adriana sitting next to me while Ben plays during Christmas service...
Household Chores
Like what she did in 2010, this time, she helps out with mopping our floors, hanging our laundry and I found her cleaning our fridge door's too one early morning!
Taking Care of Children
Personally, I do not like other people than my family members hold or touches my child. At one point during a family dinner, someone passed Alyson to Adriana (I was feeding Ben that time) and when I realised she was carrying Alyson, I panicked and was upset too at the person who passed my daughter to Adriana. I am not being judgemental or anything, my own mothering instincts just tells me to not let other people touches my child. I immediately got my husband to feed Ben and carried back Alyson.
Companion for the Old Folks
I can hear Adriana chatting and listening to my MIL's talking during her short stay at our place. I think she can make a good companion for old folks.
No More Privacy
Seriously, I feel very awkward having another person around the house, and even during my family outing. It's just plain weird and uneasy. At times I pitied her for not understanding what is happening around the family or what we are planning to do, but at times I also have to worry about her getting lost or couldn't find us and so on while we were out shopping (last minute Christmas shopping)
Image credit: Google search
In summary, as much as I am truly grateful for her help around the house during her short stay here, in terms of our own family privacy, I would prefer not to have a maid around us. Maybe if we really do have a maid, I'll prefer if she just stays and accompanies my MIL and doing the household chores.
Any matters related to child care or my children, I will be responsible for that and not the maid. I personally cannot imagine how I can pass my children to a maid to take care. I feel very weird and uneasy having another person tagging along with us during our family outing.
I have seen at church service for example, how parents leave their children while they attend the service. I've seen maids chasing the children around, trying to feed them, or trying to clean up the children's mess.
I've been horrified at not once, but twice, experiencing and seeing with my own eyes how a young child (maybe less than 2 years old) terrorising the baby room while the maid just sit at the corner, texting and fidgeting with her mobile phone. The young boy puts his food in the dustbin, takes out garbage and plays with it, takes people's shoes from the shoe rack and tries them on and leave the shoes (even mine!) all around, pulls down the shoe racks, goes after other kids' foods etc etc.
I feel a parent should be caring for their child, not the maid.
Anyway, this is just my own opinions about my experience of having a maid during her short stay with us. As of now, although at most times it is hectic to care and pay attention to a hyperactive boy and a cheeky and fussy baby girl, I think I can make it without relying on a maid still.
