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Sarah
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| Posted: Jan 30 2006 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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I'm debating getting hired help. I've done those services--Merry Maid style before and I've always been disappointed.
The cleaning has been very superficial, too much emphasis on dusting pictures when I really needed the floors more thoroughly done.
Another type of help I had during an awful pregnancy was daily pick-up, dishes type help. The basics done by a girl from a hs family in her 20's. Now that is the type of help to get!
I'm wondering what other peple feel about household help. Is it more stress than help--having someone in your house. Feeling the need to straighten up before they come and all. . .or do you think its worth it in the end? Can the expense be justified? What type of help do you get, if any?
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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5athome
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We had a maid for a few months but I found it too stressful. Keeping everyone focused while she was here, keeping little ones out of her way, and being paranoid that she would leave out some chemical or bucket of water was to difficult with my "control freak" personality.
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Willa
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We had a lady come in and clean every 2 weeks 10 years ago, when we were renting a house and I was on bedrest/then post Caesarean with five little ones 9 and down.
That was a good experience. The lady was such a great person, and really cleaned, and put nice touches to make it look pretty (for at least a few minutes, until the kids got to it!). DH would take us out to breakfast and sometimes to a bookstore or whatever, so basically we were out of her way for the morning and got a much-needed family timeinto the bargain.
Yes, I did find myself pre-cleaning so our things weren't all in her way, but that was good motivation for actually putting things away once in a while  And I was motivated to KEEP things nice and maintain during the next couple of weeks until she came again.
When we moved to our new house in a different town we had another cleaning service but it wasn't nearly so good. The lady didn't do as good a job and we didn't really have anywhere to go while she was there, so it was more stressful. We dropped it and haven't had it since. Couldn't afford it now, and the kids are older and can help.
I like the "Mother's Helper" idea....
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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Elizabeth
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We've had various arrangements. The best situation was a very competent young woman who came in once a week. she did a thorough job and she did it cheerfully. She was a gem. But she was an exception. For the most part, people we have hired haven't really worked to the full potential of what they were being paid. It's a cliche, but it's hard to find good help.Once, we had a lady come in three times a week for five hours at a time. This was after the c-section and in the throes of pretty serious depression/post-traumatic stress. She was supposed to keep the house clean and do laundry. Frankly, she was slow and lazy and it drove me nuts  ! Then, I decided to FLY alone and I got on Angie's Clean Team bandwagon. Things went well for quite some time (it didn't hurt that I lowered my standards too). Now, my husband is travelling constantly, my eldest is in school several days a week, and I've been sick. We've hired a lady for every other week. She's only come once, but that was a nice day. If nothing else, this will force a major pick-up every other week and I'll know that the house is clean deepdown...
I have a homeschooling friend who has had great success with an every day lady who really functions like Alice from the Brady Bunch.
On the whole, that has not been our experience with hired help.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Cay Gibson
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Dh and I owned a delicatessen once.
It's a fact...
Good help is hard to find.
Read about St. Therese's family in Story of a Family. Madame Martin owned a lace making business and they had house servants. It was a never-ending agony for her.
Now....  I don't mean to discourage you against getting help. I just thought I'd throw in that unnecessary information that you will be truly blessed if you find excellent help.
My oldest dd (15 1/2) cleans my house every Saturday. She needs money, I need help. It's worked great for over three years now. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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jdostalik
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Sarah,
I have a very sweet lady who has been coming to help me every other week for about four years. When I was pregnant with Anna and had 3 kids under five, and was nauseated, dh took pity on me! 
I would not hire one of the Merry Maid services, but try to find someone who is personally recommended by a friend or acquaintance...This is how I found my cleaning lady. I agree with Elizabeth, too. At least every two weeks, I am forced to de-clutter the house, find a home for all the misplaced items, my bathrooms are deep-cleaned, all my carpeting is vacummed at ONCE, the whole house is dusted, my kitchen is cleaned (stove burners scrubbed, microwave cleaned out), beds stripped and fresh sheets put on, all beds made...laundry keeps getting switched and she folds and puts away as she is able...and when she leaves, I am usually able to maintain to some degree. I usually postpone school until she leaves at 2:00 (she usually arrives around 9 am). I work along with her on any task that I feel needs to be addressed--cleaning/organizing a closet, etc. Those are all the positives, now the negatives, she does not really scrub my floor, the way I would. BUT, it does get swept well and cursorily mopped which is better than nothing!
Anyway, wanted to share my relatively happy arrangement. I also have quite a few friends who do not use any help and manage quite well invoking the older children's help as Cay and Willa mentioned.
Good Luck in your decision!
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Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
Let the Little Ones Come
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LisaD
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We have used a family cleaning service for about four years now. They come as a team, 3 or 4 people at once, and are done in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I have them come every other week, and I agree that this does force me to declutter! While they are here, the kids and I usually run an errand or two, or sometimes just go outside and play while they are here. While they may not do everything, they certainly do a lot more than I could manage on my own. The most important things to me are a deep cleaning of the bathrooms and kitchen, and they change the sheets on the beds (my least-favorte job when hugely pregnant!). They also wash two windows each time they are here, so at any given time, I can actually see out of at least two windows.
When dh and I have had those "how can we be saving more money" discussions and I mention letting the cleaning service go, he looks at me with horror. I guess he thinks everything would go to pot without that 2 or 3 times a month cleaning. He's probably right, too!
I like the idea of hiring my oldest daughter to clean for me, when she's older. I used to clean house for my aunt, and certainly liked the money!
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Rachel May
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LisaD wrote:
| We have used a family cleaning service for about four years now. They come as a team, 3 or 4 people at once, and are done in 1 1/2 to 2 hours. |
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This is what we had in Hawaii too while my husband was gone. They did a great job, let the kids "ice skate" on rags on the wet floors, and we traded floors with them to keep out of their way if I didn't feel up to taking the kids out. If I didn't pick up first, they did it. Over time I felt like things weren't quite as good as at first, but it was much more than I could do myself so I was still happy. When my DH came home, we had to give them up. 
Currently, I'm saving money for 2 spring cleanings as the first 2 cleanings those teams do are the most thorough, IMHO. Then if I can keep up with things through the summer, I'll have them back in the fall.
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Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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JennGM
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Cay Gibson wrote:
| My oldest dd (15 1/2) cleans my house every Saturday. She needs money, I need help. It's worked great for over three years now. |
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I used to do this as a teenager...I was hired cleaning help. Besides helping at home, I cleaned two people's houses. One was once a month, a bachelor friend of my father's (never there, not a risk) and my organ teacher's mother's house once a week. It was a great experience and gave me a way to earn money.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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LisaD
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Rachel May wrote:
| This is what we had in Hawaii too while my husband was gone. |
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Rachel, when we lived in Hawaii, our house was so small (3 bd/1bth, 800 sq. ft.) that I could actually clean it all myself in 1 1/2-2 hours. Not that I often did
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Cay Gibson
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jenngm67 wrote:
I used to do this as a teenager...I was hired cleaning help.
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It's also amazing how quickly families are to request the oldest dd's help in babysitting...sight unseen.
"Oh, how many younger siblings does she have? What's her #?"
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Cay Gibson
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wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Jen L.
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Elizabeth wrote:
I have a homeschooling friend who has had great success with an every day lady who really functions like Alice from the Brady Bunch.
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I didn't know that she existed (or was affordable these days)! I've always said, "I'll I need is Alice." (I'm afraid that I am a little envious. )
your resident Brady Bunch expert,
Jen
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Elizabeth
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Jen L. wrote:
Elizabeth wrote:
I have a homeschooling friend who has had great success with an every day lady who really functions like Alice from the Brady Bunch.
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I didn't know that she existed (or was affordable these days)! I've always said, "I'll I need is Alice." (I'm afraid that I am a little envious. )
your resident Brady Bunch expert,
Jen |
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She exists but I don't think she's affordable for most of us. My friend is the first to admit she's spoiled .
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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mumofsix
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I had my first cleaning lady when I had a third baby and the olders were only 2, and 8 but with Down's Syndrome. She was absolutely marvellous, cleaned wonderfully well, entertained my two year old simultaneously and became a real friend. We moved house and lost her. I then hired someone else but she was hopeless, as Elizabeth describes. I persevered for several months, then gave her a month's notice: I found this difficult but I was beginning really to resent paying her, her work was so poor. I had to do it again myself anyway after she had gone! 
That was the end of cleaners until a year ago when I was struggling with a newborn plus surgery. On recommendation we got a very nice lady, who was an excellent cleaner and also a very accomplished dress-maker. She made dd 9's first Holy Communion dress and it is precious. She hurt her back just before Christmas, and we decided to try doing our own cleaning. Following Flylady, very loosely, we are managing. Despite two good experiences out of three, I agree with Zelie Martin that it is nicest if you can manage with just the family, but there is certainly no shame in hiring help at difficult times. Sometimes it is just necessary to keep the ship happily afloat.
Btw the cleaners were all weekly, for four hours and yes we tidied before they came (but did not clean). That was a good incentive to tidy up once per week at least! A good cleaner is definitely worth it, but it is a disruption to homeschooling as the children just want to follow her around with a duster.
Jane.
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MEBarrett
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I have weekly help. It is a cleaning service that was recommended by a friend. I am one of those people who does not mind the de-cluttering necessary before they come. It forces me to keep up with the "stuff".
I get one lady for 3 hours every Monday. She deep cleans both bathrooms and scrubs all the floors by hand. The dusting is perfunctory. She makes beds and straightens up whatever is lying around the children's bedrooms.
It is nice to have everything spic and span once a week.
Those are the pros.
The cons: it is a cleaning service so I never get the same lady twice. Every week is a new explanation. Also it is a Polish company and I don't speak Polish. I have never had a lady with more than ten words of English so there is a lot of miming going on. They are also very often late, which can screw up my day.
That being said, I am glad I took the plunge and started admitting I can't do everything.
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Mary Ellen
Mom to seven beautiful kids
Tales from the Bonny Blue House
O Night Divine
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Elizabeth
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MEBarrett wrote:
| That being said, I am glad I took the plunge and started admitting I can't do everything. |
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Oh and Mary Ellen, what in the world will you do if/when you end up on bedrest? When the twins arrive?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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MEBarrett
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Fortunately for me my parents are retired. They live in Savannah (a two day drive) but they are geared up to come for as long as I need them. If I need someone quick, Dave will be home until they can come. He can work pretty easily from home what with the computer and the blackberry. I am also blessed to have four or five really good friends who are willing to pitch in in any capacity I need.
God is very good to me.
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Mary Ellen
Mom to seven beautiful kids
Tales from the Bonny Blue House
O Night Divine
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Hired Help
