Maid or no maid

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Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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One of the advantages of living in a country where wages are low, is that one can afford to have a help at home. At the same time having someone in your house all day everyday is a nuisance.

Pros and contras:

Pro:
- breakfast ready when you get out of bed
- no need to clean
- no washing dishes
- possibility to leave in the evening after the children are sleeping

Contra:
- they eat your food (and often a lot)
- they break your things
- they might steal
- you don't know what they are doing in your house when you are not there

What are the experiences of others, would you be willing to do without (if you have help)?
 
Africaida

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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Come on Mauricio be nice to your wife and get one :)

The question should live-in or or live-out ???
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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Africaida said:
Come on Mauricio be nice to your wife and get one :)

The question should live-in or or live-out ???
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We have a live-in, and someone coming for the laundry twice a week....it's my wife that dislikes having a maid, and she was raised with it, I wasn't. I dislike it too though.

Live-in advantage is they can only take stuff home on Saturday.....
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

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Just have a maid that will come on certain days of the week to do the cleaning and
laundry. Have her come in the morning and leave in the evening.:)

No live in.
 
C

CarpeDReam

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Feb 17, 2006
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Since my parents retired in the DR, they have gone through two of them so far. My mother's advice would be: make it very clear from the beginning that if they steal, they are fired and tell them not to bring a purse or bag 'because you have had experience in the past'...otherwise, if you suspect anything in the future, the conversation would be a lot more difficult to have. They have her come in on mon-sat at around 8am and she usually leaves around 3pm.

But...if you both dislike it, you probably should not have one...
 
bob saunders

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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We have one of the cleaners from the school come Saturday morning to do the cleaning, we take the laundry across the road to the mother-in-laws and her maid (that we pay for does the laundry). We also eat lunch and supper there and the foods ready on time and tastes good. Variety could be better. Maid is a second or third cousin, unattractive girl in her late twenties. Knows everything going on in town, and will find out the prices of real estate for you...etc. We had her for about 3 years, so far no issues other than she isn't that great a maid, but she's the only one that'll put up with Melania's bitching and she gets an eye on all the happenings around the houses and chases off stray people as well as dogs.
Personally neither my wife or I like having a maid.
 
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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Twice a week for laundry, cleaning and cooking, 8am to about 3pm, is more than enough for us. But we are a smaller family than Mauricio's.
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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CarpeDReam said:
Since my parents retired in the DR, they have gone through two of them so far. My mother's advice would be: make it very clear from the beginning that if they steal, they are fired and tell them not to bring a purse or bag 'because you have had experience in the past'...otherwise, if you suspect anything in the future, the conversation would be a lot more difficult to have. They have her come in on mon-sat at around 8am and she usually leaves around 3pm.

But...if you both dislike it, you probably should not have one...
Click to expand...
We see it as a necessary evil. My wife works until 2.00 pm, I work the whole day and am home at irregular hours. Besides with three children it's too much to do also the laundry, cooking dominican style, cleaning, which has to be done every day in this country.

It is actually one of the things that come up when talking about the theme of returning to Europe. Not possible to have a maid there, but also less necessary. Cooking is easy and fast (and probably less healthy), I can even do it (it's bread, bread and potatoes). Bathroom cleaning every week is already a lot (vs. daily in DR). And besides in the Netherlands most houses have 1 or max. 2 bathrooms. Not as much dust as in DR, not as much humidity, you can easily wear the same clothes two days (I think my wife and the children use two pair of clothes every day here).

We also have the no-purse rule, but especially the fatties can hide stuff wherever they want.
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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bob saunders said:
We have one of the cleaners from the school come Saturday morning to do the cleaning, we take the laundry across the road to the mother-in-laws and her maid (that we pay for does the laundry). We also eat lunch and supper there and the foods ready on time and tastes good. Variety could be better. Maid is a second or third cousin, unattractive girl in her late twenties. Knows everything going on in town, and will find out the prices of real estate for you...etc. We had her for about 3 years, so far no issues other than she isn't that great a maid, but she's the only one that'll put up with Melania's bitching and she gets an eye on all the happenings around the houses and chases off stray people as well as dogs.
Personally neither my wife or I like having a maid.
Click to expand...
That's the perfect situation! Except for living across the in-laws.....
 
bronzeallspice

bronzeallspice

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What you need to do is have them place their belongings (purse or whatever) in a special place under lock and key, when they come in. That is what rich Dominicans have their maids do. When they get ready to leave, just retrieve their belongings and give it to them.
 
D

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i am against live-in maid. i did not move out from my parents' place to have some old farts look at my every move. we have a woman come here 3 times a week to clean. no cooking. i don't eat dominican food. no laundry either, i value my clothing and do not want it destroyed.
 
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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Mauricio said:
You cook yourself the other days? or she cooks for the whole week?
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Sometimes she cooks enough for two days, but I cook most other days. I like cooking but it's nice to have a break but there are some meaty and fishy things that my husband and son like that I don't cook. And she is an excellent cook.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Nov 4, 2012
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dv8 said:
i am against live-in maid. i did not move out from my parents' place to have some old farts look at my every move. we have a woman come here 3 times a week to clean. no cooking. i don't eat dominican food. no laundry either, i value my clothing and do not want it destroyed.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I can't understand the idea of having some person living with us. It would be my biggest nightmare! Do people not walk around naked in their house or go in their pool naked?

Same reason I would hate to have a guard!
 
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CarpeDReam

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Feb 17, 2006
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dv8 said:
i am against live-in maid. i did not move out from my parents' place to have some old farts look at my every move. we have a woman come here 3 times a week to clean. no cooking. i don't eat dominican food. no laundry either, i value my clothing and do not want it destroyed.
Click to expand...

So you don't wash your clothes at all or you just do it yourself?... just curious :)

and what do you eat? :)
 
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CarpeDReam

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Feb 17, 2006
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Mauricio said:
We see it as a necessary evil. My wife works until 2.00 pm, I work the whole day and am home at irregular hours. Besides with three children it's too much to do also the laundry, cooking dominican style, cleaning, which has to be done every day in this country.

It is actually one of the things that come up when talking about the theme of returning to Europe. Not possible to have a maid there, but also less necessary. Cooking is easy and fast (and probably less healthy), I can even do it (it's bread, bread and potatoes). Bathroom cleaning every week is already a lot (vs. daily in DR). And besides in the Netherlands most houses have 1 or max. 2 bathrooms. Not as much dust as in DR, not as much humidity, you can easily wear the same clothes two days (I think my wife and the children use two pair of clothes every day here).

We also have the no-purse rule, but especially the fatties can hide stuff wherever they want.
Click to expand...

All very good points. Another reason not to get a fatty is bc fatties eat much more and get tired quicker. :).

Has anyone ever paid for their maid to take up cooking classes?
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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CarpeDReam said:
So you don't wash your clothes at all or you just do it yourself?... just curious :)
and what do you eat? :)
Click to expand...

i cook and do the laundry myself. i eats lots of stuff. just not rice and crap filled with sugar, oil and sopita.
 
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Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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CarpeDReam said:
Has anyone ever paid for their maid to take up cooking classes?
Click to expand...
My maid already knew how to cook, non-Dominican and Dominican food. She's taken cooking classes on her own initiative. She is a fast learner, very receptive to healthy cooking practices (less salt and oil, very little sugar) and makes food exactly as explained. It also helps that her other boss is a certain Aunt Clara.
 
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