Read so much on ES that many of you have housemaids.
Does every single person have one or more? What is their job exactly? Do they live with you? Do they become like part of the family (like eat with you and go on trips) or they have their own quarters? And do you feel your privacy invaded with a housemaid running around your house all the time?

Almost every house has at least one housemaid. What they do? Clean, cook, wash etc. Basically house chores. They live with us only if it's their full-time job, there are some whom do part-time, 1-3 hours. They're not exactly part of the family, well they're to a certain extent, but not to a point where we share everything. Yes, our maid is the boss of the house when my dad is abroad, and she basically bosses us around, she's like my dad's spy when he's gone. In other words, I'll have to please her so that she can please me.

Almost every house has at least one housemaid. What they do? Clean, cook, wash etc. Basically house chores. They live with us only if it's their full-time job, there are some whom do part-time, 1-3 hours. They're not exactly part of the family, well they're to a certain extent, but not to a point where we share everything. Yes, our maid is the boss of the house when my dad is abroad, and she basically bosses us around, she's like my dad's spy when he's gone. In other words, I'll have to please her so that she can please me.
wow that's interesting...dad pays her to keep an eye on you rowdy lot lol. could you bribe her to be on your side instead?

We used to have House-maids from time to time at home.. specially when my parents were full time employee.
But when my mom didn't work, we would have a house maid helping out my mother with cleaning and hard work. Now we have this guy who comes for just 3 hours a day to clean and leaves!

In future, I'll prefer my food to be cooked by either of us; home-food, to me, is love served on plate!

could you bribe her to be on your side instead?

Not exactly, she's very umm.. how can I put this.. On the right side? As in she's been with us ever since I was a kid, she's not a person who would lie knowing it is wrong. I do manage to get her on my side on minor things, which she knows isn't that big of a deal. Frankly speaking, she's like my second mum, since I never lived with my mum.. So yeah :os

..and this is one of the vital reasons I NEVER will hire a maid in the future.

well, we had full time maids and part time maids..i think almost all houses have at least one maid in the gulf..

in our house she has her own room, goes along in some trips..
at my Grandpa's, the maids, driver, cook, etc.. have their own quarter..but at my aunt's she sleeps with the kids. so it kinda varies from one house to the other.

in regard of is she considered part of the family, then it depends on how long she's been with the family, her behavior, etc..
some of them are just there for house chores, others are more like Nannies and i think Nannies are the ones considered Family most of the time.

i wouldn't really like a maid, since i kinda feel like they invade my privacy to an extent, but i'll most likely be working, and so will my husband, so i think i'll be hiring one once i have kids inshallah.

what about you Minny, is having a housemaid a common thing in Malta?

We have 2 housemaids and 1 house boy, the maids do all the cleaning and cooking. They live with us and have they're room, bathroom and T.V.
When we were younger we would take one of them on trips and outings but as we got older we didn't really need them to watch us when mum wasn't there. The houseboy takes care of the harder jobs which are mainly outside the house, he cleans the windows, cars and takes care of the garden.

no, over here even if you have a good life having a job as a doctor or a lawyer or politician, you still do your own shopping and maybe get a maid twice a week to clean your house and do your ironing if you are too busy.

I am in the process of getting a housemaid :cry: .. It wasnt an easy thing since I value my privacy at home so much but working full time and having a baby wont be easy. Plus, I cant wait for someone to do the cleaning and washing at home :D

We always had a housemaid or 2 at home. My mom used to force my younger bros and sisters (not me, I was the stuborn one :p ) to call her a respected word and not call her with her bare name. I think to an extent they were part of the family esp. the ones who stayed with us for long.

well We have two ,because we are a big family and we have lot of guest who comes over so they help in laundry,cleaning the house,and sometimes baby sitting ..

but that doesnt mean they do the other things like do the house shopping clean out our personal stuff and teach the kids!

so ya they are helpful

BUT i dont want a maid in my house
i dont think i will trust a woman who comes from a country which i dont know anything about and make her be a part of the house :/

i have heard lot of stories about maids! and i get scared lol
thank god that the maids we had didnt do anything bad but stealing sometimes LOL

so ya NO for maids

^ So will u clean the toilets?

I think I am able to do everything else BUT clean the toilets..So maybe my future husband could do that :p

i clean two toilets in the house daily. don't have to touch them.
put harpic all over the toilet, leave for half hour, get a toilet brush and scrub, flush. no big deal.
more over so, it's the toilets and the food i wouldn't want anybody to touch. i'd want those areas to be totally safe.
of course the members in my family are respectful enough not to make a mess in the bathroom...or else!

Couples usually hire maids when they're expecting since they need help with the kids and taking care of the house. Especially if both parents work full-time.

We've had several maids/houseboys over the years. Some were closer to us than others; It actually depends on how long they've been with us and whether they grew up with us. My previous maid was with me for like 9 years, so she felt free to discipline me and share her opinions even when I didn't ask for them :p. But she was affectionate and I loved her - she used to scratch my back every morning lovingly and prepare my favorite drinks! But she was getting old and had to go back. I tried getting the new maid to eat with us (my siblings and I or my cousins and I) as to make her feel more like a family member but she refuses and she states that she will eat later. Later, being with the other maids and houseboys. So yeah, she prefers the formality and the divide for some odd reason. But they're less formal with us-the kids-than with our parents. I think my driver can piss in his pants when my mother walks through the door while just before he would have been teasing me about something! lol :p

We currently have one maid and one houseboy. The maid takes care of cleaning the house and cooking. The houseboy takes care of washing the cars, cleaning outside, the garden and he is also the driver. The driver has his own room and bathroom outside while the maid's quarters is upstairs.

There is no body at home now, so there isn't much work ...as when we were kids. So I guess they're okay.

^ lol!

no one does the shopping for us..i've never seen it in my family, the driver is often asked to fetch things or get bread, milk, etc..but mom takes care of the real shopping, she wouldn't even let dad do it lol.

and i hate cleaning bathrooms, but i've been there many times xD
i always switch chores with my sisters if i got a bathroom..i usually have to pay them as well. :mmhmm: i hate the bathroom floor, i'd clean toilets anytime, but i just hate the floor and walls lol.

thinking about it..i might get a part-time maid, it's a lot more convenient since i'll be doing the laundry and the cooking myself anyway. so she can come over and clean, iron, etc..

I'm impressed with the girls who are adamant not to get maids when they've been used to maids all their lives.

In my future, I see maids. If all goes as planned, I will be working full time and I will need somebody to do my share of cleaning, laundry and cooking at home. I don't mind paying for the maids if my husband is against the concept of maids. I'm not a good cook - I will try but I think my family will prefer her cooking anyways :p. I am not the housewife type of girl. So far, I am more career oriented, so I can't imagine spending my days at home, taking care of the house and cooking. I do that fine now that I am abroad, but I don't think I will want to do this forever if I can help it.

I don't think I will need a maid if it is only my husband and I. But once the kids come, yeah I definitely need my Loretta :D

i was thinking of getting a maid to help out a few hours a week...have to find someone trustworthy and good at her job.

I would love to have one. There are different services here in St. Louis. Costly though. As a single working mother having one would be a Godsend...

It is really different with every family. But yes, most, 99% of the houses in Oman have atleast one maid!

The one we have does house chores (cook, clean, laundry, etc) but doesn't involve in family business. There's a very huge line between us and her. She does all that she has to do and then goes to her room. We talk only when we bump into one another and that's about it. She lives with us and goes to her home country every 2 years.

My in laws, on the other hand, involve their housemaid in everything; including finances!

Some families get housemaids that do house chores, as well as another one to take care of the kids. Now, this one is a bit extreme, but this kind of maid (or a baby sitter I must call her) only takes care of the kids. She dresses them up, takes care of their homework, makes sure they eat, take them out on weekends, and reads bed time stories for them. I am glad I never had that. My mom did that for me :love:

Some housemaids are also drivers. So when anyone wants to go out, she takes them out instead of having a seperate driver.

Other families have a housemaid, a driver, a gardner, another housemaid, etc.. it all depends on your needs; how many kids you have, if both parents are working or just so busy, how big the house is, etc..

Of course there's always trust issues, but you have to risk that if you want help!! Just get a hidden camera and see what she does, maybe it will make you feel better!

i was thinking of getting a maid to help out a few hours a week...have to find someone trustworthy and good at her job.
Just this morning, while looking at the mess created since last night, I promised myself that when I start working I would hire a maid for a few hours 2 or 3 times a week.
I would rather earn money doing something I enjoy doing and PAY for someone to do house chores. I HATE them. Especially seeing how fast a clean and tidy house that takes hours of work, turns into a pit again.

Finding someone trust worthy is the trick.

We've got 2 maids, and we had 2 houseboys as well but one recently got fired. One of the maids basically cleans the bedrooms and bathrooms we use, the other takes care of my younger sisters, and they both do the laundry. One of the houseboys used to cook and clean the kitchen, sitting rooms and dining areas, while the other would also help with the cleaning, wash the cars, and tend to the garden, plus he drives (although my mum doesn't trust him with the kids in the car lol so he's not exactly a driver).

They all live(d) at home with us, they have their own rooms, they eat the same food that they prepare for us (although they don't have their meals with us), and they get a day off every 2 weeks, and they have 2 months off every 2 years.

We've had maids since I was born as both my parents worked fulltime. My mum only works part-time now, but she still doesn't do any house chores. She does the grocery shopping though.

If my parents leave the country for work or even on vacations, they just leave us at home with the maids. It's never been a problem.. they'd leave our allowances with the maids, instruct them on curfews, etc, and they'd leave enough money to buy groceries with, etc. Basically, they trust the maids will be able to cope with everything.

My husband and I are moving into our own place in the summer, and I've decided that I don't want a live-in maid right now, but I will be getting a part-time one who'll come in a couple of times a week just to clean the place and do the laundry.

Does every single person have one or more?
1
What is their job exactly?
cleaning-cooking

Do they live with you?
yeah

Do they become like part of the family (like eat with you and go on trips) or they have their own quarters?
like a part of family, i mean hey! they are human beigns too!;)

And do you feel your privacy invaded with a housemaid running around your house all the time.
haha yeah sumtimes -.-

We have two houseboys. We used to have a part-time housemaid but now we decided to get one who works fulltime. We've had the houseboys for more than 15 years now. So yah, they're definitely part of the family! But when it comes to housemaids, we've changed a lot of housemaids. Two of them ran away lol and the rest all sucked...they either stole stuff or were utterly disrespectul.

And no we don't treat them like animals! They have their own rooms, they get food for free, clothes for free, and a very decent salary!

I'm impressed with the girls who are adamant not to get maids when they've been used to maids all their lives.


I used to say that too .. but once it became real I realised its a very hard balance. When come home at 4, and you have a very social orianted family like mine it becomes a very tidious task to lift a paper up when you are home :p I only survive because my mom's housemaid comes every two weeks to do a through out cleaning.

- 2 maid


- clean, cook, take care of kids

- they have thier own room in the 3rd floor...

I'm impressed with the girls who are adamant not to get maids when they've been used to maids all their lives.


well some girls can depend on their selves

like in my case when i lived alone i was doing everything by myself

laundry cooking cleaning room ironing everything u can except ..
and if you say its different coz am going to be in a house with a husband and a kids in the future.. will i believe that all can share the work

anda if i had 4+ kids inshallah i might get one just to help me with the house cleaning not raising the kids like what most of women do those days

keep the kids with the maids and go

We have only one housemaid who handles the basic chores like laundry, cooking, cleaning, but we clean our own rooms and deal with anything that belongs to us. She mostly just helps out with the main stuff.

Back in Oman, we have a housemaid that cleans, irons and does laundry and helps in cooking. My mum doesn't like it when someone cooks the actual meal but she lets the maid to cut the onion or stir the soup lol. Since I was young, we had couple maids that eventually left and my mum decided not to bring any more maids. Frankly, I like it without the maid for privacy reasons.

The maid has her own room and bathroom, and she basically eats the same food as the rest of the family or she can cook whatever she likes. Sometimes, she tags along in some of the trips.

Being abroad I'm used to do all the chores by myself, not loving it but I guess I don't mind it.

In the future when I get married, I rather not have a housemaid but I'm not opposed to the idea of getting a part-time one to assist.

We have two full time housemaids, For cooking and cleaning and doing the laundry, It's necessary to have them around since both of my parents work. They have their own room in the house and no..we don't feel like our privacy is invaded, it's become very normal to see them around.

i'd rather not have a full time housemaid.. just someone who comes for a few hours to clean and help me cook.. but with my son still young at home and no proper day care centers here.. i am forced to face the anxiety of leaving my son alone with a housemaid all day.. and just when you get used the housemaid.. the contract ends and they want to leave.. which is what i am facing right now.. the renewed anxiety of a stranger in the house who may not treat my son properly.. may or may not steal.. may or may not bring strangers into my home when i am at work.. really frustrating

I'm not really into the whole maid thing..

But back home we have

A driver.. to get w.e it is u needed orr drive u to places if u didnt wanna drive lol

A maid for the cooking

A maid for the cleaning and watching kids

None of them live inside the house because we've built rooms for them out..
The driver has his own room and living place outside..
And so do the maids.. Everyone needs their privacy i'm sure!

Anddddddd.. I'm also one of those ppl who doesnt want any of that for my house..
I've grown up not really associating with them because I do everything for myself..
Even when it comes to the cooking.. I like my moms food.. I don't want anyone touching my stuff pretty much ;p But the rest of the family doesnt seem to be to bothered lol

I'm impressed with the girls who are adamant not to get maids when they've been used to maids all their lives.


Me too.

We've mostly had two maids around the house. One of them, who's still working with us, have been our nanny for around 17 years. I can't see the house without her coz I got so used to her, and I'd like to think of her as a part of our family as she's lived her life with us more than she has with her own kids which is kinda sad... she kinda sees us as her own kids, as she's been there with us throughout our childhood, teenage years and now, going into adulthood.

When I left home to go abroad this time *though it's my third time leaving after my holidays* she cried so much, vomited and had a terrible headache! She keeps txting me while am away, she even sends me a *happy valentine's* txt :p
So yea, she's an important part of my life.

Personally, I wouldn't want to have a housemaid. Will try as hard as possible to use the housemaid as a last solution. When it's just me and my husband at home, I wouldn't even think of having one. But when the kids come along, I think I'll have to consider having a part-time maid, especially that I want to be a working woman.

Cleaning toilets is not bad at all, seriously :p