So, we have been looking into the idea of getting a maid. Or a nanny. Or both. Or something! To be precise, we have been researching the process, learning the law, exploring our options, etc.
To be honest, I was approaching this whole idea of a live-in maid with a lot of trepidation. A lot. A whole, really really LOT. My nervousness stemmed in part from a lack of knowledge about the entire process, some concern about international labor issues and Qatar's own somewhat quixotic laws particularly with regard to kefala (a labor sponsorship program), and a general unease with the idea of having someone who is not related to me living in my house. The husband had none of these concerns, which made figuring things out a bit more touchy, but to his credit he allowed me to do all my research and calm my fears and get into the nitty gritty of the question, as I am wont to do!
We have plenty of space; that is not an issue. Our current villa has 5 bedrooms, one of which is a smaller room with its own bathroom, en suite as they say here, located downstairs and specifically designed for a maid. Right now, the boys refer to this bathroom as the "secret" bathroom because they didn't even realize it was here for about a month or two after we moved in. So we clearly don't need it for ourselves. As it is, we have three full baths upstairs and another half bath downstairs, so one for each member of our family if we wanted! And certainly enough extra room for a maid.
But....I have so much ambivalence about the prospect of having a live-in maid/nanny. My issues are deep:
I should be able to keep my own house clean, right? But I so don't want to! The happiest times in our house have been those when we have had a cleaner come in. But having a cleaner is very different from having live-in help.
And then there is the question of giving my boys another person to appeal to, to run to, someone who will clean up after them when I want them to do it for themselves, an extra factor to figure into our already tenuous situation.
And I feel like we will feel inhibited with another person around. Not that we're doing anything raucous...although we are pretty loud around here...I'm a yeller from way back and so are the kids, unfortunately. But what if her presence affects us in ways we can't even anticipate? That's not a what if, it's really a how, right? How will a maid/nanny affect us? In ways we don't anticipate.
So after all my vacillation, we decided to go with a compromise and get someone to come in three days a week for cleaning. I am much more comfortable with this idea. And having a live-out maid means we don't have to deal with figuring out what to do over vacation, which is also nice.
She has only been here a few times and already I can see the change. First of all, she is way more thorough than I have ever been even on my best cleaning days, so she finds all sorts of missing toys and game pieces and things, which is great. Second, next time she comes, she is going to clean out the fridge, my least favorite cleaning activity EVER, so that is fabulous. Also, she irons as well, and does a few shirts for the the husband before she leaves, so he is happier as well. Yesterday, in my spotless kitchen, I made cookies and organized all the food on my shelves. It was GREAT! Next up, organizing the kids' toys. This could be fabulous.....!
To be honest, I was approaching this whole idea of a live-in maid with a lot of trepidation. A lot. A whole, really really LOT. My nervousness stemmed in part from a lack of knowledge about the entire process, some concern about international labor issues and Qatar's own somewhat quixotic laws particularly with regard to kefala (a labor sponsorship program), and a general unease with the idea of having someone who is not related to me living in my house. The husband had none of these concerns, which made figuring things out a bit more touchy, but to his credit he allowed me to do all my research and calm my fears and get into the nitty gritty of the question, as I am wont to do!
We have plenty of space; that is not an issue. Our current villa has 5 bedrooms, one of which is a smaller room with its own bathroom, en suite as they say here, located downstairs and specifically designed for a maid. Right now, the boys refer to this bathroom as the "secret" bathroom because they didn't even realize it was here for about a month or two after we moved in. So we clearly don't need it for ourselves. As it is, we have three full baths upstairs and another half bath downstairs, so one for each member of our family if we wanted! And certainly enough extra room for a maid.
But....I have so much ambivalence about the prospect of having a live-in maid/nanny. My issues are deep:
I should be able to keep my own house clean, right? But I so don't want to! The happiest times in our house have been those when we have had a cleaner come in. But having a cleaner is very different from having live-in help.
And then there is the question of giving my boys another person to appeal to, to run to, someone who will clean up after them when I want them to do it for themselves, an extra factor to figure into our already tenuous situation.
And I feel like we will feel inhibited with another person around. Not that we're doing anything raucous...although we are pretty loud around here...I'm a yeller from way back and so are the kids, unfortunately. But what if her presence affects us in ways we can't even anticipate? That's not a what if, it's really a how, right? How will a maid/nanny affect us? In ways we don't anticipate.
So after all my vacillation, we decided to go with a compromise and get someone to come in three days a week for cleaning. I am much more comfortable with this idea. And having a live-out maid means we don't have to deal with figuring out what to do over vacation, which is also nice.
She has only been here a few times and already I can see the change. First of all, she is way more thorough than I have ever been even on my best cleaning days, so she finds all sorts of missing toys and game pieces and things, which is great. Second, next time she comes, she is going to clean out the fridge, my least favorite cleaning activity EVER, so that is fabulous. Also, she irons as well, and does a few shirts for the the husband before she leaves, so he is happier as well. Yesterday, in my spotless kitchen, I made cookies and organized all the food on my shelves. It was GREAT! Next up, organizing the kids' toys. This could be fabulous.....!
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