Live-in Nannies & Maids

So....I am living in a whole new world with whole new norms.

One of which is having live-in help. It is crazy cheap and crazy common here.

Some people may even have 2 or 3. I'm not talking richy-rich people either. I'm talking the "you's and me's" of the world.

I've met four Wives who's spouses work with Brian and 2 have help, 1 is looking and one doesn't. The three "pro-help" gals all have two kids a piece and one is a SAHM.

Before I moved here, I thought the idea was CRAZY. Seriously, have someone in your house and underfoot who doesn't leave that you are totally responsible for? But, after one week and a few conversations......I could be one of Them. Crazy, right?

But.....picture this......

It's 6:30 am and crazy morning time in the house. So... You AND the nanny wake up and one watches the toddler and one helps big kids. One makes breakfast and the other lunches.

Nap time for toddler...nanny stays home while you run to the store on your own.

Lunch date with a girlfriend? No problem, nanny can watch the toddler.

Volunteer at big kids' school? No problem, nanny has the toddler covered.

Hate laundry? Don't want to clean the bathrooms? The nanny is also a maid. Score!

Friday Night and want to go out with Hubby for the night?? No problem, the nanny is at home and you can be out as late as you want.

The going rate......$500 a month!!!! You supply the furnishings (villas usually come with a maids quarters so you can just get a twin bed, tv and a dresser).

You supply one round-trip ticket home and most Helpers come from Sri Lanka here so it's about $300 RT. You also provide one month severance at the end and a one-way ticket home.

Some people (usually non-Americans) only pay $200 a month with no days off. CRAZY but they get away with it.

Was told one family who used to live in our complex (not American), had 6 kids and THREE nannies living in bunk beds in the tiny 7x11 quarters.

CRAZY

Just because you can do it, do you?

Financially....makes sense. For what I would pay to have someone clean twice a month, daycare at the gym for two hours four times a week, babysitter once a weeks for evenings.....I'm coming close to $500 anyway.

The idea of someone LIVING here all the time though..........

I'm not good for house guests longer than 5 days.

We'll see. The plan is to do nothing until after my mom comes and goes in January.

Where would we put all our stuff if we have a maid/nanny and they live in what I think should be my storage area??

The whole idea is crazy and I can't believe I'm contemplating it at all.

I wouldn't be one to leave Cam whenever I did anything. I'm a SAHM so I can hang with him and do fun stuff together. He loves to be out and about with me and he's great at the grocery store and even clothing shopping at the mall. He enjoys seeing what's out there in then world and interacting withother kids.

Maybe I'll look at going back to work in a year or two and THEN look at having one????

Maybe I'll become one of the coffee and lunch mummies with a nanny home with the baby all day. (probably not)

Just trying to figure it all out.




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