My thinking process……Hiring a Maid/Nanny

So….looks like it took 7 months to see the light – ha ha!

I remember moving here and thinking that this whole idea of having a live-in Maid/Nanny as a stay-at-home mom was ridiculous.  Yep – plain ole ridiculous.  I mean, come on – don’t people know that as an American woman you should be able to take care of all of your children, cook a wonderful meal, keep a clean house, take time for yourself, go to the gym, leave the house looking put together and all with a smile on your face??  You shouldn’t need help – you should DO IT ALL.  

Feasible – no (unless you are a freakin’ superwoman).   If you really think about it, you might accomplish a good portion of those things – but to do it all and do it all WELL – it’s just NOT possible for the average woman.  Yet, that doesn’t stop me from thinking that it should be.  Ack!

So….here we are in the UAE where NO ONE does it all on their own.  I have friends with drivers AND maids AND nannies AND cooks.  Ok – maybe one friend who is local that has that.  But – I do have WESTERN friends with nannies or maids.  In fact, the majority of my friends have some kind of live-in help.  It took me months to wrap my head around the whole idea.

I would think any or all of the following:

• It must be weird to have someone living in your house.
• Why would you want someone else to care for your kids if you are completely around to do it yourself?
• What do these moms do all day if someone else is cooking and cleaning and minding their children?
• If they have kids in school all day AND they don’t work – why have someone??
• My JOB is to be at home and clean house, cook meals and take care of my children – I can’t possibly pay someone else to do what I’m supposed to be doing on a regular basis.

 

Over time I started to think the following:

• Holy crap this house has so much marble and tile that I can’t possibly clean it all myself.
• My god there is so much dust EVERYWHERE and ALL the time that I can’t keep on top of it.
• Why are there so many bathrooms in one house?  This is ridiculous (we have 5 1/2 and they ALL have separate tubs and showers AND bidets).
• Boy – I wish I could just go out with friends and not have to plan ahead for a sitter.
• Laundry NEVER seems to stop
• It sure would be nice to have a complete conversation with an adult without _________ needing something.
• If only someone was around so I could leave ONE of the THREE kids home and avoid hearing them bicker in the car about something.  (not always – but sometimes would be nice)
• I wish I could give attention to all the kids when they want it….

 

This eventually became:

• I WILL be working full time in the Fall and I don’t want Cameron at after-school care EVERY day until 4.  I’d love to have someone around to pick him up earlier.
• I don’t HAVE to clean my house all by myself.
• I don’t HAVE to cook every night.
• It really is cheaper to have someone live here full time and do the cleaning regularly and have babysitting available all the time than hire that out.
• Maybe we’ll get someone in time for when I work full-time.

 

Before I knew it this became:

• Well – if we are going to hire someone in time for me to start work, maybe we should just get someone now so the kids are comfortable.
• I think I’ll start posting ads.
• Maybe I’ll ask around too.
• We should hire one today, I mean really now – why wait?