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What's with the live-in maids?!

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RedRidingHood
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by RedRidingHood » Fri, 31 Jul 2015 2:15 pm

If you read the local forums on maids you will find that a lot of Singaporeans prefer not to have a live in maid. There's an entire thread devoted on how they could prepare themselves bit by bit towards the goal of not having a maid soon. Quite a number hiring maids are those with young children and/or old folks who need help. In other countries like Australia ( not sure for Europe/UK) you could take longer leave to take care of your young children till they are old enough to be sent to childcare and you can go back to work. There are laws in place making your employer keep your job for you till you go back. Try that here in Singapore?


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x9200
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by x9200 » Fri, 31 Jul 2015 2:22 pm

Longer maternity or paternity leaves don't solve the problems of delivering and picking up children form school or kindergarten during working hours and this is the main problem in Singapore (IMHO) that requires that extra help.

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ecureilx
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by ecureilx » Fri, 31 Jul 2015 2:54 pm

x9200 wrote:Longer maternity or paternity leaves don't solve the problems of delivering and picking up children form school or kindergarten during working hours and this is the main problem in Singapore (IMHO) that requires that extra help.
Does anybody recall the furor when one of the Government Child Care centers started enforcing fines for late pick up of kids ??

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 31 Jul 2015 3:53 pm

There's been talk in government circles how to address this problem for a number of years. Government Creches has been bandied about as well. But I don't think it ever gets past the think tank stage.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

x9200
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by x9200 » Sat, 01 Aug 2015 8:15 am

This concerns mostly the lower wage citizens who could not afford the maids and a very small fraction of expat-like like myself.
I don't see it happened in any reasonable time.

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by marc.favroo » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 6:22 am

x9200 wrote:Longer maternity or paternity leaves don't solve the problems of delivering and picking up children form school or kindergarten during working hours and this is the main problem in Singapore (IMHO) that requires that extra help.
What about grandparents? When I was young and my parents could not afford a nanny (just like 99% of people in europe) it would be up to the grandparents to take me to/back from school? What's wrong with that? Why can\t this work here?

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by marc.favroo » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 6:24 am

Also, and probably unrelatedly...found a good part-time cleaning option so no need to worry about getting a live-in maid anymore - launched by former banker expats...apparently not allowed to use names, so if anyone interested let me know privately

bro75
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by bro75 » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 6:53 am

For some families, grandparents are an option. But there are a lot of migrant families here who do not have this luxury.

x9200
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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by x9200 » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 8:08 am

marc.favroo wrote:
x9200 wrote:Longer maternity or paternity leaves don't solve the problems of delivering and picking up children form school or kindergarten during working hours and this is the main problem in Singapore (IMHO) that requires that extra help.
What about grandparents? When I was young and my parents could not afford a nanny (just like 99% of people in europe) it would be up to the grandparents to take me to/back from school? What's wrong with that? Why can\t this work here?
Good question. I see some local grandparents taking care of the children but I have the impression there is a large disproportion to what I know from Europe too. Not sure is this the l.in-maid thing or something more cultural.

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by x9200 » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 8:14 am

marc.favroo wrote:Also, and probably unrelatedly...found a good part-time cleaning option so no need to worry about getting a live-in maid anymore - launched by former banker expats...apparently not allowed to use names, so if anyone interested let me know privately
It is allowed if this is based on your opinion and not an advertisement but I would suggest to wait at least few months before you start recommending any company - at the beginning everything is rosy and high standard. You will only know what the company is really worth if some problems will need to be solved.

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by earthfriendly » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 8:44 am

Since my mom is home most of the time, one of my sister has her only child gets dropped off by school bus at her flat. So he did not end up being a latch key kid. They live close to grandma. At this time of their lives, grandparents are in their golden years. Chipping in the childcare is fine. I don't feel it is right to make them be full time caregivers and doing the entire parenting all over again.

I have seen some arrangements where both the kids and live-in maid gets dropped off at the grandparents during the day time and then the parents pick them up after work each day. They don't feel comfortable leaving kids with maid alone. And the grandparents don't have to do the heavy lifting. But it can end up being a really long day especially if the grandparents live far from you.

Which is why the govt. offers priorities for families in flat purchase selection to be in close proximity to their extended families.

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 9:19 am

Yeah, and at the same time, if you have your parents live with you, it necessitates the need for additional bedroom(s) as your children grow up (if of different genders). So, on the one hand, the government urges you to have a 3 tier family structure and then on the other hand, penalizes you for buying a 4 BR 5 room flat in order to do so. :-( And they wonder why voters get disgruntled? Oh, near to the parents? Great if you are Chinese and control 78% of the housing quotas in every block. But if you are a 7% minority or a 2% minority? It rarely happens. So much for equality here. All are equal but some are more equal than others. What to do? Like it, learn to deal with it, or leave it. The choice is ours, but it still rankles.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by nakatago » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 9:47 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote: Like it, learn to deal with it, or leave it. The choice is ours, but it still rankles.
Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by earthfriendly » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:09 am

Never really thought of that. Quotas was put in place during those drastic times. Such artificial intervention impedites natural human movement and restricts freedom. I am not sure how long can the govt hold it up. Times have changed.

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Re: What's with the live-in maids?!

Post by x9200 » Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:29 am

How long? I though they made it even more strict recently to prevent formation of some minorities' enclaves.

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