Child care, nanny or au pair

[JoSiTaKo]

Is it very common to have a nanny or au pair in Singapore? Any advice to which agency we could turn to? Thanks for your help!

[Aurora]

Unfortunately, I don't think nannys are very common around here. Most parents send their children to child-care centres.

However, I have heard of part-time nannys around, you can try checking out the classified section of the papers everyday.

Good luck

[jpatokal]

The Singaporean equivalent of nannies and au pairs is maids, which are very common indeed. Monthly salaries start as low as S$200 (plus government levy at a hefty S$345/mo).

[JoSiTaKo]

Thank you for the somewhat conflicting answers. Just wondering if a nanny or maid does child care only, does cleaning as well, stays all week (lives with the family or not), etc...

Thank you!

[Bafana]

Thank you for the somewhat conflicting answers. Just wondering if a nanny or maid does child care only, does cleaning as well, stays all week (lives with the family or not), etc...

Thank you!

A maid is live-in 7 days a week and will also cook, clean, etc.

If you get an Indonesian maid you don't need to give time off but I recommend you do as they are human as well and you will benifit from a much happier house.

I ahve found maids here are excellant with kids so don't worry in that respect

[JoSiTaKo]

Thanks Bafana for your response. I guess the remaining question is, which agency is best to use (given the fact that my wife and I do care about the well being of the maids)...

Or should we just go through the Classifieds (a search displayed a lot of those in relationship to maids being transferred)?

Thanks :!:

[patricia]

Hi Jositako
Yes, there are maids who do child care as well as housework. However be very specific on your requirements as u get alot of rubbish as well. Cheap doesn't mean good. the one good maid agency I would recommend - the people who run it has migrated - so can't help u there. Always insist on speaking to the employer and a reference letters. At the Tanglin Mall supermarket, people do stick up references for their maids. however u also find some agencies pretending to be employers as well. I sacked 4 maids within 3 months before finding the right one. And I am not the most fussy person . However my criteria is always honesty, general hygiene and
gd with children. Depending on your child's age, I personally tend to go for a more mature woman
there is also a book on "landscape of birthdays" or something like that at Borders. the birthdates are pretty accurate. I didn't believe it until i countered check on the irrational behaviour. A few of my friends swear by it before hiring a maid. Good luck!!

[Aurora]

Yap, they're right.

I was referring to nannies who solely take care of children without doing housework.

The maids will do both, and even cook. My ex-colleague was looking at an option of having a part time nanny instead of a maid and she mentioned the classified had some advertisements.

[mrs c]

I have a nanny. I asked my domestic helper if she minded being called a nanny rather than a maid. She was delighted, after all, that is her primary duty in our household. I am looking to transfer her, if anyone is interested. I highly recommend her, she is a gem. We are possibly leaving and my youngest is ready for nursery school, so I want to find her a good position...rather than leave her in the lurch at the last minute. Email me at [email protected] if you think you can help.

[guest]

what is the approximate monthly cost of hiring a nenny / maid .
I have a kid of 10 months and I am planning to come to singapore in Sep/Oct

[jpatokal]

Rough cost (with levy) is S$600 and up monthly for someone who can speak English. Prices go up based on references, experience and language ability.

[JoSiTaKo]

Now that is an answer that works very well in a spreadsheet!

Thank you.

regards, Johan

[Debbie Teo]

Hello,

My name is Debbie Teo. I am a 22 year old Singaporean Chinese, currently in my honours year studying Political Science at the National University of Singapore.

I am interested in helping you tend to your child/children. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take some time off to interview me to see if i would be suitable to look after your kids.

Please do contact me back at [email protected] if you are interested.

Thanks!

Regards,
Debbie Teo

[Bubbles]

I'm reading this thread with great interest. From many viewpoints.

I have no idea which country the original postee comes from, but if it is from a European country I wonder what sort of values, in the literal monetary sense, this person brings with them? And from the employment history sense.

Let me put it clearer. If this person comes from Europe and knows what value is placed on a nanny's head there, payment wise, I wonder how much that person will be prepared to convert that knowledge into facts when employing a new carer for her or his child when in Singapore?

I was horrified to see the two references, in the postings, to cost....'You can go as low as 200 dollars plus tax for this service' and 'Indonesian maids work 7 days a week, but hey........they're only human, so why not give them time off' etc etc.

A nanny in Europe would expect at LEAST the minimum wage, which is about £4.60 an hour. Plus an hour for lunch, paid. Plus finish at time mum and dad came home. Plus a car. Plus no cooking or cleaning. Plus a room, tv, no weekends. If you want cooking and cleaning here, you employ a cook and a maid. Not a human work machine to do all three.

Yes, I know it is the way of things in Singapore, and I employed maids myself in the eight years I was there...........BUT.....even in 1998 I gave her a fair wage.........of 450 sing dollars a month. All Sunday off. Any night she wanted, unless I needed babysitter service. Her own phone, a/c, evening classes to improve her education, let her friends call.....

I know this is unusual, but not if you look at it from a non Singaporean way.

There are lots of minuses to working as a woman in Singapore, for a local girl. But please be aware that the help system you have in place, regarding the small amounts you pay your maids, and the time they are expected to be on the job, it is something which is not referred to when considering your ability to just swan off everyday from home and follow a work path. It's a big plus in your lives. Here, you would end up paying the nanny as much, if not more than, what you earned yourself.

I am always amazed at the blase way folk in Singapore refer to their maids. NO, I am not saying you don't care for them. What I am saying is that you are getting amazing bargains there. And that you sometimes do not appreciate the freedom you have won at the small monetary cost you pay. And the value system which allows quite a lot of people to simply accept that they will get this.

Please realise the pluses which this enables you to have. And put it in perspective with the rest of the world. And be glad. But please, no more talk of simply giving the girls only 200 bucks and keeping them in on the Weekends.

[JoSiTaKo]

Hi Bubbles,

Given the fact you mention the original postee, which is me, I feel I have to respond to your message.

I'm from Kinderdijk in the Netherlands which by the way is posted next to my original message and the question I had was:

"Is it very common to have a nanny or au pair in Singapore? Any advice to which agency we could turn to? Thanks for your help!"

Yes, others have replied and put a monetary value on a maid or nanny in Singapore. [which by the way is helpful from a budgetary perspective]

I agree with your observation (value of people), I'm just careful not to take my own country as a reference...