Maid food allowance advice needed | ExpatWoman.com
 

Maid food allowance advice needed

51
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 12:30

First time hiring a full time filipina nanny...she doesn't cook at all...she says her sister always cooks for her back home,her food habits are different from ours ,right now I am doing the cooking...am I making a mistake here by cooking for her...should I just ask her to cook her own food she eats noodles for breakfast and she wants white rice for lunch...everyday we have fish for lunch and meat for dinner so I give her the same except she prefers kuboos for dinner.I am not planning to take her shopping with me coz it's just been 10 days with her and her lists keep increasing from day one...we waited for a long time to get an English speaking Muslim maid...so i got her everything she wanted till now but I am a bit concerned now in 5 days all the hand wash in all four bathrooms are finished large kids shampoo lotion everything got over in a week,floor cleaners large 1litre bottles she finished in 3 days I have had a parttime for the past 7 years never really bothered bout all this just got it wen things finished but I am sure it wasn't this frequent...am I overreacting,I tried to explain to her and she is like yes mam and the same thing repeats...if I am to get her food supplies what all should I get for her like beginning of month she likes coffee but 1 big bottle of Nescafé only lasted for bout a week...so do I just keep on buying it every week or just get her 1 bottle and a bag of white rice and noodles for a month and ask her to buy her own if she needs more...and what bout the fish and poultry if I am to get her separately do you provide fish and poultry daily for ur maid can someone also tell me how many kg rice bag I should get her for a month...sorry I am totally clueless here I was thinking a Maid would be a huge stress relief looks like the other way rite now...gave her a pair of new sandals and she asked for 2 more...got her one more...got her 4 sets of maid uniform and all the other stuff like soap shampoos etc...she keeps on asking next I want this next I want that gave her 4 dresses the first week she says it not enough she came with a huge bag of clothes.and past two days I noticed she is taking extra food from fridge without asking...what is the best way to deal with this...am I giving her too much freedom should I start restrictions right away...it's her first time in dubai her previous work experience is one year in Kuwait and two years in Saudi...
edited by wowsmarties on 26/12/2013
<em>edited by wowsmarties on 28/12/2013</em>

19
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 January 2014 - 09:54
Jellymum can you send me the maid info please? michaelavickers@hotmail.com Thank you.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 29 December 2013 - 13:53
I don't understand the issue either, surely you just do what works for you and you have a maid that can deal with whatever you do? Our maid gets a good all inclusive salary, no food/toiletries allowance on top, she can spend as much or as little as she wants out of her salary. She does her own shopping in her own time. She has her own cupboard in our kitchen and her own small fridge in her room. She cooks in our kitchen (normally when I am out) and chooses to eat in her room. I've got a husband and children to shop and cook for, I certainly don't also need to be shopping and cooking for a grown woman who's perfectly capable of looking after herself. I wouldn't employ a maid who couldn't look after herself and I was clear about that when hiring.
337
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 December 2013 - 12:16
I dont understand the issue with maids and food. I buy food for the whole family and both my maids just take what they want when they want. When its all gone I buy some more. If I cook and they want some they have it, if not they cook their own.
51
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 December 2013 - 12:12
If you want a Muslim maid, you can get an Indonesian Muslim maid. now she wont be able to speak any english, however she will pick it up. I have an Indonesian Muslim Maid and when she came to me, she couldnt speak a word on english but she has really picked it up now and writes shopping lists too ! My previous Indonesian maid was the same. the food situation, for your next maid you are going to have to be very very clear from the start. a lot of problems with maids happen because things are not made clear and expectations are set. I would suggest for your new maid, clear a cupboard and keep the basics such as tea, buiscuits, rice ( 10kg bag is good ) oil, noodles, sugar, chicken stock cubes. Clear a section of your fridge and get her vegetables ( spring onions, garlic, ginger, Kankon ( a herb that I get my maid which she likes eating, most fillapinas like that too ) chilli etc etc , get her some fish and some chicken and pop that in a bag in the freezer and put her name on it. tell her, this is her food and you would like her to cook her own food and eat it. I do that with my maid and keep checking her ' sections ' and i top up stuff when its finished. My maid is very forgetful and she will ' forget to eat ' so I have to remind her like a child. its second nature to me now. good luck . Mushy peas thank you so much for that detailed information...I will do that... And oopsiedaisy I agree I didn't set all the rules on day 1 as I have not had a fulltime before and I thought let her settle in the first week then I will explain things one by one...didn't workout ended up in a mess I will be better equipped wen the next one arrives...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 29 December 2013 - 10:06
If you want a Muslim maid, you can get an Indonesian Muslim maid. now she wont be able to speak any english, however she will pick it up. I have an Indonesian Muslim Maid and when she came to me, she couldnt speak a word on english but she has really picked it up now and writes shopping lists too ! My previous Indonesian maid was the same. the food situation, for your next maid you are going to have to be very very clear from the start. a lot of problems with maids happen because things are not made clear and expectations are set. I would suggest for your new maid, clear a cupboard and keep the basics such as tea, buiscuits, rice ( 10kg bag is good ) oil, noodles, sugar, chicken stock cubes. Clear a section of your fridge and get her vegetables ( spring onions, garlic, ginger, Kankon ( a herb that I get my maid which she likes eating, most fillapinas like that too ) chilli etc etc , get her some fish and some chicken and pop that in a bag in the freezer and put her name on it. tell her, this is her food and you would like her to cook her own food and eat it. I do that with my maid and keep checking her ' sections ' and i top up stuff when its finished. My maid is very forgetful and she will ' forget to eat ' so I have to remind her like a child. its second nature to me now. good luck .
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 December 2013 - 22:02
I took her back to the agency today morning...she tried to talk me into keeping her asking me " why are u sending me mam". I didn't want to talk to her I just said u know why...I had called the agency 2 days back and told them the issues and they had told me to provide her with her supplies and I also agreed to give her an additional allowance her rudeness and she lying on my face I don't give her food happened after that wen I asked her to cook her food yesterday...today at the agency wen they asked her why she wasn't cooking her food she changed the whole story...from I know filipina cooking only teach me your cooking to I don't know cooking then I don't have time and I don't understand when you tell me to cook my own food it became she was afraid to touch anything in my house so she couldn't cook her own food...I really had to laugh and ask so you weren't afraid to open the fridge and eat whatever you liked but you were afraid to touch the things u asked me to get for you...from yesterday afternoon bag of rice,packs of noodles,veggies are still lying on the kitchen table untouched plus the chicken and fish in the freezer which I told her to just ask me before taking so she is clear what is for her and what is for the family, all coz I asked her to cook her own food,I am not sure if she was waiting for me to cook it for her or she was trying to show I was starving her...i had taken a few pics of the things lying on table and I showed it at the agency and then she was complaining madam didn't cook chicken stew for me...leave alone cooking for her I heard the word chicken stew from her mouth at the agency... @oopsiedaisy u really think I can change this woman's habit of lying with clear instructions? I had to tell the agency please take back the queen of philipines and give me a maid who can cook her own food... I don't know, never said I thought so. All I know is that your posts still don't make sense to me, it all appears very chaotic, so my advice would be to start with clear rules and agreements with your next maid. Good luck.
51
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 December 2013 - 21:23
I took her back to the agency today morning...she tried to talk me into keeping her asking me " why are u sending me mam". I didn't want to talk to her I just said u know why...I had called the agency 2 days back and told them the issues and they had told me to provide her with her supplies and I also agreed to give her an additional allowance her rudeness and she lying on my face I don't give her food happened after that wen I asked her to cook her food yesterday...today at the agency wen they asked her why she wasn't cooking her food she changed the whole story...from I know filipina cooking only teach me your cooking to I don't know cooking then I don't have time and I don't understand when you tell me to cook my own food it became she was afraid to touch anything in my house so she couldn't cook her own food...I really had to laugh and ask so you weren't afraid to open the fridge and eat whatever you liked but you were afraid to touch the things u asked me to get for you...from yesterday afternoon bag of rice,packs of noodles,veggies are still lying on the kitchen table untouched plus the chicken and fish in the freezer which I told her to just ask me before taking so she is clear what is for her and what is for the family, all coz I asked her to cook her own food,I am not sure if she was waiting for me to cook it for her or she was trying to show I was starving her...i had taken a few pics of the things lying on table and I showed it at the agency and then she was complaining madam didn't cook chicken stew for me...leave alone cooking for her I heard the word chicken stew from her mouth at the agency... @oopsiedaisy u really think I can change this woman's habit of lying with clear instructions? I had to tell the agency please take back the queen of philipines and give me a maid who can cook her own food...
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 28 December 2013 - 14:47
Having to teach your maid how to cook so she can feed herself is pushing the boat a bit, I find that a bit extreme. I wouldn't view that as a solution to her issues. I have taught my housekeeper a few family favourite recipes to cook for the kids if I am unavailable to cook for them, but that is the extent of my teaching her to cook. I certainly would not be cooking something specially for her if she didn't like our food, I don't think I am the exception to the rule. I don't know anyone who cooks food specifically for their housekeeper. She either eats what we eat or she can cook herself. I give her a monthly food allowance and she can spend it on her own choice of food, or she can save it and eat what we are eating for breakfast or dinner. I do not take her grocery shopping with me, she has her days off every week and she can do her own shopping. Eating our food does not mean that she can stockpile our food in her fridge or store cupboard. If a jar of coffee is depleted in a week, I too would be wondering what happened to it ...... don't think the OP is doing anything wrong by questioning that. OP, I think you fell on a very naive houskeeper. She has worked in other gulf countries and has arrivied in Dubai with very skewed expectations, probably fuelled by the stories of how better life in Dubai is for housemaids and she doesn't know where the limits are. If you think she could be good and you could salvage your relationship , you could sit down with her and explain the ground rules, even write them down for her. You should not be embarassed to do this, I learned the hard way, that it is better to be clear about what is acceptable and what is not. The minute the boundaries are blurred, some of them can take advantage to an extreme degree. That is being fair and reasonable to her, she needs to know what are the limits in your household, otherwise she will unwittingly keep crossing them and you will be full of resentment. Some will continue to cross the lines, and that is when you say 'enough is enough' and you fire her.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 December 2013 - 11:01
I cook for my maid, I dont see an issue, when she joined she didnt have a clue about cooking. I cook in bulk for 3 days for her, I always keep cooked rice in the fridge, she's fine with most of our food, but when I cook something she doesnt like I cook a simple stew to eat it with her rice. Now I guide her to cook her own meals when I cook soemthing she doesnt like. I also have a picky kid, he was 2 when she joined, I told her clearly that this food is for my son & he will eat it later. I keep indomie & frozen burgers for her when I dont plan to cook. She used to throw her left overs, but I explained to her that it's "haram" , since then she started to keep the leftovers to eat them later, we eat leftovers, so it's not like forcing her to eat something we dont eat. I buy her sweets & chocolates. I dont count what she eats or notice how much coffee she's drinking, she asked for permission to drink from my coffee when she joined as it smelled good, so I told her it's ok. Hubby drinks a huge bag of turkish coffee in one week, I drink coffee once or twice a week. When I get my son a happy meal, she gets an upsized adults meal. When we order takeaway, we order for her even if she had her lunch or dinner. Now she helps I preparing our food, she can use the pressure cooker, clean chicken & roast it, make salads, chop veggies, etc. It takes some patience, when ours joined she didnt use to take a shower everyday, she used to keep her room dirty, & she used to consume loads of cleaning stuff. I had a talk with her, told her that proper hygiene is important in our house & her room is part of our house. As for cleaning stuff, I buy in bulk, I explained to her clearly that the stuff she has should last for 3 months, if shs' s out of cleaning stuff (other than washing powder) she should try to be creative like using dettol to mop the floor instead of the floor liquid, clorox for the bowl instead of harpic & so on. She gets shampoo & deodorant every two weeks, a tooth brush every 2 months, but she has access to soap & tissue roles from our supply. She's trying to impress you as she's scared to lose her job, sit with her, set up the rules, give her a week as probation, she decide if you want to keep her or return her to the agency. If you still think she's playing up, return her to the agency. Good luck
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 December 2013 - 10:01
Sorry wowsmarties, you are obviously having a hard time coping. I cannot believe al this nonsense about food, cooking, you objecting to her ironing etc. Get rid if the maid, you've started off on the wrong foot and are clearly beyond repair. But to be honest, your posts make no sense to me at all, I can easily see how your maids gets confused or misinterprets your instructions.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 19:12
I don't drink coffee but DH has a sip every morning and the rest gets thrown down the drain. I think the maid drinks coffee sometimes, but nothing excessive. I have not noticed it disappearing fast. In the Philippines, most of the poorer families grind up burnt corn and use that as a makeshift coffee powder.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:54
And please don't get me wrong on the coffee thing i drink coffee myself so I totally understand and I have got all her coffee supply wen hers got over but i didn't know a person would need more than 3 to 4 bottles in 2 weeks...and as I said in my previous mail I was asking for advice...I can't tolerate lies if only she was straightforward she could just tell me I drink coffeee mam but the very first day she started off by saying how tea gives her chest problems so she needs coffee I didn't even ask why she doesn't take tea...next I see her asking me for tea saying its good for stomach...from past week she's drinking both.only the first time I asked her wen she asked for tea out of concern didn't u say u get some chest problem if you take tea...inspite of getting her all this I found she has helped herself and emptied my decaff bottle (coz I am breast feeding)which I particularly mentioned the first day don't take that ask me wen urs get over.leave alone asking me she didn't even have the decency to tell me it's over...I just open the shelf and there sits my empty bottle...really from what advice I have received so far almost everyone says I should get rid of her...I already tried most of the advices on giving her a chance but I have totally lost trust now I can't have someone like that live in my house...it means a lot to me that a lot of people understood what I have been going through.thank you ladies...and jelly mum please send me that post so I don't underdo or overdo it next time...wowsmarties@yahoo.com <em>edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:35
It s probably better you take her back and look for another maid. Its would also be good to think about the rules for a new maid before she arrives to stop any confusion once shes at your house. Take a deep breath, she will be gone in the morning.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:31
Just take her back to the agency, it does not appear to be a recoverable situation. She should be able to handle the housework and some basic cooking skills. As for needing a. Muslima maid, pls tell your husband that the majority have quite poor hygiene for some strange reason. We have a Christian Filipina and she is well versed in Islamic ways, and can cook, clean, take care of pets, and has recently learnt to drive (kind of) and basically runs the entire house, including when we are a way. You can tell from the beginning if they will make it in your house or not. None of us are the same but I have an inkling about yours and how you like to run your house. Pls don't keep reminding her that she is leaving tomorrow. She is likely going to do a runner or make a big scene. Be prepared.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:16
Ohh please don't I trusted her and what I got back is this her ironing my kids clothes without me telling her I only see it as trying to make me change my decision of taking her to her agency tomorrow...today she has moved the ironing table out of her room and did the ironing in my hall and has kept all the ironed clothes lined up on the table for me to see and after that she came and told me she is sorry but if you had listened to how she raised her voice and lied I am not giving her food just coz I asked her to cook...the tone was very rude...I don't have a guarantee she will not repeat it coz yesterday I sat down with her explained everything nicely I was ready to give her extra allowance if she wanted more food...what should I do more...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:06
That is another thing that got me angry I told her very nicely I will get you a cookbook and I will teach u cooking...and her reply is "no I don't have the time it's takes a long time to cook I don't understand I can't do it"
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 18:04
She is 40 yrs old it's hard to believe she hasn't cooked all her life...I don't understand why I should tolerate her lies...one day she says one thing next day says another...she told me she knows how to cook filipina cuisine now says I cannot cook I don't have time please read the entire post from beginning...I was asking for advice how to handle this situation...I was even ready to get all the things she wanted and have already got her everything just last week she asked for fruits I got it for her but isn't there something as gratitude...the way she asks is " next I want this next I want this it's not like I can't have this food it's I will not have it I want this" is this acceptable behaviour .i have only asked her to iron my husbands office clothes everyday and that too I tell her umpteen number of times before she does it....I have had parttime filipina maids for 7 years and I had a very good relationship with them I used to leave juice and snacks for my maid who used to come 3 hrs a day for cleaning so don't think I have an issue giving food but as someone said should I give her free reign in my kitchen eat and take whatever u like whenever u like don't ask help ur self to my kids food but now with a toddler and a baby with 2 close emergency csection I find it hard to manage without help...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:51
If all the cleaning is done by 11am why do you need a maid? It sounds like how much she eats is a big issue for you so maybe just a daily maid would be better than a live in. No seriously I have no issues with how much she eats if she is hungry I don't mind her having food but she will not cook her food she wants me to cook for her I was already giving her the same food my family eats she wants a different cuisine and I have to cook that for her and when I interviewed her she said I know only filipina cooking I will learn your cooking...now she says she does not know how to cook her own food her mom and sister cooks for her her Arab mam in Saudi cooked all her food...first few days the food I gave her she was throwing in garbage saying I am giving her too much and she can't eat...I told her you take what you want don't waste food...my toddler is very fussy eater so she normally doesn't eat on time so I keep her food in the fridge,after giving the maid freedom to eat what she wants she started taking the food I keep for my daughter from the fridge without asking me and wen I go to get food for my daughter wen she is finally ready to eat it's not there...I thought maybe the maid is hungry so I had to cook again for my daughter and I didn't even ask her bout that till today... she can't cook so why can't you teach her ?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:45
If all the cleaning is done by 11am why do you need a maid? It sounds like how much she eats is a big issue for you so maybe just a daily maid would be better than a live in. No seriously I have no issues with how much she eats if she is hungry I don't mind her having food but she will not cook her food she wants me to cook for her I was already giving her the same food my family eats she wants a different cuisine and I have to cook that for her and when I interviewed her she said I know only filipina cooking I will learn your cooking...now she says she does not know how to cook her own food her mom and sister cooks for her her Arab mam in Saudi cooked all her food...first few days the food I gave her she was throwing in garbage saying I am giving her too much and she can't eat...I told her you take what you want don't waste food...my toddler is very fussy eater so she normally doesn't eat on time so I keep her food in the fridge,after giving the maid freedom to eat what she wants she started taking the food I keep for my daughter from the fridge without asking me and wen I go to get food for my daughter wen she is finally ready to eat it's not there...I thought maybe the maid is hungry so I had to cook again for my daughter and I didn't even ask her bout that till today...
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:34
If all the cleaning is done by 11am why do you need a maid? It sounds like how much she eats is a big issue for you so maybe just a daily maid would be better than a live in.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:34
Yes this is it I am taking her back to her agency first thing tomorrow morning...if only they were open today she would not be in my house by now I will not tolerate her after what she did today morning...morning I told her to cook her lunch wen my baby was sleeping she said " not now mam later".i said fine after 5min she comes to me and says "what am I supposed to do with vegetables I don't eat vegetables I want chicken or fish...".I was like oh really u eat chicken and fish everyday back home and she goes yes with every meal I eat chicken and fish only Christian filipinas eat veggies I don't and my mom and my sister cooks food for me when the food is ready I go and eat...I lost it I told her to just shut up and told her u really think I am going to buy that story...and she interrupts me and says I work whole day and you don't give me food...I said stop right there I have been cooking you food 3 times a day and on top of that u have been taking extra food from the fridge for the past few days without my permission and you have the guts to lie on my face that I don't give you food???She raises her voice and tells me I was hungry so I took food from the fridge see I am taking care of a baby so I will be hungry and my contract says everything is free here.i said this is it I will not tolerate you anymore pack your bags first thing in the morning you will be out of my house...I tell not to touch anything in my house except she can cook her food which I kept on the kitchen table...I told her to stay in her room and I take my kids upstairs.I am so angry and upset... I go down to the kitchen for lunch and I realise she has helped herself to a lot more stuff than just food from fridge...and she has still not touched the rice the veggies or the kuboos the sauce I have left on the table...and wen I had asked her to stay in her room she is cleaning my kitchen,ironing my kids clothes...and then she comes and tells me I am sorry mam I have come all way from Filipinos I don't understand anything here...I stopped her right there and said there will be no more talking be ready tomorrow morning... [b'>What a nightmare...[/b'> edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013 yes, I daresay that's what she's thinking too... Why would you say that doubting Thomas if it was a nightmare for her she wouldn't try to talk me into keeping her.... sounds like she's young, has been used to her mother and sister cooking for her - maybe in her previous jobs she didn't have to cook..she says she doesn't understand anything here and all you've done is complain about how much coffee she drinks and that she doesn't eat vegetables !! And in the middle of you shouting at her to shut up she's still cleaning your kitchen and doing your ironing !! The nerve of the girl !! lol sorry but I think maybe you started off on the wrong foot but now you can start again but lay down some ground rules and tell her what you expect. And instead of cooking for her you could teach her how to cook for herself and the family...just saying...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:25
Yes this is it I am taking her back to her agency first thing tomorrow morning...if only they were open today she would not be in my house by now I will not tolerate her after what she did today morning...morning I told her to cook her lunch wen my baby was sleeping she said " not now mam later".i said fine after 5min she comes to me and says "what am I supposed to do with vegetables I don't eat vegetables I want chicken or fish...".I was like oh really u eat chicken and fish everyday back home and she goes yes with every meal I eat chicken and fish only Christian filipinas eat veggies I don't and my mom and my sister cooks food for me when the food is ready I go and eat...I lost it I told her to just shut up and told her u really think I am going to buy that story...and she interrupts me and says I work whole day and you don't give me food...I said stop right there I have been cooking you food 3 times a day and on top of that u have been taking extra food from the fridge for the past few days without my permission and you have the guts to lie on my face that I don't give you food???She raises her voice and tells me I was hungry so I took food from the fridge see I am taking care of a baby so I will be hungry and my contract says everything is free here.i said this is it I will not tolerate you anymore pack your bags first thing in the morning you will be out of my house...I tell not to touch anything in my house except she can cook her food which I kept on the kitchen table...I told her to stay in her room and I take my kids upstairs.I am so angry and upset... I go down to the kitchen for lunch and I realise she has helped herself to a lot more stuff than just food from fridge...and she has still not touched the rice the veggies or the kuboos the sauce I have left on the table...and wen I had asked her to stay in her room she is cleaning my kitchen,ironing my kids clothes...and then she comes and tells me I am sorry mam I have come all way from Filipinos I don't understand anything here...I stopped her right there and said there will be no more talking be ready tomorrow morning... [b'>What a nightmare...[/b'> edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013 yes, I daresay that's what she's thinking too... Why would you say that doubting Thomas if it was a nightmare for her she wouldn't try to talk me into keeping her....
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:17
Yes this is it I am taking her back to her agency first thing tomorrow morning...if only they were open today she would not be in my house by now I will not tolerate her after what she did today morning...morning I told her to cook her lunch wen my baby was sleeping she said " not now mam later".i said fine after 5min she comes to me and says "what am I supposed to do with vegetables I don't eat vegetables I want chicken or fish...".I was like oh really u eat chicken and fish everyday back home and she goes yes with every meal I eat chicken and fish only Christian filipinas eat veggies I don't and my mom and my sister cooks food for me when the food is ready I go and eat...I lost it I told her to just shut up and told her u really think I am going to buy that story...and she interrupts me and says I work whole day and you don't give me food...I said stop right there I have been cooking you food 3 times a day and on top of that u have been taking extra food from the fridge for the past few days without my permission and you have the guts to lie on my face that I don't give you food???She raises her voice and tells me I was hungry so I took food from the fridge see I am taking care of a baby so I will be hungry and my contract says everything is free here.i said this is it I will not tolerate you anymore pack your bags first thing in the morning you will be out of my house...I tell not to touch anything in my house except she can cook her food which I kept on the kitchen table...I told her to stay in her room and I take my kids upstairs.I am so angry and upset... I go down to the kitchen for lunch and I realise she has helped herself to a lot more stuff than just food from fridge...and she has still not touched the rice the veggies or the kuboos the sauce I have left on the table...and wen I had asked her to stay in her room she is cleaning my kitchen,ironing my kids clothes...and then she comes and tells me I am sorry mam I have come all way from Filipinos I don't understand anything here...I stopped her right there and said there will be no more talking be ready tomorrow morning... [b'>What a nightmare...[/b'> edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013 yes, I daresay that's what she's thinking too...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 17:11
Yes this is it I am taking her back to her agency first thing tomorrow morning...if only they were open today she would not be in my house by now I will not tolerate her after what she did today morning...I normally don't take this kind of attitude but maybe spending months to find a maid made me hold on till now...today morning I told her to cook her lunch wen my baby was sleeping she said " not now mam later".i said fine after 5min she comes to me and says "what am I supposed to do with vegetables I don't eat vegetables I want chicken or fish...".I was like oh really u eat chicken and fish everyday back home and she goes yes with every meal I eat chicken and fish only Christian filipinas eat veggies I don't and my mom and my sister cooks food for me when the food is ready I go and eat...I lost it I told her to just shut up and told her u really think I am going to buy that story...and she interrupts me and says I work whole day and you don't give me food...I said stop right there I have been cooking you food 3 times a day and on top of that u have been taking extra food from the fridge for the past few days without my permission and you have the guts to lie on my face that I don't give you food???She raises her voice and tells me I was hungry so I took food from the fridge see I am taking care of a baby so I will be hungry and my contract says everything is free here.i said this is it I will not tolerate you anymore pack your bags first thing in the morning you will be out of my house...I tell not to touch anything in my house except she can cook her food which I kept on the kitchen table...I told her to stay in her room and I take my kids upstairs.I am so angry and upset... I go down to the kitchen for lunch and I realise she has helped herself to a lot more stuff than just food from fridge...and she has still not touched the rice the veggies or the kuboos the sauce I have left on the table...and wen I had asked her to stay in her room she is cleaning my kitchen,ironing my kids clothes...and then she comes and tells me I am sorry mam I have come all way from Filipinos I don't understand anything here...I stopped her right there and said there will be no more talking be ready tomorrow morning... What a nightmare... edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013 <em>edited by wowsmarties on 27/12/2013</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 December 2013 - 11:50
I find this whole situation totally bizarre and agree with the others that you are being played with and you need to send this person back to the agency immediately. Then re-think totally and do some groundwork so you are yourself better equipped to handle the replacement. A while back some kind soul posted a lot of information about all this. It was brilliant in that it covered just about all the issues between employer and maid that need addressing, preferably before your maid sets foot in your house. I saved this information for future reference, should my own maid who has been with me for 8 years ever leave. I can send it to you if you give me your email address.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 23:39
Honestly, I think you are made for each other.......poor girl is probably starving. The fact you are monitoring how much coffee she drinks says it all. @Grumpy my sympathies are with you for having this level of IQ and for coming up with your discovery...starving certainly not if u read my entire post of what I have been providing her from the time she is with us we went out for dinner today at bout 8:00 before leaving i left her with her favourite pack of kuboos and veggies so she can cook her dinner.i came back at 10:00 and everything is as I left untouched I am not sure someone who is starving will go without food wen it's right in front of you... <em>edited by wowsmarties on 26/12/2013</em>
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 22:48
This maid is playing with you. She is experienced, has worked in other gulf countries and knows very well what she is doing and is taking advantage of your inexperience and kindness. She is YOUR maid, not the other way around. Please, return her to the agency before she makes you crazy. Don't buy her everything she asks for - the more you give the more she will ask for. I often give my maid extras such so phone credit but she never asks for it. I always pay salary on time, ensure she has toiletries etc, and never ask her to do more than she is contracted to do. There are plenty of Indonesian maids (Muslim) who are also educated to high school and speak reasonable English. Be clear from the beginning what you provide, what you pay and what you expect, duties and standards. Don't lavish gifts, gratuities etc early on as they will become the expected norm. You have to work for what you get, so does your maid. It is her job to serve your household.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 22:25
Honestly, I think you are made for each other.......poor girl is probably starving. The fact you are monitoring how much coffee she drinks says it all. First time hiring a full time filipina nanny...she doesn't cook at all...she says her sister always cooks for her back home,her food habits are different from ours ,right now I am doing the cooking...am I making a mistake here by cooking for her...should I just ask her to cook her own food she eats noodles for breakfast and she wants white rice for lunch...everyday we have fish for lunch and meat for dinner so I give her the same except she prefers kuboos for dinner.I am not planning to take her shopping with me coz it's just been 10 days with her and her lists keep increasing from day one...we waited for a long time to get an English speaking Muslim maid...so i got her everything she wanted till now but I am a bit concerned now in 5 days all the hand wash in all four bathrooms are finished large kids shampoo lotion everything got over in a week,floor cleaners large 1litre bottles she finished in 3 days I have had a parttime for the past 5 years never really bothered bout all this just got it wen things finished but I am sure it wasn't this frequent...am I overreacting,I tried to explain to her and she is like yes mam and the same thing repeats...if I am to get her food supplies what all should I get for her like beginning of month she likes coffee but 1 big bottle of Nescafé only lasted for bout a week...so do I just keep on buying it every week or just get her 1 bottle and a bag of white rice and noodles for a month and ask her to buy her own if she needs more...and what bout the fish and poultry if I am to get her separately do you provide fish and poultry daily for ur maid can someone also tell me how many kg rice bag I should get her for a month...sorry I am totally clueless here I was thinking a Maid would be a huge stress relief looks like the other way rite now...gave her a pair of new sandals and she asked for 2 more...got her one more...got her 4 sets of maid uniform and all the other stuff like soap shampoos etc...she keeps on asking next I want this next I want that gave her 4 dresses the first week she says it not enough she came with a huge bag of clothes.and past two days I noticed she is taking extra food from fridge without asking...what is the best way to deal with this...am I giving her too much freedom should I start restrictions right away...it's her first time in dubai her previous work experience is one year in Kuwait and two years in Saudi... edited by wowsmarties on 26/12/2013
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 21:54
I am sorry but I really had to laugh at the image of you cooking your maid's meals for her. Does she also ask you to clean her bathroom and make her bed? If I had a maid I'd give her a choice, she either eats what we eat for lunch/dinner and gets a small allowance to buy things like breakfast items and coffee, or she gets a (larger) amount of money per month to buy all her own food that she cooks herself. I would never entertain the idea of letting her throw items in the shopping cart like she is my child.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 December 2013 - 18:28
Thank you so much ladies I truly appreciate all your advice I just tried to be nice to her but yes she did take advantage it feels bad when u try to be good but all that comes back is this...I have not processed her visa yet DH suggested we do it after a month but it's getting worse feels like it's better off without a maid...I just talked to her very nicely told her I am going to get her supplies for a month and you will cook ur own food from now on and her comment is" no mam I don't have time" I was like what really I have not yet asked u to cook for the whole family I am speaking about cooking your own food She is like I don't have time to cook my food I said I am already doing a lot of things for you which I don't have to...after sometime I asked her to cook her lunch and she says I don't want lunch I said fine but u will have to go without food if you can't cook I am not doing it for you anymore...and then she goes inside makes her own food...wen she told me she didn't know how to cook...we'll I have called the agency they asked me to try to speak to her and if she is still not making an effort they will change her they also told me I only need to pay her 100 aed a month for allowance food,shampoo,soap,etc and the lady at the agency was a filipina too...I was like only 100aed I was planning a lot more she said it's more than enough with her current salary...and that it is enough to keep them happy compared to their situations back home. All cleaning is done by 11 in the morning after which she just takes care of my baby and wen he sleeps she is in her room still she doesn't have time to cook her own food...hmmm. ...my only issue is finding a Muslim maid who speaks English... My maid isnt musim and we are a musim family I dont see the issue. DH is very particular about having a Muslim nanny for the kids...i had a few good nonmuslim parttime maids before so really I don't mind it as long as she meets my expectations...But it's difficult to convince DH in this regard...
 
 

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