I found out what...

...bugs me so much about my home help lady. She's really good with the kids, but now that her hours have been reduced to housework only, she's getting on my nerves again! And this is what it is: I have several systems in my home which are pretty basic but necessary in a two-storey home with three little kids. Things like the bucket in the upstairs bathroom is for washing and when you do the laundry, you take the bucket downstairs to supplement the washing load.... got it? My home help lady gets that part but does she think to return the bucket to the bathroom when it has been emptied? Noooooo.

Here's another thing that got on my nerves today. I don't want to have to say, please keep the cutlery drawer tidy and organised when you unload the dishwasher. I mean surely! I really don't think I'm all that picky but this one got my nerve this morning.

Her way: My way:

Edited by busymum

oh god that would drive me nuts!!!! that draw she did is appalling!!

Did you read in the herald over the past few days about the complaints around home help availability nationwide and about the disabled lady that was left alone for FIVE DAYS even though she couldn't cook/clean for herself?
In defense of the home help people, they get paid STUFF ALL - you get more money working as a cleaner or in a call centre, very little training and even less support. I know that one of the women that helped my mum out after her broken leg gets paid $12/hour, no extra money for travelling to different jobs and has to help out with bathing a number of elderly people (heavy lifting). For $12/hour!!!! I don't think that anyone coming into your home is ever going to do as well as you could, especially if you are pissed off about being injured and needing the help in the first place. At least she is there to help, even if it is below your own high standard?

The companies tend not to care, they'll take anyone they can get and because they're paying them stuff all, they're happy if people just turn up. Commercial cleaners get paid more than caregivers.
The woman that still comes to do housework for mum (ACC funded) is in her late 50s and this is her main source of income (she's single with no family in Auckland). Pre-tax, she needs to do 42 hours a week to be able to earn $26K a year...she's taking home $405 after tax a week for over 40 hours of reasonably manual work and living in Auckland where we all know what rents look like. I pray that when I'm in my late 50s things are a lot easier for me.

I think I would go spare if my drawer looked like that! Something my DP would do...he still can't blame the boy.

 

All our folded washing (the kids' clothes and sheets and towels) goes away like that too. Open drawer; dump. Open cupboard; dump. While she was off sick last week I went through and tidied them all, now there's no excuse. Has already been "dumped" again this week, so that's it for me. I'm putting the washing away myself from now on.

I agree Piper - if you're paid to do a job, do it well! Especially if you still want your job in a couple of months lol. My DH has just finished a year working as a postie for the same hourly rate (and then it went up 60c/hr or something) but that didn't stop him doing a good job.

I've decided what I'm going to do. My current "term" of help expires on Monday 21st and Lorna knows that. But they will be reviewing me at that point one more time and I'm going to call Lorna's boss (who I know personally) and get the girl who covered last week when Lorna was off sick. She can do the final two weeks or something. I'm supposed to be putting my feet up, not teaching a 50yo how to keep house! I like her, but I don't like her doing my housework.

Have any of you seen the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"? One point I got from that - actually it was from reading the book after I saw the movie - was WHATEVER job you're doing, whether its cleaning toilets, serving people or wiping old peoples bums - DO IT WELL!!

I would be embarressed to be a "home help" & leave a cupboard/drawer in that state! Knowing the people you're supposed to be cleaning for can see your work, or lack off. Sounds like she's a very lazy cleaner.

I have a cleaner once a week & she can be a bit lazy too, it gets on my nerves, but I sort of know her on a personal level too so feel I can't tell her to PLEASE do a better job!