Hiring help or not?

[VisionaryMom]

I've been considering hiring some help. I even posted an ad, but I haven't followed up on the responses. It's hard to articulate what's holding me back - just this voice in my head saying that I *should* be able to get everything done.

Honestly if I could just hire out laundry, I'd be tons happier. Pros & cons of domestic help?

[RollerCoasterMama]

PRO! I have a smallish home and a smallish budget and I will cut a lot of things if I can keep my cleaner. She comes by every couple of weeks and does the deep clean. So if I rush around and pick up...it's clean underneath. I have tried to do it all. Even before I became a single parent this winter, I still struggled. I am not super mom. I tried and I really struggled.

I don't feel guilty---my parents both worked out of the home when I was growing up and when we were young, they always had someone come by every couple of weeks. Once we got older, it became a family project to do the deep clean every Saturday morning so they didn't have anyone then. And again, when we moved out and my dad's health was suffering, they got someone again. But once my dad retired, they stopped. So in my world, it never was presented as a lazy thing. It's making things work, keeping my sanity and letting me spend my time with my son instead of scrubbing the bathroom. I get to a point where I have so much I SHOULD be doing, that it's paralyzing. So having this one thing taken care of really helps me.

And since I don't want her to spend time doing the pick-up, I keep the place in better shape between visits too, plus at least every 2 weeks it has to be ready for someone to look into every room. It's worth the money to me just to get that motivation!

I have no CONS. If you can afford it, do it.

[madskye]

I think it's a pro. I have dogs, so we've never been able to really have a regular housecleaner, but I definitely use help, and use some extra daycare time to keep my house clean if need be. I probably have a housecleaner come do a deep clean about once per year, usually around an event we're hosting.

Also, could you just get a laundry service? My drycleaner does regular laundry too--wash and fold. Might be easier to just drop it off than have someone come in.

Maybe that's what's holding you back? Do you not want someone in your home?

[VisionaryMom]

Originally Posted by madskye

Maybe that's what's holding you back? Do you not want someone in your home?

I do have some concerns with someone in our house, but since we have a nanny, I've mostly gotten over that. I think the thing is that neither DH nor I had help in our homes growing up. His mother was a SAHM who raised 5 kids (with a frequently traveling or working late corporate husband), served on the school board, volunteered for various committees, etc. My mother was a single mom who went to school & worked full-time. She still managed to be really involved with our activities and get all of the housework done.

So, why can't I? I have an involved husband, only 2 kids, and a job with flexibility.

That's really the dilemma for me more than anything. OTOH, hubby wants to purchase investment property. I'm all for it, and we've started looking at some properties. There's NO way we can keep up at home and take this on as well, but the potential financial pay-off for it would be beneficial to us.

[madskye]

It was a different time back then though--my mom worked but we lived in the same town as my relatives. I had no aftercare and rode my bike all over town with a bunch of other kids, dropped in on aunts and cousins for snacks, etc...when I was 9! That would never happen here and now. Your parents might have had more of a village that enabled that kind of involvement and schedule.

[KalamazooMom]

So far I haven't hired anyone to help with the inside of my house but I have hired a service to do my yard. It was just way more than I could keep up with. I was talking with a friend one day and decided when I am outside especially with the kids I want to enjoy the yard and not always be out there working. So far I've been really happy with that decision. It is money well spent.

[Alyantavid]

I haven't ever hired help, but it's mostly because I don't want someone in my house touching things. And I have a really good routine and seem to stay on top of things.

Growing up, we always had someone come in and clean every 2 weeks. Even now, my mom still has someone.

[dentmom3]

Pro all the way!

We've got a weekly cleaning lady and she is worth every penny! Whenever I feel guilty and talk to DH about cutting the cleaning back or eliminating it - he tells me it's the best money we've ever spent. He doesn't help with housework at all and I can't keep up between kids, work, carpools, activities etc.

This year we went from daycare to a nanny and with more people in the house all day, things are even messier than they were before! But the plus is that the nanny does the kids laundry too. Sure, I feel a little guilty, but it is so worth it!