When it comes to the issue of employing house maids i'm scared stiff, ah! I don tire for dia wahala! The first ever maid I employed prior to my first delivery claimed to be 23years old. Blessing started off quite well the first few weeks but I started noticing changes after I put to birth, her job description was basically cleaning the house and nothing more. She doesn't cook nor do my laundry, she doesn't even look after my little baby.
Problem started when she felt her duty was to watch African megic(africa magic), oh yes! That's how she pronounces it, some chores will be half done and some untouched. Even when I send her to get the house chores done, she does them haphazardly so she can watch her beloved African megic. In a bid to take it easy with her not come off too controlling I didn't ban her from watching it but when she started grumbling and talking back at me when I complain of a poorly done job I knew she needed to leave Before she becomes my boss.
Shortly after my first maid left I got a new one. I decided she wasn't going to live with me, she started work few days into the month of October, she was dedicated and never bothered if there was a tv or not in the house. Trouble started when she started bringing her entire community clothes to wash in my house since I have a constant and steady water supply. I'm not against her using my water or clothe line but she took her laundry more serious than her work in my home.
When I paid her December salary, she announced she wasn't returning after xmas break, upon further inquiry she said she wanted to get married. I was devastated but had no choice than to let her go.
My husband decided I look for one from my hometown, I quickly sent a word to few relatives to get a matured girl for me as I am strongly against child labour. A fifteen year old girl named Agi(short for Agnes) was sent to me after the festive season, I got her acquainted with her new home and nature of the job the following day after her arrival. She was so excited she was in the city...lol. she was dedicated to her work and was willing to do anything to further her education. We had an agreement with her parents. she was going to rewrite her Senior secondary certificate exams which she failed at the first attempt. I enrolled her in extra mural classes which she attends every evening. Problem started when she started coming home late and upon investigations she was getting too comfortable with the street security guards. It didn't end there her folks where bombarding us with heavy financial demands. The dad will call today and ask for money for his leaking roof. How much is it? I'll ask baba.
N30,000 my daughter.
Haba! Baba do you want to re-roof your entire house? DH(darling husband) and I will send him the money.
Mama not wanting to be left out will call almost immediately.
"My daughter, I am the only one without the recommended lace and wrapper for christian mothers meeting, God alone will bless you if you send me N20,000 to purchase it". Oh no! Here we go again....Gosh! we send her the money again to make it even. Agi's siblings ain't left out as well they practically turned to us as there personal lord and saviour. We just had to bundle Agi back to her villa Before she runs us into debit mode.
While trying to figure out where next to get a maid my close friend came crying to me one faithful day, what happened? Oga gave maid belle. What?!?! This my friend in question has issues conceiving, you can imagine how devastated she was. I consoled her and that alone got me scared again on a whole new level. I began to hear even more scarier stories from fellow church members on how maids initiate kids into occultic activities and even sexually defiling kids. An old friend of mine once told me in confidence he was disvirgined by his maid when he was 10yrs and they kept having sex till he was 17yrs. That's utterly disgusting I must say.
I weighed the pros and cons of having a maid, the cons outweighed the pros and that's how I resolved never to have a maid again. I invested more on labor saving machines/equipements and DH helps when and where he can as well. Not easy though with my multitude of kids...whew! Family planning that has always failed women since the days of Abraham. I'll gist you guys on that in my next post.
Cheers guys! you can also mail me your stories on your motherhood journey and i'll post them.
Till I come your way again, bye!.
Drop your views in comment section please.
Eagerly waiting for ur next post..family planning wahala..keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteThank you Nora.
DeleteHa maids,they r not neccessary o,mehn if I share my experience with them ehn,I will nt finish 2day,I had to send d last one away before commitin murder even tho I'd paid for a year n she spent only 2months,now I do my things myself with some help from my lil niece livin with me,my mum trained her frm birth so no extended family issue with her
ReplyDeleteWeldone ma'am,u r doin a gud job
Awwww...how lucky you are sweet dee. nothing as good as getting things done yourself. The Lord is our strength.
ReplyDeleteI think maids are necessary evils o. Except of course the woman is a housewife. After going to school, I don't support being a housewife. A woman should pull her own weight as well and not wait for every kobo from the man. A maid can come and go. I think that worked when I was growing up.
ReplyDeleteyou have a good point Tee hills. sincerely, I tell people this,if anyone can't pull it off alone and can cope with dramas from maids then you can settle for one.
ReplyDeleteGood luck managing without a maid. I'm sure you'll be fine especially if DH lends a helping hand. Remember those in the diaspora bring up kids, juggle 9 to 5's without maids and majority of the kids do turn out all right. Might be tough but where there is a will, there is always a way.................
ReplyDeleteyou are right @calabar girl. I always console myself it's only a phase and it'll pass.
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