When the maid is away

My house help is brilliant. She is young, cheerful, a fast learner and good with the children. This is what I miss most now that she is away spending the holidays with her family. She left on December 22 with very many bags, including the extra stuff I had given her to take for the family.

Having become accustomed to my nanny’s methods of work, coping without her help this season has taken a bit of adjusting. I had trained her to the point where she could anticipate my needs and do things without my having to ask. Since she seems to have carried almost everything she owns in my house, I am not sure if she is coming back.

When I posted about this state of affairs on a Facebook page a few days ago, a friend shared an experience almost identical with mine. He too, is not certain if their house help will be back after the Christmas holidays since she took everything. In fact, as I later discovered, this is almost every young working mother’s story. The maid is in the village and the mother is cooking, scrubbing, herding the children and probably considering doubling the maid’s pay when she returns…If she returns.

Did your maid go to the village for Christmas? What is your experience?
Lillian Walusimbi: Mums, we have to be smart if we are to remain sane. When my very efficient maid abruptly left me at six month’s preggers, I didn’t replace her till two weeks to delivery. But I traded my laidback lifestyle for a more active one and have never looked back. Don’t depend too much on them. Invest in gadgets that make you more efficient and less dependent around your home.

Harriet Obbo: My crew is with their grannies. It’s a lot quieter except baby won’t do anything else but suckle. My eating is downhill because I am not motivated to cook.
Juliet Natukunda: Mine went on the 20th and oh boy, it’s been a busy house with everyone doing housework given to them. This time round we have visitors from Ushago considering that we stayed in Kampala. My toddler has been the victim here because we are all too busy to give her time, but good enough she is good to go with meals on time! Busy mums enjoy the holidays and have quality time with family!

Kasirye Angela: Aching heels but won’t complain...

Lilliane: Hehehe! We need to invest more in labour-saving devices. Problem is we tend to fear high utility bills yet the gadgets definitely make life easier and are worth the cost. And the maids have spoilt some of us very badly to the extent that even when going out with the kids somewhere, we bring along the maid to “help” with the babies. Poor maid we get home and she still has all her tasks to do without help yet if she had been left home meanwhile, she would have finished her work in time.

Muyingo: Haha it’s funny how we are all in the same boat I have two boys and someone on the way, they are all under four years so really... But anyways there is this really brilliant mop that I have seen these commercial cleaners use that literally wrings itself by spinning when you press it into some compartment I have to look for it, does anyone know where this can be found? Oh I also hate ironing lol

Kemigisha Abraham: ladies what is the price range for a washing machine, washing is my greatest problem. I was dying with laundry and being a nakawere ho! Waiting on my dear maid