I'm seriously considering hiring a cleaner to clean my house twice a month. Although I'm on leave, I do not have time* (and frankly I also do not have the desire or inclination) to dust or to mop or to give the shower/bathtub a thorough scrubbing. Archer is in the midst of several home improvement projects (in fact, he is in the midst of redoing our downstairs bathroom as I type; he's currently laying tile, and soon he will install a new sink/vanity and a new toilet) which are creating more dust and dirt than is normal for our house. Additionally, he is currently under a fair amount of pressure because his tenure review process begins next fall, so he isn't helping out with cleaning and picking up as much as he normally does. I've recently redone our budget, and I can afford to hire someone if said person is willing to clean my relatively small house for a reasonable sum. But I haven't called either the company or the individual that have been recommended to me. Why? I feel guilty even thinking about hiring a cleaner, like it is a frivolous expense or that I'm less of a wife/mother if I hire someone to do things that I should be doing. I also feel like I will be judged by my family. While I wrestle with this guilt, my house isn't getting any cleaner.
*To clarify, obviously I do have the time--I could easily clean while George naps and while Bear and Wild Man play; however, I need to either nap or try to work a bit, and on the weekends, I'd rather hang with my children than scrub my kitchen floor. Frankly, I multi-task enough as it is.
5 comments:
I used to be a maid. Don't feel guilty. The only people I could never understand was the ones who hired me and then CLEANED before I came. I had nothing to do and I hated taking their money. (It was through a company so they paid the company not me directly.) Only feel guilty if you treat your cleaner poorly or ask them to do something not normally done (if you offer a little extra for that that's one thing, but people who added on without wanting to pay for it...well that's not right). But I don't see you ever being like that.
If it were a hell of a commute, I'd come and do it, but I'd want to hold George as part of the compensation :)
I'd be more than happy for you to hold George!
And when I mentioned this to my mom she said, "Well, that must be nice!" Her implication was, "It must be nice to not have to clean your own house'; hence, some of my guilt.
don't feel guilty, just call!! You should get all the help that you can get because it's not easy to have a baby and two other boys in the house, ooops, three! ;)
DO IT!! I did it when we were overseas, and didn't feel a single bit guilty! The only reason I don't do it here is because we really can't easily afford it; or rather, I'd prefer to spend the money elsewhere.
Your house, your time, your decision!
Ok, so I've called the company that was recommended to me, and I'm waiting on a friend to get me the name of the person she uses. Here's hoping I'll have someone to help me out within the next two weeks. Oh, and thanks for the support, friends!
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