Friday, October 11, 2013

Doubling the number of people living in the house

One of the good things about Singapore is that you can get a live-in maid also known as helper for little money. I'm not saying it's cheap but it is cheaper than in other countries and when it comes to childcare, it is cheaper than the other alternatives.
After many discussions on whether or not we want to take a helper we decided for it as it is cheaper and also more flexible. With no family living nearby we will need someone who can jump in whenever is needed, e.g. a business trip or simply if we want to go out just the two of us.
We initially thought to hire someone as of January as we will be gone in December. However given this helper will take care of Oskar, we have been advised to get someone already now to train her as well as making sure she is fit for the job. To be fair there is also an element of trust. We want to make sure we can trust her with our son. So the more overlap there is with my maternity leave the better. It will just cost us two months of salary. But what are two months of salary vs. the peace of mind to know that our son is in good hands.
We interviewed a few candidates. All ladies from the Philippines. Apparently they are the best. 
We made our selection and completed the paperwork this week. Now we are waiting for the results of her medical check-up to close the deal.
In parallel we need to convert our storage room to what it was supposed to be: the helper's room. This means we need to find space for all the things we have inside as well as buying furniture. Yep, another trip to Ikea.
If everything works out well, our helper will start end if next week. Even if I welcome the idea of getting some help, it still feels weird to think we will have someone at home, living with us. 
Let's see how it goes.





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