To think my cleaner shouldn’t bring her own child to work?

Oh god theft to add to the whataboutery!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

and it just feels a bit strange knowing there’s a child downstairs

are you sensitive? This comment has to win an award

Yes why not. If not being noisy or a nuisance what's the issue.

I've just read the update.

You are obviously very uncomfortable with this well-behaved child in your home and are going to speak to your cleaner - that of course is your right to do so.

It's also her right to dump you.

Her mistake was not ask you first, but that's the situation.

Employing someone in your home is often a give and take situation and that's why many women choose cleaning rather than say part-time retail work because they know they can maybe tweak the hours, bring their child, walk to work etc.

And the take from the cleaner's side is that the client might ask for extra favours like walk the dog, do some shopping, change the day at short notice, do extra hours when having house guests etc.

If you want to keep this reliable and kind cleaner you might have to be flexible.

Where’s the bit saying that her cleaner asked her about bringing her child - no I don’t see that either. So not honest or reliable. The risk of accident or damage needs addressing - even theft.

The joy of being a self employed cleaner….. keep the clients you want!

@Informercera
after reading your update I can only hope that your cleaner leaves and finds a job with one of the many kind hearted folk on this thread.

In your op you describe her as someone you value and would like to keep but despite all the comments on here, you seem oblivious to how ridiculous you’re being.
My friends who have cleaners have so many awful tales about unreliable, incompetent & untrustworthy cleaners - let’s hope you don’t bitterly regret spoiling your good relationship with a cleaner who sounds like an absolute gem.

I used to be a cleaner and hated anyone being home while I cleaned. It made me uncomfortable. If I had a cleaner I would definitely go out and work elsewhere while they cleaned. When I had too much work on the clients who were at home got dropped first.

She should have mentioned it. But I do think you are being unreasonable. For two hours a week, you can't manage having a child in your house, sitting on your sofa looking at her iPad? If you can't then I think you will will need to be prepared to get another cleaner.

Luckily or unluckily, I have no items my house that I would care enough about to be very upset about if they were damaged (apart from my computer, and the child wouldn't be near that anyway).

Many of these are men... And therefore aren't primary carers...
Also they'll earn LOADS more than cleaners to afford childcare.

Just to remind you of OPs description of her cleaner

We’ve had the same cleaner for just over a year and she’s been fantastic, reliable, thorough, really kind and trustworthy

quite the glowing reference, wouldn’t you say?

I wouldn’t care about this if I really liked my cleaner. If the child was bring loud and wrecking things then fine but say quietly on the sofa watching a programme on her iPad? Not a problem.

Good cleaners are gold dust.

Obviously OP saying don’t bring the child anymore, meaning paid for childcare potentially, will make that more accessible.

How many hours a week is the cleaner there? I imagine only a few? So I would not see this as an issue at all (and if I had been the child I would have been delighted to have a quiet place to read a book for a few hours!).

BTW not everyone who works from home has the option of going out whenever they choose. I don't and consequently am often home, and having confidential Zoom meetings while the cleaner is there. She just doesn't come into my office, that's all. If there was a quiet child downstairs it would not affect me either.

This cleaner didn’t bother to ask if her child could stay in the house so she’s not in the category of a good cleaner. Good cleaners are difficult to find. The op doesn’t have one now. The problem for me would be the possibility of an accident or something being broken and not declared.

Since she is an older child and not causing any trouble, I don't see an issue with this (I hire a fortnightly cleaner too). Childcare is extortionate and hard to find, especially during the Summer holidays.

Yes, I wonder why the family aren’t summering at their manor in Tuscany.

I think you are being very unreasonable indeed and I wouldn't be surprised if your cleaner left frankly.

Yep, as long as they were well behaved and didn't disturb the work. Sometimes people have childcare or financial issues. It happens.

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. You admit yourself that the child is both quiet and well behaved, and it has only been happening in the holidays...of which there are only a few more weeks. If you do raise it 'gently' (hate that phrase/concept...it doesn't really exist. As in, what is it you are hoping to achieve?)

Chances are that she won't come again in the holidays, who h may not may not be fine by you.

Of course she can, good reliable, honest cleaners are easy to come by….

I agree with that. I would have said something the first time she turned up with her daughter and I expect she would have apologised. But having the child there wouldn't bother me at all. I've had the same situation with a couple of previous cleaners.

I said myself that the cleaner ought to have done this. But the OP could have actually used her words and told her this.
Whichever way you look at it, the OP is still being unreasonable but that’s up to her, I guess.

The cleaner didn’t bother to ask the op. That’s entitled. It’s the OP’s home and the op is the employer so the op is in charge not the cleaner. Tell her by message that her child cannot stay - if there’s any hassle then the op can find another cleaner.