Is my cleaner taking the piss?

[hazykates]

So - I'm a maths teacher - my cleaner (a much needed luxury as I'm a messy bint) asked if I could tutor her little girl who's struggling at school. I'm mad busy with work and family life but I'm also pretty terrible at saying no and like our cleaner a lot (she's really good!!!) so I said yes! I wasn't expecting her to pay, if the tutoring went on for more than a few sessions I thought I might ask for reciprocal payment if the subject was raised (she could clean for the hour I tutor her child for example). As things have turned out she hasn't ever offered anything in reciprocation for the favour, she's consistently late for the lesson without apology, and was downright rude when I had to rearrange the other day as my little girl was ill and my husband away. I'm loathe to say I can't do it anymore as think she'd have the hump and it took me so long to find a cleaner that works for us - but I can't help but feel a bit pissed off about feeling like she's taking advantage! AIBU?!

Of course the cleaner posted SHITE through OP's door... nobody else has a grudge and a run in with OP in the last 24 hours... unless.... it's a massive huge enormous incredible coincidence right

I was nearly late picking my kids up from school today because I was so engrossed reading this whole thread!

I think you have handled it all incredibly well and think you were well within your rights to feel worried and on edge! I recounted the whole saga to my DH and even he agreed despite being one of the least emphathetic people I know.

Glad you are feeling more settled this evening. Hope you have a lovely drama free weekend!

Op - id just leave it. Otherwise you run the risk of having one of those long running really mad and unbelievable threads on Mumsnet that go on for months. You don't want that do you?

Ah I've just seen your poo update. How strange.

No further comment 

Wow. This has gone from 0-60 in a matter of a few days. Madness.

That song comes to mind "Im the Scat Man"

Some people are sadly just odd individuals. Hopefully that’s the last of it but it does put you off helping people.

In terms of a new cleaner, if you are conscious of the cleaner getting all the money - I'm pretty sure there are "checkatrade" style sites for cleaners that have reviews etc but the cleaners are independent so you wouldn't be paying an agency? But given this experience maybe an agency cleaner would give you piece of mind

I’ve only just found this thread, good grief what a few days you’ve had! I think you’ve handled it really well though OP.
Try not to dwell too much on your ability to judge her character, sounds like she’s an absolute pro at keeping that ugly second face under wraps.

I hope,you’ve treated yourself to a nice new letterbox too. I can only compare it to the time my cat did a shit behind the front door, which I only realised when I opened it to go in and smooshed it into the bristles of the draught excluder. You cannot clean those fecking bristles!

Unbelievable. Hope you have a quiet weekend

Absolutely batshit, you were right to report. I hope that’s the end of it x

So what did the police say Op?
Do you think they're treating it seriously or just going through the motions?

Log it - Poo Pawtroll are on the way!

Aw no that's crap OP

Enough with the poo jokes!!!! (Though they are making me smile at last!!)

Just caught up on your thread op. I think you've handled the situation really well. You seem like a nice person, that has been massively taken advantage of. Your offer of an hours tutoring for an hours cleaning was very generous, and she has behaved really badly.

Try to put it behind you now. I'm sure this person goes through life feeling like the victim, but making other people's lives a misery. I wish you all the best.

Wow! Just read the whole thread. Not only is she a nutter but she let her daughter down.

((((((Hugs))))) Hazy. I hope things calm down now

Don’t most schools have a house system? Every school i’ve worked at has...none were fee paying, or Hogwarts...it’s not a sign of poshness as it were!
I’m a teacher and we’ve literally just got a cleaner, i’ve resisted for years, but have accepted that it’s better to pay someone rather than getting stressed about it. We decided to go with an agency ultimately because they had insurance, but i’m doubly glad now. I’m sorry this has happened OP. Unfortunately some people are just a bit crazy aren’t they?!

Hopefully everything settles down now for you

I think there's something about people being acquainted with a teacher that they think tutoring = free. If they go to a tutoring company, they don't even consider the costs, but as soon as they hear someone is a teacher, it's 'oh great, DS needs help with his reading', and they expect it for nothing. Apparently it's part of the 'calling' that you want to gather as many children to you and teach them outside of school hours for free. There is almost a visceral reaction to people thinking that a teacher might actually want to be paid for their services.

Wow. I hope you've seen the last of her.

What a shitty woman.

(Sorry)