To take DS3 with me to work? AIBU?

[ShortbreadPGTips]

I’m a single mum to three children, ex moved out in March. He lives nearby and the dcs stay there every weekend. When the kids start school again in September, I’ve been thinking of starting a cleaning business. I’ve been a SAHM since my eldest was born 6 years ago.

I have two older children who are in full time school, and DS3 is still in nursery. He only goes to nursery 1-4pm every day. I tried to start the business a few months ago and put an ad up, but people were requesting a cleaner Tuesday 10-12pm for example, and I couldn’t do it because of my son. But now I’m considering starting the business again, and just take DS with me. I could do cleaning when DS is in nursery, but I also need to be back to pick up DS6 and DD5 from school at 3.30pm, so it will be very hard. If I took DS3 with me to work, I could get more done and work from 9am til 3pm. I thought of bringing some colouring books and crayons with me and just let DS get on with it while I clean. AIBU to do this?

I was a cleaner, and had two clients tell me they had got rid of a cleaner because she brought her child with her. One lady said 'I felt like I had to go out when she came because I ended up minding her little girl if I stayed here.' Could you change your child's nursery hours to suit you?

YABU.
You want to start a business. You need to be professional.

Will your mission statement and risk assesements include the care of your child whilst working?
Will your child be insured?
Will your child be exposed to people / chemicals / situations / dangers that you have not accounted for?

Its a recipe for disaster.

My cleaner brings her child during holidays but he's much older - 9 is think. Old enough to entertain himself while mum works. A toddler is a different matter and I wouldn't be happy with that at all.

My cleaner occasionally asks to bring her son in the school holidays and I'm fine with that. However he is older and happy to sit on the sofa on his tablet for two hours. I wouldn't be happy with a toddler.

I prefer cleaner in mornings on Thurs or Fri & always mornings preferable. I wouldn't mind as a one off r now n then but think you'd struggle to find work with it as a premise. Having said that its to do with supply & demand. I put up with alot from my last cleaner (her always cancelling chopping n changing times & I had to drop her home) because she was good n I couldn't find anyone else at the time. My current cleaner not as good BUT she drives & is so reliable. So you never know if you prove yourself as excellent reliable trustworthy etc you could u do it. But hard when u starting off a business though.

What @HopeIsNotAStrategy says it’s a great idea!
I wouldn’t mind if my cleaner brought her child over you just have to make sure your child is always in the same room as you are and not to disturb anyone else.
You can say to them to give you a trial you would do it for free and see how you get on with your child being there. They might agree once they see how well your son behaves. Good luck!

ShortbreadPGTips my cleaner comes while I'm at work - I don't think most people would want a cleaner coming at weekends because they are likely to be in the house more then and will feel awkward/ in the way/ unable to relax. I don't mind when my cleaner comes Monday to Friday but she suggested Tuesdays as that's when she has time. She seems to mostly come late morning. I hardly ever see her, she has a key (and proper insurance - she's registered as a business) but my older kids see her more often when they get home from school - sometimes she's still here.

It sounds awful but I’ve never been happy when my cleaners have asked this. I had one who brought her 9 year old twice in the summer, but even at that age, he was clearly a distraction for her and I wasn’t happy with him just wandering around the house when he was bored, and another who brought her 6 month old a few times (although that was fine, as small babies aren’t really an issue!). A younger child requires at least some supervision: what if your dc decided to colour the walls instead of the colouring book, or spilt a drink on a carpet...it’s just too tricky.

I don’t think you’ll have a problem finding clients who can fit in with the times you can do. A few might want specific times (e.g. Thursdays and Fridays are always popular because people want the house nice and clean for the weekend) but many, like me, just want a reliable regular weekly clean and don’t really care what time or day it happens. My cleaner comes on a Tuesday 12-3 because that’s what time she offered me and could fit me in.

I wouldn’t mind someone bringing a toddler as a one off or very infrequent situation, but agree that as a regular thing it’s not feasible.

I wouldn’t want a random child in my house. It’s not child safe for a three year old and I don’t want a child randomly looking through my stuff. A three year old in someone else’s house also requires fairly constant supervision and that would take away from the time you were paid to clean. Sorry but no, it’s not professional.

no, because you will spend half the time running after your child and stopping them getting into things or breaking things and the job wont be done as well as if your child wasnt there

Not a chance I would agree to a cleaner bringing her child. You can't just leave a 3 year old unattended for 2 hours and if you're being paid to work for 2 hours then that's what you should be doing, not having time taken up tending to your child who will most likely get bored.

As an additional service offer to take in internet supermarket shops and put them away if they order them for when you are there.

I think offering services like this is an excellent idea. Some cleaners really just do want to clean, and offering extra small services will really make a difference to your appeal.

• Collecting parcels
• Ironing
• Car washing

etc.

My inlaw's cleaner very occasionally brings her two young children with her if she's stuck for childcare and they are as good as gold, not a peep out of them. They entertain themselves with some books.

I wouldn't be happy with it either

I wouldn't mind but you would probably need to be a tiny bit cheaper than a cleaner that didn't bring any DC.

I had a cleaner once and she used to bring her child . I ended it when I found out that she was putting the child in my daughter's bed to lie while she cleaned . People will feel they are not getting your 100% attention.

I had a cleaner who used to do this in the holidays and I always said no. Her childcare issues were nothing to do with me. I was employing her to clean my house, not to have her kids sitting on my sofa for 3 hours while she did it! If you want to start a business you're going to need to behave in a professional manner - and that doesn't include taking your toddler to work.

I doubt he would fully self entertain for the 2-3 hours you would be paid for. Also you will have wet floors, cleaning fluids etc lying around while you do so, not ideal for a young child. I doubt anyone would be happy to pay for this on a regular basis. Offer hours when he can be in childcare, and perhaps home based working such as ironing at other times. How would you cover school holidays?

I really wouldn’t be happy about this, for all the reasons PP have mentioned - insurance, focus on work, pets etc. I’m sure your son is well-behaved but could he really sit in a stranger’s house colouring or watching TV or whatever, without disturbing you or feeling the need to explore at all, for 3 hours? We’ve got a dog and a cat - would we be responsible for keeping them away from your child or would you?

How old is your son, does he qualify for free hours yet? If he can entertain himself he must be over 3?

In answer to your question, our cleaner comes for 3 hours on a Friday morning. Thursdays and Fridays are the most popular times for cleaners because people want a clean house for the weekend. I think morning slots are generally slightly more popular than afternoons - people are more likely to be out in the mornings.

"A playroom he could play in"
I can't believe you really think it's acceptable to have your child play in someone else's playroom!

My cleaner comes on a Thurs, I'm flexible about times although she usually does 9-10.30. She has bought her son along once when she was stuck but he was 7 and I knew him. I wouldnt be happy with someone bringing a 3yr old and certainly not with crayons, that could end up in more mess and potential damage

On an emotional level I'd sympathise with you and probably wouldn't be bothered if you were my regular cleaner and this was a one off.

If I was a new client I wouldn't be happy with this and I wouldn't be happy on a regular basis.

I have a cleaner once a week and my kids are 1 and 2. I have her because I simply can't get anything done without the kids making a mess elsewhere! It'd be unrealistic imo to always expect a small child to sit down and not make a mess/break anything in someone else's home

Taking a child to work with you could effect your insurance (liability insurance), it’s not a good idea. Either find child care of just clean when your dc is at nursery.

A no from me.

he will happily sit and play in his room, do some colouring or watch CBeebies while I get on with the housework.

That's because he's in his own home surrounded by things he knows. A whole new environment it just too tempting for a child.

Depending on where you live, is there scope for twilight cleaning? I know a neighbour that does nights has a cleaner that comes in from 7pm to 9pm.