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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cleaner cancelled last minute due to childcare

488 replies

UmmUmar · 05/09/2019 16:05

I've found a fantastic cleaner, single mum by the sounds of it, brings her daughter with her (I don't mind), you can tell she is struggling financially and with her little one.

Today she cancelled on me 10 mins before the appt because of childcare. I understand that with a kid, things get a bit difficult with work but a heads up would have been nice!

Since my house has been a tip I've got to do it all by myself (pregnant + toddler, and dh works long hours)

AIBU to be upset?

OP posts:
OctoberLovers · 06/09/2019 00:57

Our cleaner came in today, and i really didnt expect her to, i wasn't home

She is due to give birth in 3 weeks time.

There really wasnt much to do here this week tho,
Partner made her a tea, had a chat, and told her to chill, have lunch etc.
She done two hours instead of 4 hours, but we still gave her £60.
She's lovely...
When she's ready to come back, she will bring baby with her

Sweetpea55 · 06/09/2019 01:00

So you had to clean your house yourself... How awful for you.

oabiti · 06/09/2019 01:03

We’re not about to start doing chores now

Comedy Gold!😂

oabiti · 06/09/2019 01:21

Have at me, bitches (and give the OP a break).

You sound about five years of age!😁

oabiti · 06/09/2019 01:23

No, I cannot plonk him in front of the TV, we have controlled screen time in this household.

Clean while the 'controlled screen time' is in motion??!

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 06/09/2019 01:51

Let's hope that Skittlenommer never comes down with a vomiting bug or a truly serious illness, has a sick relative who needs care. etc.

In her world, people can't expect sympathy, understanding or time off for an emergency. Hmm

FuckFacePlatapus · 06/09/2019 02:13

Clean your own mess and your own house Hmm

FuckFacePlatapus · 06/09/2019 02:31

This reply has been deleted

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Skittlenommer · 06/09/2019 02:46

To clear up, yes I am a qualified social worker although not working as one at the moment. I earn a very good wage through a blog I write which will mean in the next few months I can give up formal work entirely! I could give up work now but makes sense to wait a while longer to ensure the ad/affiliate money is consistent!

We don’t have ‘masses of staff’, I wish we did. But we do outsource as many responsibilities as we can to make life as easy as possible for ourselves. I don’t see what is wrong with this! Who doesn’t want to make life easier for themselves.

I would of course understand an emergency! However, OP’s cleaner said her child fell asleep on the bus ten minutes from OP’s house. That’s unacceptable in my opinion. I also think people deceptively use their children as excuses to get out of things a lot of the time.

Hundredacrewoods · 06/09/2019 03:18

The solution is to hire childfree people.

@Skittlenommer You know that discriminating against parents when hiring is illegal right? Are you equally happy to be discriminated against in your own career?

Skittlenommer · 06/09/2019 03:36

@hundredacrewoods The solution is to hire childfree people

You know that discriminating against parents when hiring is illegal right? Are you equally happy to be discriminated against in your own career?

I wasn’t being serious! Grin

BadLad · 06/09/2019 03:38

You know that discriminating against parents when hiring is illegal right?

Are you sure that applies in this case? If the OP is a client of the cleaner, rather than the cleaner's employer, then is it illegal to choose one over another simply because one is childfree?

Out of interest.

Aannnaa · 06/09/2019 05:56

The fact that you describe your own house as 'a tip' and then go on to berate your cleaner for not coming says an awful lot about your sense of entitlement

NoSauce · 06/09/2019 06:24

The OP didn’t berate her cleaner. She was upset because she’d cancelled 10 minutes before she was due to arrive.

So many martyrs on this thread. Cleaning your house yourself doesn’t make you a better woman, mother, person and it also doesn’t mean you have the life of riley.

itsmecathycomehome · 06/09/2019 06:43

YANBU op. If you employ someone to do a job it is not unreasonable to expect them to arrive, and cancelling ten minutes before they're due to arrive is annoying whether they're a cleaner, a plumber or a mobile hairdresser.

Everyone with dc has had to take time off work at some point, but not many people will have told their employer ten minutes before they were due to start work.

Teacher22 · 06/09/2019 07:22

I agree with the poster who said ask your cleaner to come another day.
You might want to cut her some slack if her child is ill.

Nevertheless, if it becomes a habit, find another cleaner. I had cleaners when I was reaching and had children, probably for about 20 years. I don’t remember being let down by non attendance. My DD, on the other hand, had a woman supplied by an agency to clean for her. When she came she was very unfit and brought a seriously problematic sister with her. I thought , ‘This looks like trouble.’ My daughter had to work from home one day and found the useless sister being delegated to do the upstairs (where she was ramming delicate electronics with the Hoover) so the cleaner could leave before her hours were up.

I think you get a feel for reliability. I would always give someone a second chance if my gut instinct told me they were OK. But not a third chance and not if they seemed ‘off’.

Teacher22 · 06/09/2019 07:22

Teaching not teaching.

MRex · 06/09/2019 07:26

If it really matters that you don't feel happy you'd without a cleaner then get someone else to come as cover. Ask on next door forum / Facebook, or get an agency. End of angst.

I'm sure the cleaner would rather earn money than stay home with a sick child. A bit of sympathy wouldn't go amiss.

Drogosnextwife · 06/09/2019 07:32

Get some perspective OP ffs!

karenbokaren · 06/09/2019 15:40

Cleaners are meant to clean not tidy a tip of a house. So bloody rude to leave a mess for cleaners.

And why on Earth can't you use natural products that don't affect your son's asthma?!

malificent7 · 06/09/2019 15:41

Is this a wind up...surely you will get over it op?

malificent7 · 06/09/2019 15:43

Tbh i think not cleaning your own home is a massive priveledge that few enjoy

JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 06/09/2019 15:52

I’m sure OP does clean her own home. This was only the 3rd time the cleaner was due to come to her house so obviously cleaning was happening prior to that.

MrsNotNice · 06/09/2019 17:26

She was late twice, and cancelled 10 minutes before on the third one..

And this is the only the third time the cleaner comes.

Not massively blaming the cleaner but this does sound unprofessional and im still not sure why everyone thinks it’s unreasonable to have a problem with that...

the focus on how “privileged” her lifestyle is while she is saying she shops in primark and George but to her getting help with the cleaning is important while she is struggling with pregnancy - while to the rest of you perhaps going to coffee shops and getting brands for your kids is more important.... that’s quite telling..

Bloody hell sometimes I don’t understand this place

cherish123 · 06/09/2019 17:26

She is probably genuine. Could you do half an hour after work each night this week? She will be back at work next week.

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