To hire my mum to clean?

[ZiggyZigAh]

Just this really, I have a high stress job (although only work three days) and two young children and my partner works 13 - 14 hour days.

I love and used to keep a very tidy home, before work progression and children but now feel this level of house keeping is unachievable without massively eating into my time with my children.

I can keep on top of nursery bags, packed lunches, the washing and an end of day tidy up - but the floors aren’t mopped as often as I’d like and I just feel like with a couple of hours intensive cleaning whilst the house is empty would be a huge help.

My mum has offered to clean every other week for three or so hours - she has offered but I still feel slightly uncomfortable by the arrangements does anyone else have a similar set up and how does it work? And is £15ph a reasonable sum to be paying her?

My neighbour used to clean for her daughter and get paid, I think it's fairly common.

If she’s offered - go for it!

We do this and pay, I'm not the only one I know who does either!

Hmmm personally I would rather just pay a cleaner £15/hour. I wouldn't want to pay my mum, feel like it could open up all sorts of issues!

My mum cleans my house for 6.5 hours every week plus 2 hours of ironing.

Shes done it for about 7 years

Is your mum a cleaner? Does she need the money?

If not, I would pay someone else.

I would!
in reverse DC used to clean for me - in the days when I could pay them £10 an hour - I miss it now I have to do it myself!
DD does a few jobs for my DM we pay her £12.50 an hour plus mileage

How would your partner feel about it? It’s giving her unsupervised access to all your private spaces.

That and realistically would she then expect to see the kids and have dinner with you all afterwards and might that become a bit of a bind?

I do this. Positives are she tends to tidy all the children's things at the same time which cleaners wouldn't do. If we go on holiday she does a full spring clean for us. However negative when she is unwell/away/unavailable we still end up paying her. As we pay per month.

I pay my mum to clean our house. She only does the downstairs but keeps on top of it for us.
I am one of those people that once I start cleaning, I can't stop and you will find me 7 hours later scrubbing my skirting boards with a toothbrush, so I tend to avoid starting so that I don't loose a whole day
We had a few cleaners but they were all unreliable or useless so mum offered to do it for free to help out. I insisted on paying her the market rate. My neighbour used to do the same with her mum.

Absolutely I would! My sister does my cleaning and it’s so good because when we’ve not had time to tidy she will do that too because she knows where things go. The children know when she is working and she leaves on time.

You only work 3 days a week so why do you need to pay for home help?? And why on earth would you pay your mother to do it?

I don’t see my children at all on the three days I do work, so frankly the two I don’t work I’d rather be playing hairdressers than mopping the floors, sorry that’s such a crime. On the two days I don’t work by the time I’ve done school drop off (reception) for my eldest, done swimming lessons for my youngest, food shop, toddler groups and general life i.e. washing clothes and doing dishes there is nothing left.

My partner goes to work before the children wake up and gets home after they go to bed so the entire load is on me.

I am a lawyer so my days at work are testing and don’t finish when I get home alas.

Regarding why I would want to employ my mum, she offered, she no longer works so can fit me in as her schedule allows, I trust her and she’s reliable - very employable indeed I would say.

We pay my MIL to clean for us. Initially I was wary, but it had been a long standing joke/agreement that when DH was rich he could pay her to be the cleaner, but in fairness she’s more like a housekeeper, she does loads of useful things for us.

So much scope for things to go wrong employing members of your family. I wouldn't do it at work nor would I do it at home.

Going rate for good cleaners is £20/hr around here, double rates for bank holidays.

Someone who suits your family will be worth their weight in gold esp when you are both in high pressure roles. Their role can evolve as your family grows. Enjoy.

If she is offering let her crack on I say. It puts some extra money in her pocket and takes the work load off yourself.

I’d have a problem working for one of my kids. What if there were any professional problems?