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

[Informercera]

I’m really torn on this and would love some outside perspective.

We’ve had the same cleaner for just over a year and she’s been fantastic, reliable, thorough, really kind and trustworthy. We’ve always got on well and I genuinely like her. But over the past few weeks, since the summer holidays started, she’s been bringing her 10 year old daughter with her when she comes to clean.

Her daughter isn’t badly behaved at all. She just sits quietly on the sofa in our living room watching things on an iPad. Sometimes I hear little giggles or the sound of whatever she’s watching, but she’s not running around or causing chaos or anything like that.

Still, I’m finding it awkward. I work from home and I’m usually upstairs on Zoom calls or writing reports, and it just feels a bit strange knowing there’s a child downstairs while her mum is hoovering or mopping the floors. I don’t have children myself and I suppose I’m not used to having someone else’s in my personal space. It changes the dynamic a bit and makes it feel less like a professional service. I also can’t help worrying about the what ifs - what if something broke or she hurt herself? Would I be responsible?

I completely understand that school holidays are a nightmare for working parents and childcare is expensive. I don’t want to be unsympathetic. I haven’t said anything to her yet because I don’t want to come across as precious or unkind. But equally I’m paying for a service and this isn’t what I signed up for.

AIBU to feel uncomfortable about this and consider raising it gently with her? Or should I just let it go for a few more weeks until the holidays are over? I want to be fair but I also feel a bit blindsided. Would love to know what others think.

And how do you know this exactly ,you have no idea how much the cleaner earns you are just another person assuming that a cleaner has to be poorly paid without two pennies to rub together.

What happened to being understanding and being more human?
the child is behaving well its only the school holidays. It is likely the cleaner wont be able to clean her house during the holidays and op will either have to wait till child is back to school or search for a new cleaner.

Because she pays someone else to clean up her mess. That’s not what normal people do. Perhaps in mumsnet land it is but I don’t know anybody with a cleaner

Why is that likely?

I judge the situation based on holiday club costs, where I live I pay over £60 for a holiday club a day I earn around £140 a day which leaves me with £80 to cover my transport and lunch.

Lots of people have cleaners for various reasons, I don't have one but I know it doesn't make somone privileged .

But your judging it off your own circumstances,you have no idea whst the cleaner earns or whst holiday clubs are available to her or how much they cost.

YABU. Unless you are happy with paying for childcare fees on top of what you usually pay. She is still cleaning your house, the same as always, and her poor kid is having to sit quiet as a mouse instead of running round enjoying her holidays, and you're still getting annoyed with her very existence!!! You obviously have never worked this kind of job, had this kind of life, and have zero empathy. That's not being a very nice person. Shame on you.

Holiday clubs start at around £45 with no lunch provided. If she earns around £20 she can just about cover the costs of childcare. If she isnt getting any uc then she’s left with nothing. Plus holiday clubs stop around 11 years old so her child could be around that age and not qualify for a summer club

My roofer did, my only concern was the language an 8 year old was hearing from the other roofers!!!

Are you working five days ft/pt a week as the weekly/half day rates are usually lower than the day rate x five days.

Not able to work full time because of my contract conditions and have no one to look after my son. My relatives work office based jobs and are usually closed for the summer holidays and are away every single summer. No of them have children of their own so I understand that they want a child free holiday.

The cleaner is providing a service ,her child is her responsibility the cleaner doesn't have to provide a service but neither does the Op have to continue with the service if she doesn't want the cleaner to bring her child to work.

Women should be nice otherwise it’s shameful - seriously? Her “poor” kid “quiet as a mouse” ah bless. Perhaps the cleaner could sort out childcare but bless it’s difficult. It is difficult for most people but yet they find solutions. Perhaps the childcare she’d organised fell through but the least she could do is ask first but bless her and this “poor” child.

Here we go agsin with the patronising assumption that the cleaner is as poor as a church ,mouse.

Agree such patronising bollocks.

A snack will make her day? Who is she, Charlie Bucket?

Absolutely - it’s disgraceful how posters here think that these professionals are to be pitied Upstairs Downstairs is a fiction nowadays.

I guess we could work fewer hours so we have time to clean our own houses. We’d contribute less tax to the treasury and the cleaners would be out of a job. Sounds like a plan.

I don't care if OP is male, female, or identifies as a gnu....kindness is good from anyone. I know several people working as professional cleaners. They're not rich.

Unless you want to lose your cleaner then I would let it go. Why do you care that a quiet well behaved child is sitting on your sofa while the house is cleaned.

It would also have been kind for the cleaner to have asked first. Ok - it was how you wrote. I know people who have a cleaner that struggle themselves to pay for this work.

It’s disgraceful how you associate theft with a cleaner bringing her child to work!

How stupid that you don’t think people are capable of theft. Ah bless them.

How awful you expect the worst of everyone, when it’s really unlikely….

ah bless you in your very small bubble!