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.

Do you know cleaners who are earning a lot of money? ie - enough to afford childcare. I don't. Because they aren't.

Yet OP's cleaner has cleaned for OP for just over a year and this is the first time she has showed up with her child.

So she must have had some type of childcare before.

Gosh, how dreadful. She might bring a quiet well behaved child again. As she gets older she will be able to stay alone, but not at 10. I dont understand people who think it's such a dreadful thing, if her mother can get her work done. I've had all sorts of tradesmen who have brought kids with them in the holidays over the years. It's no biggy. I've had the same childcare problems when my kids were small. I just live with it and sometimes (gosh golly) make elevenses if they havent brought anything, as they are usually well behaved and bored stiff.

Because to just show up with a child without asking is rude and unprofessional.

The woman comes in for two hours a couple of times a week. I doubt she has even has a key. I dont think OP has a problem with wild parties or dirty lunch distes. She certainly seems happy with her work.

Funnily enough, she is a close family friend,. Previously there have been other people with children in the past who sometimes had to bring their kids including plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen. It's never been a problem. They are kids not animals

and neither do you, but you act as if you assume she has an alternative

Clearly it can sometimes be an issue or OP wouldn't have created this thread and she'd have no one at all agreeing with her which isn't the case.

If I'm WFH with my own kids in childcare, I don't want another kid in my house especially just turning up with no warning and I don't think that's unreasonable at all.

She doesnt have kids, so that's not her issue.

She doesn't want a random kid in her house when she's working, especially without any communication first.

I think that's fair enough.

Well clearly it does feel strange for OP she has said it does. You don’t get to tell someone how they feel just because you wouldn’t feel that.

That is a pile of utter bullshit😂You've been posting prolifically on this thread...all of a sudden, a day later you've come up all these 'stories' of dreadful cleaners. Pull the other one.

The aspect you can’t comprehend is asking beforehand. Something like ‘Can I bring my child next time and possibly every time during the school holidays? If it’s only for this time frame. The op would have said yes or no. It’s what everyone else does if they want to bring the child to work at a planned moment and here it’s where the op lives and works ie not in an office etc.

Really? That’s really nasty rubbish you write about me and my family. Back off

Goodness. I’m not lying. What a a nasty comment.

I'd let it go. Sounds like the kiddo is quiet and well behaved, not making any mess. My last cleaner was very good then started bringing her two kids and one she was minding with her. She'd be upstairs making the place look sparkly clean whilst the kids were downstairs making a right mess, waah! I let it slide the first time becaue she was good and cleaners were hard to find in my area but then same thing next week so it was a yeah nah from me.

Seriously?! HOW entitled are you? 🤦‍♀️ This is a woman who cleans your house. She makes WAY less than you, or she wouldn’t be cleaning houses for a living.

You are being 1,000% unreasonable.

Get over yourself, and find some compassion for this poor woman, or clean your own damn house!

Yes. It’s called SCHOOL. 🤦‍♀️

And everyone else who works AND can afford childcare earns enough to do so. 20 quid an hour doesn’t pay for child care.

You realise there are regular school holidays within a year, right?

How is it entitled to get the service you’ve booked and paid for without a child involved?

Would it also be entitled to expect there not to be a child in the room when you’ve paid for a massage, or some other type of therapy? The cleaner is working in OPs home, a private space, and it was entitled of her to think she can let her child tag along without asking.

20 quid an hour doesn’t pay for child care.

Some of us earn less than that and don’t have the option to bring children to work.

Oh, Lordy. I hope you didn’t mention it at all! 🤦‍♀️