Cleaner having her children whilst cleaning

[MissMatchy]

Just after some other perspectives. We have a regular cleaner, for about 8 months. She's pretty good tbf although sometimes doesn't fully do the 3 hours we pay her for. No biggie. She came round this week, and whilst she was here our ring doorbell camera notification went off a few times so I logged on to see why. It turns out someone dropped her young child off (presumably after school?) and she let them in, then they were picked up about an hour later.
She didn't check this was ok with us, nor did she mention it had happened. I'm pretty pissed off about it tbh. Surely common respect should be used here? What was the child doing whilst she was cleaning?

I had a cleaner that used to bring her child during school holidays - child broke several of my childrens toys as was obviously not being properly supervised. I was informed that child was coming but not about the damage which I discovered on my own. Not surprisingly I didn't keep the cleaner.
Even with my consent for the child to be there things went wrong. I would not be happy for a child to be there without my consent,

Thats quite rude and presumptuous about cleaners! I know a couple of people who earn a decent amount cleaning and they left other jobs to do it.

Op, I agree she should have asked. Just feels more transparent to send a quick text or call explaining childcare has left her down so kid will sit and watch tv till she's done if thats ok?

Firstly, everyone needs to stop with the faux sympathy- plenty of cleaners make decent money. Mine goes on several overseas holidays a year. Secondly, she should have let you know. I wouldn’t be ok with this either if she hadn’t at least tried to check with me first. Yes, childcare issues happen but you can’t just turn up to your place of work with kid in tow. She should have asked if it was ok and said if it wasn’t she’d need to leave early and return another time.

I thought it was about childbirth too.
My mum brought me to her cleaning jobs when I wasn’t at school, it’s rarely straightforward for single mums to earn an adequate living and by taking on cleaning work, and cleaning is something that they can do, by charging an amount that makes it worth while for women in more fortunate circumstances to afford (I do know some people need cleaner because of disability).
Dm was an academic before having me, and went back into the same field when I got older. Her mum was a housekeeper out of necessity as a widow and they both lived in, so she very much took her child with her.

It was the same on a similar thread one poster even suggested the Op should have snacks and drinks in for the child and other small treats
Becsuse obviously the child of a cleaner would never get a treat
So patronising.

Give her a break! Maybe her childcare let her down at short notice.
If the child is in school they’re old enough to watch tv for an hour while their mum cleans.
Maybe mention it if it happens regularly but not as a one off.

Going against the grain, I think you need to have words with her and tell her that is not ok. If the child hurt themselves in your property on something dangerous, there could be serious repercussions for you. If the child is coming with her, she needs to agree that she is completely responsible for his welfare no matter what he hurts himself on. Like there's been cases of burglars suing house owners because they got hurt in the house they broke into. It's completely plausible that a cleaner would sue a home owner for leaving stuff out that caused injury to her child even if her bringing her child was never part of the agreement.

I don’t need a cleaner, live in a flat and don’t work. I have one because it’s hard for women and I have the disposable income to help someone out. Mine brings her DD sometimes during the summer holidays. She asked but she knows I’d never have said no. She sits on her iPad, eats the lunch my cleaning lady makes for her, and gets collected by her dad after 4 hours. Poor kid. What a life. I would just tell your lady that you have a Ring (she knows already) so you know she had her kid over. Tell her it’s fine, you don’t mind, but you wouldn’t allow anyone other than her children in your home.

Patronising much!

It's a career choice round here. Good cleaners charge £20 an hour and more, you can't get that on a till in Tesco. It certainly isn't bottom of the financial ladder.

I paid mine £10 an hour 15 years ago and when I gave her paid holiday on top she just worked fewer weeks.

Thank you everyone for your views.

I am not 'outraged' or angry, just pissed that she didn't let me know. I have absolutely no objection to the child being here, just annoyed she didn't check it was ok. Surely that is common decency when you are in someone else's home?

Totally reasonable stance to take. Yanbu at all

But the Op does mind
You might not mind
But you cant tell the Op not to mind .

She should have told you.
She must know that you have cameras?

I can understand why you feel she should have let you know but it wouldn't bother me that much.
Fwiw, my mum was a cleaner and on occasions when I wasn't at school, I would go with her and watch TV /do colouring or similar.

She should have run it by you.

She should have checked. Mine has brought her youngest a couple of times over a few years, but always asked. Nice kid, sat on the sofa with some homework and her phone. No bother. I wouldn't have been too happy if she'd not asked though.

So they can charge £100 an hour if they like, or even £50? Of course they can't as it is unskilled work. The cleaner has to travel to the different houses and come from different locations which is all time that she does not get paid for. I always give my cleaner a lot of slack as I know how hard it is. Pity not everyone is the same.

I does often strike me that for all their supposed advantages Ring doorbells' main contribution to modern life is to give worriers more things to worry about.

Re the cleaner bringing her child - it's happened to me and I didn't give a shit, don't see why you would.

If it were a one-off, I’d let it go.

How old was the child? Did they need supervising or not?

And if the cleaner didn’t know beforehand?

She should have told you. For all sorts of reasons. Such as if there was a fire while she was there and maybe you needing to alert the fire team that he is in the house, which you wouldn’t have known. An extreme example I know, but one of my reasons why she should make you aware.

I thought this too😂

They get paid a hell of a lot more than people in McDonald’s or shops etc!!

This wouldn't bother me in the slightest, she obviously had an emergency childcare issue considering this has never happened before. As long as the job got done I wouldn't mention it.

What makes you think that?