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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Cleaner bringing baby to work with her

41 replies

Mini2017 · 27/08/2017 19:20

Hi,
What do you guys think of a cleaner who wants to brink her baby to work with her. She's currently pregnant and baby is due in December. She will have a replacement but would like to comeback after 5 months( not a problem for me) but, she would like to bring her baby along( 5 hours, two times week) and stop to breastfeed. Her reason is that she's not comfortable leaving her lo with anyone with him. Separation anxiety etc
Would you guys object?

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Mrscropley · 27/08/2017 19:22

Can't imagine she will get much work done tbh.....

Bubblysqueak · 27/08/2017 19:23

I would have to say no. Cleaning with a 5 month old is near impossible. Even more so when they start to move. I don't think much waning would be done.

OutandIntoday · 27/08/2017 19:23

This isn't a viable option at all.

PurpleDaisies · 27/08/2017 19:23

I wouldn't want my cleaner bringing a child because my house isn't childproof. I'd also worry that they would be distracted and not get as much done.

Would she make up the time she wasn't working due to feeding?

Kentnurse2015 · 27/08/2017 19:25

Definitely no i'm afraid.

Ellapaella · 27/08/2017 19:27

It's not very realistic to expect that she will get much cleaning done with a 5 month old in tow - and once the baby starts crawling it will be impossible! I think you need to have a proper discussion with her about it - it's not practical at all really. I can see why she's suggesting it though - is hard to envisage leaving your baby when you go back to work.

mypoornips · 27/08/2017 19:27

I would probably give it a go but can't imagine she'll get much done. The main reason I have a cleaner is because it's impossible to clean for any length of time with babies and small DC's around.

I would give her the chance to make it work though. Childcare is expensive, wages are low. My cleaner has bought older children to play with mine and I'm fine with that.

Purplemac · 27/08/2017 19:27

Honestly if the work was done to the same standard and was charged the same, it would bother me in the slightest. I would probably ask her to sign some kind of liability waiver incase the child became injured in your home, and make sure her insurance covers any accidental breakages.

If all was agreed but the standard was slipping, I'd put a stop to it though or look elsewhere.

Purplemac · 27/08/2017 19:28

Wouldn't*

wowbutter · 27/08/2017 19:29

If she can do the work, what's the issue? It is up to you to judge is her abilities slip, and act accordingly. But, ou should at least let her try.
Imagine what childcare will cost her out of what you pay.

Changerofname987654321 · 27/08/2017 19:30

There is no way she can look after a small child, especially one which will be moving soon and clean.

penstemon · 27/08/2017 19:31

No! Have you got DC? Think about how little you achieved with a 5mo. If the cleaner were to manage it, it wouldn't be fair on the child as she'd have to pretty much ignore it between feeds. I once had to do a deep clean of our house when DD was 19 weeks. She was generally a fairly chilled baby and happy to entertain herself but she got thoroughly sick of being moved from playmat to jumperoo to bouncy chair after just over an hour and whilst you can do some things like Hoover & dust with a baby in a sling, I wasn't happy doing the kitchen or bathroom & squirting cleaners inches from her face.
Also, a 5mo is one thing. Probably quite stationary & may nap quite a lot. How will it work as they get older? Cruising? Crawling?

Notaneasyone4me · 27/08/2017 19:32

Couldn't clean shit when mine was five months !

Eminado · 31/08/2017 22:34

Can completely understand her thinking but this would not work for me.

We pay for a cleaner because i cant get F All done with my kids around. Unless her child is a zombie she will have to ignore the child or cut cleaning corners. Wouldnt work for me.

INeedNewShoes · 31/08/2017 22:38

My baby is 4 months old and I consider it an achievement if I manage to achieve as much cleaning in a day as doing a small task like wiping around the bathroom basin!

Before you have a baby it is impossible to imagine just how time consuming they are. I had no idea and although my baby is an 'easy' baby the idea that I could take her with me to clean someone else's house is laughable!

SandSnakeOfDorne · 31/08/2017 22:40

I think she'll probably change her mind once she actually has the baby. It might be possible for a couple of months from five months on, if she gets a laid back one who sleeps a lot. But she might get an hourly feeder who doesn't nap. And even if she has an easy baby, after a couple of months they'll be moving and it will be completely impossible.

coriliavijvaad · 01/09/2017 06:34

I would go with the "give it a go and see if standards slip" option.

I know I did virtually no housework when I had a 5mo baby but this woman may be in a situation where basically if she doesn't work then she doesn't eat, if she doesn't qualify for benefits. If she's reasonably fit and can "wear" the baby in a sling on her back (rather than on her front where it would be a bit in the way) then she could probably do the whole house-clean pretty much normally.

InvisibleKittenAttack · 01/09/2017 08:40

Don't give it a go - even if it works with a non-mobile 5 month old that can go in a sling, it probably won't work with a crawling baby, within a few months after that shell have one cruising then walking.

I actually got much more done at 5 months with dcs who stayed put than I was able to achieve a few months later.

QuiteLikely5 · 01/09/2017 08:44

If she good and you like her why not give it a go?

Five hours cleaning with a five month old 😂 Must be her first? She will soon realise this will be impossible!

Presumably she will quickly make alternative arrangements!

InvisibleKittenAttack · 01/09/2017 08:44

Oh and while I can see she's probably in the position that she only earns if she works, but that means she needs to sort reliable childcare then.

Could you offer to move at least one cleaning shift to the weekend when her DP or relative could have the baby so it's less time leaving the baby?

traffordtimes · 01/09/2017 08:47

Aside from whether it is practical, I'd worry that you could be considered liable if the child came to any harm while the mum was employed cleaning for you? I may be wrong, but worth checking perhaps.

SayNoToCarrots · 01/09/2017 08:51

I had a nanny abroad when my son was five months. I told her all I needed was for her to look after him, kept coming home to an immaculate house with dinner cooked. Couldn't stop her. So it is possible.

fucksakefay · 01/09/2017 08:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BastardGoDarkly · 01/09/2017 08:55

I was a cleaner when pregnant with my first, I thought I could do this too.... I couldn't

If she's stopping to bf, will she make up the time?

ujerneyson · 01/09/2017 08:59

It's a no from me. It's like any other job, if she wants / needs to go back to work she needs to sort out childcare.

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