My Gram actually suggested it. Of course, she also regularly suggests a girdle as part of my daily attire so perhaps I should discount any and all of her questionably helpful tips. This one really wormed its way into my brain though, partly because I wondered why she suggested it (Is my house that bad -- I always step up the cleaning before she arrives -- or do I look that worn out by my various responsibilities?) and partly because I love the idea of it.
I hate housecleaning. HATE. IT. I didn't always. When I lived alone, I loved getting up on Saturday mornings and dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, etc. The smell of Pine-Sol gave me a natural high. Mr. Clean was my boyfriend. Then Tom moved in and I found it was much more fun to snuggle away the morning than to snap on the rubber gloves. Then the kiddos came along and I realized that getting anything done in daylight hours with my "helpers" is a wasted effort. By the time they are in bed, I'm tired and resentful of my "other" job, i.e. maid to my 3 amigos. Tom and I have had words over this topic, him saying that his mother managed to keep their house spotlessly clean at all times (does he really remember what it was like when he was 2 & his sister was a baby??? I highly doubt that.) and me hotly responding that I gave up my career to be a stay-at-home MOTHER, not a housekeeper. Anyway...
The kids and I keep busy. We love to go out and about, exploring the world and learning fun stuff along the way. I'm not willing to give that up for the sake of old school, outdated ideas of a housewife's duties. So, yeah, things have gotten a bit dusty and I'm not the organizational wizard I once was BUT my children are smart, healthy, happy and stimulated which is my first and most important responsibility in this stage of my life. It's not like things are dirty -- I couldn't live like that! -- but my home is no longer ready for company at a moment's notice. So, would a maid service assuage the guilt I feel over my messy house or give me a whole new layer of guilt to nag me? What can we cut to afford it? I have no idea what it costs or if it's even feasible. Would I die of embarrassment if the neighbors saw a Merry Maids truck pull up to my house? Can I handle a stranger poking around my house? Would I die of exhaustion after cleaning the house the night before the first cleaning appointment because, yeah, I am that crazy. I don't know. I haven't even discussed this with Tom yet. Maybe he'll love the idea or maybe he'll sneer like one of my working mom friends did when I told her what I was considering. (It took all of my questionable self-discipline to tell her that her house would NOT be as clean as she thinks it would if she was "lucky" enough to be home all day unless she still sent her children to daycare all day everyday. Judge not lest ye be judged, biznotch. GRRRRR.)
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I guess the first step is a little research. Although I'd love the end result, I'm just not sure I can handle the "shame" of what people will think. Should I care? Hell no. Do I? Sadly, yes.
3 comments:
First off, I don't think anyone would think poorly of you for hiring a maid service. We might envy you, but we wouldn't think less of you.
Second, you're probably a much harsher judge of your own house than anyone else is. I mean, really, is it realistic to think that a home with two little kids (and a third soon!) will ever be truly clean? Think of it as "lived in" or "well loved."
It might be worthwhile to do some research. Ask around for private cleaning services, too, which might be cheaper and more discreet. I've thought about it countless times, but haven't done much research because I know myself well enough to know that I would scrub the house down the night before the maid arrived, because I would feel guilty having someone else clean up my slop. (And, if I was spending money to have the house cleaned, I would be a real a-hole biatch to my family the second they messied it.)
I do wonder, though, if it would be possible to just hire someone to come like 2-3 times per year to do a major scrub down. I don't mind the weekly vacuum/dust/mop routine, but I hate the real put-on-the-gloves-and-scrub stuff.
I think it is a fantastic idea. Jason actually suggested that when we moved into this house. Three kids, always on the go, laundry piled sky high but my problem was I couldn't, just couldn't use my discretionary funds for it. I'd rather new shoes or a pedicure for the three of us girls. However, with the baby coming, it would be such a relief just to have someone come in and fold towels, clean toilets and wash Dr. Brown bottles. It may be well worth it just for a year!
Go for it! I don't think anyone would judge you, either. I mean, I might, but only because I'm jealous, and I need like, two weeks notice before our house is presentable. And even then, it's only the first floor.
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