maid in singapore
I've never agreed with the concept of hiring maids. To me, it's not much different from legalised slavery. The maid leaves home to a faraway place only to come to a foreign land where she has few or no friends. Her salary is small and most of the money is remitted home or paid to the agent who brought her here. Often, they are separated from their own kids and suffering from homesickness. In short, it's a sad existence. Some of them do establish a better life for themselves here (largely depending on how good or bad her employer treats her) but for the most part, they're lonely, earn little and work long hours.
Unfortunately, hiring maids has become a very common practice here. In most homes where there are young kids, you'll usually find a maid, sometimes even two. Parents basically spend most of their time working, earning a living. Parenting takes a toll and is often left to the maids to take care of, on top of her cleaning and cooking duties. Unlike babysitters in the U.S, the maids here are hired on a full-time basis and live in with their employers.
It has come to light recently that some employers are installing video cameras in their homes to check on what their maids are up to while they're away at work. Employers here rationalise that it's the right thing to do, saying that's it better to be safe than sorry. What a ridiculous comment. If you'll rather be safe than sorry, why even bother with a maid? Why not just look after them yourself or get your parents, in-laws to help out? By installing a camera, you're blantantly telling the maid you DON'T trust her! It's no different from pointing a camera at an employee in the office. You invade her privacy and worse, you send a clear message that you don't trust the lady who looks after your kids. This is wrong on so many levels.
Maids take care of their employer's kids. If parents must hire them, they might as well treat them well so that they in turn, treat the kids well. Give them their once-a-week break, decent lodging and let them eat with the family, not the left-overs. Also, I've witnessed so many incidents of kids yelling at their maids, I'm embarassed. Kids ape their parents and I'm pretty sure they picked up such bad behaviour from the very people who were supposed to their role models. What an utter shame.
Unfortunately, hiring maids has become a very common practice here. In most homes where there are young kids, you'll usually find a maid, sometimes even two. Parents basically spend most of their time working, earning a living. Parenting takes a toll and is often left to the maids to take care of, on top of her cleaning and cooking duties. Unlike babysitters in the U.S, the maids here are hired on a full-time basis and live in with their employers.
It has come to light recently that some employers are installing video cameras in their homes to check on what their maids are up to while they're away at work. Employers here rationalise that it's the right thing to do, saying that's it better to be safe than sorry. What a ridiculous comment. If you'll rather be safe than sorry, why even bother with a maid? Why not just look after them yourself or get your parents, in-laws to help out? By installing a camera, you're blantantly telling the maid you DON'T trust her! It's no different from pointing a camera at an employee in the office. You invade her privacy and worse, you send a clear message that you don't trust the lady who looks after your kids. This is wrong on so many levels.
Maids take care of their employer's kids. If parents must hire them, they might as well treat them well so that they in turn, treat the kids well. Give them their once-a-week break, decent lodging and let them eat with the family, not the left-overs. Also, I've witnessed so many incidents of kids yelling at their maids, I'm embarassed. Kids ape their parents and I'm pretty sure they picked up such bad behaviour from the very people who were supposed to their role models. What an utter shame.
posted by compassioNAT at 6:44 PM
12 Comments:
Yes Chris you're right to say at this time and age, few parents can juggle well between their jobs and spending time with their kids. Granted, that are circumstances when maids are needed to help out in the family but the least that these employees can do is to make sure that she is living comfortably and to trust her to take care of their kids.
If they find it hard to trust their maid, perhaps because of certain personality traits, then don't hire her in the first place. To hire her and then watch her every move on a camera is just so silly. It pisses me to hear that people actually think it's the wiser thing to do.
twisted.
It's interesting to me to hear the differences in how you use a maid. Your "maid" to me sounds more like an "au pair" here. Someone who comes from far, lives with the family, takes care of the kids and other household chores. Usually in the US these people are foreign students looking for some work experience in the US. However, it is very sad to see how maids are treated there. I completely agree with you. And I also think that if they don't have any trust and respect from the parents, they won't have any from the kids, which will make their job a lot harder.
What made you write about this in the first place? Do you know someone with a maid? Or did you read or hear something in the news? I think this is an interesting subject.
Hi Juliana,
I guess i shouldn't tarnish the reputation of all Singaporean maid employers in one big stroke. Just like anywhere else, we also have very good employers here, employers who send their maids on course, pay for their education and make sure their needs are comfortably met. Having said that, this grp belong to a minority.
yes, au pair is slightly similiar only that 'maids' here arent here to get an education.
Issues surrounding maids are fairly common here. Recently we've had very serious cases of maids ill-treating employee's kids too and even one of a maid killing the kid due to depression...which i think cause some jittery among parents hiring maids here. Still.. two wrongs don't make a right.
Yes, i know of several people who have maids at home. Using maids is such a way of life here, people cant really cope without them.
hmmm....
parenting - topic thats close to my heart :-).....Oh well, I'm single with no intentions of marrying...but parenting is something that I have so much to talk on ;-)
Like Chik
says most of the child's character is formed in the first 5 yrs of age and parents have a very huge influence on a child's behaviour, character and attitude.
I personally feel that a good human being is formed at home than any school can mould a child. whatever school u put the child in, its only the home that defines the character of a child. And unfortunately, not many of the parents seem to understand that.....and with parents who dont know how to treat a maid, well, I dont expect the kids to be any different. And yes, hiring maids like you have said is popular in India too, but mostly we have maids coming in to work for an hour or so/day. And trust me, we have a maid whos part of our family. Shes been with us for almost 15 years now and shes actualyl seen me and my sis grow up !!! We cant ask for anyone better . Guess we were lucky !!!
You know I dont think that is right either. If you can have the kids you need to find the time to be a parent.
Taking off from Phantom on how a child becomes what he/she is cos of parenting (esp when we talk abt good/bad behaviour), thou the environment influences a person to a great extent, we act upon the influence only to a certain age. I think all human beings inherently are aware of so called 'good' or 'bad'. We choose to become what we are. Maybe lil quirks or habbits could be cos of a certain kind of parenting. We can look past those as these quirks are what distinguish us but in broader sense we are what we are cos we choose to be so and NOT cos of bad parenting or bad childhood.
Only the incredibly wealthy have maids here in the U.S. Many upper-middle class families hire people to watch their kids for a few hours a day, or clean the house but not many have a full time maid. But I have heard from several people that maids are common in other countries. Personally I don't see how people can just hire someone else to raise their kids, household duties are on thing for a busy parent stabalizing a career but parenting that just doesn't seam like something you can pay someone to do. I agree with you on the whole camera thing, if I were a maid I wouldn't stand for being monitored. theres no need for that, if the people I work for cant trust me enough to do my job without being watched then that is a clear indication of the lack of respect my employers have for me, and I would quit. However it is easier said that done for foriegn immigrants.
Dear Nat
wow there sure is a hype of activity with the topics you throw out! Well going to catch up with your other webblogs and keep an active profile here ok!
My 2 cents' worth: Maids in Spore definitely are more proportionately undervalued than say HK. Many Sporeans perhaps view $ very seriously in an effort to earn more, so they expect more from outsiders whom the employers know they come here to seek better money and perhaps career prospect.
Employers should guide and reprimand yet restore trust to foreign domestic workers when mistakes are made. Definitely there is a limit, but evaluation of progress together on a regular basis would cement bond and assess if suitable for continuity.
To those workers who feel dissatified working here, one thing I detest is when employers talk like they are of superium breed. Meting every single instruction and dangling a carrot in front. That's perhaps the next abhorent disregard one can have for anoth being next to physical abuse by means of overworking them, depriving them of sufficiet sleep, not allowing them to attend religious functions on regular basis.
The more and more subtle and small negative actions take place here in our homeland, this leaves us in potentially poor position to attract foreigners who may outperform than we thot.
I hope the rising no of Singaporeans professionals today give more crediblity to these workers just as these executives have been given respect by people who helped in their financial growth!
Dear Nat
wow there sure is a hype of activity with the topics you throw out! Well going to catch up with your other webblogs and keep an active profile here ok!
My 2 cents' worth: Maids in Spore definitely are more proportionately undervalued than say HK. Many Sporeans perhaps view $ very seriously in an effort to earn more, so they expect more from outsiders whom the employers know they come here to seek better money and perhaps career prospect.
Employers should guide and reprimand yet restore trust to foreign domestic workers when mistakes are made. Definitely there is a limit, but evaluation of progress together on a regular basis would cement bond and assess if suitable for continuity.
To those workers who feel dissatified working here, one thing I detest is when employers talk like they are of superium breed. Meting every single instruction and dangling a carrot in front. That's perhaps the next abhorent disregard one can have for anoth being next to physical abuse by means of overworking them, depriving them of sufficiet sleep, not allowing them to attend religious functions on regular basis.
The more and more subtle and small negative actions take place here in our homeland, this leaves us in potentially poor position to attract foreigners who may outperform than we thot.
I hope the rising no of Singaporeans professionals today give more crediblity to these workers just as these executives have been given respect by people who helped in their financial growth!
I'm no expert on this topic either but Wookie, I agree that up to a certain point, the kid has to take responsibility for his actions. Bad childhood or bad parenting can definitely leave its mark, but we can't alwas use that as an excuse.
Still, Phantom, as you rightly pointed out, home is where it all begins. Not school, not teacher, not maids but parents.
S.C, yes, i think we're all very lucky in the sense that when we're unhappy with a job, we always have the option of quitting. I mean what's the worse that can happen? We'll still have a roof over our heads and food on the table. But i think many of the foreign worker labouring here don't have that kind of option.
hiring maids...singapore is known for Firing and hanging maids..is it not? ;-) just kidding..
Hi Injuinity,
That is a pretty loaded question that can't be properly tackled unless you and i have the full knowledge on what's happening, in which case i don't..
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