I am completely and without question conflicted on the topic of a helper. While the thought of having someone else help with cleaning and cooking, as well as childminding (which is the term used here), sounds amazing, at the same time the thought of bringing in a total stranger to live with us in our 850 sq ft apartment freaks me out! Our flat is tiny and with all three of us here sometimes even seems a bit crowded... add to that a stranger from a foreign country (usually the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, or Sri Lanka) living with us six days a week that we sponsor for her visa and provide all of her travel monies, salary, food monies, and insurance. Ugh...complicated! We really just need to have someone come clean the house once a week (which would be AMAZING) and have a babysitter a couple of nights a week. So it seems silly to go through all of the hoops and take all of the risks when we really don't need all of the help. Now, my story will probably be different after we've been here for a while, I have friends, and we bring Makena's baby sister home. Then I am positive that we will want to hire one. But for now? Not so sure.
I am reading a great book on helpers in Hong Kong. Pitfalls, benefits, interviews, etc... Very interesting stuff. It would be so different if I have a full-time job and just wasn't able to watch Makena or shop for groceries or cook dinner, etc... Right now that is my job and we are hoping to hear back soon from Makena's preschool (our second choice, but a great school nonetheless...and they don't have a wait list for their afternoon program!). She will go three hours a day, five days a week. While it is right at lunchtime (Noon to Three), I will still be able to run errands or go to the gym (I will actually be able to go tour a gym and join one once she is in school too...they won't let kids in, even to sign up for membership), or accomplish any number of things that I can't do when I have her. Decisions, decisions...What do I do?
Roaming with help?
