Do you have people other than your family living in the house?

Philippines
July 18, 2012 2:27am CST
Our house is not that big, in fact, its just good enough for a small family. However, aside from my husband and my 2 girls, we have a nanny who helps me take care of my 4-year old toddler, and a guy helper who has been with my husband since he was still single, both living with us in the house. I am very uncomfortable with dealing with other people, because I grow up in a private home, where there's only me, my parents and siblings. Right now, the nanny is really a necessity because there's a new baby in the house and most of my time and attention are focused on her. The toddler is starting to go to school and we need someone to bring and fetch her to and from school. All the other stuff like bathing and feeding her are done by the nanny. The other guy, is the one who does most of the cooking, since I got back from giving birth. He also runs some errands for us and helps with other house chores. As much as I want to just have our home to me and my family, it's something I could only hope for, at this time. But, I'm looking forward to not having them, sooner or later - perhaps, when the kids are big enough and I could manage to take care of them myself and the whole house.
1 person likes this
6 responses
• United States
26 Jul 12
No, we don't. It's bad enough being in a building with neighbors on the other side of the walls. I wouldn't want non-family or friends living with me. I like my own space. When I have children, their father and I will be the ones caring for them. In the U.S., only wealthy families pay other people to live with them and care for their children. The rest of us don't have that "luxury." Personally, I want to care for my own children--not have someone else do it. The same goes for my home. One of my close friends grew up in a place where having servants is normal. She spent the first two or three years of her life thinking that her nanny was her mother.
• Philippines
27 Jul 12
I think people in the US can easily drop off their babies/toddlers at a daycare center, and occasionally have a babysitter to watch over them. Here, we don't have daycare centers and if there are, it would cost very expensive that a day's worth would be even more than how much we pay a stay-in nanny for a month.
• United States
27 Jul 12
If both of us were to work outside of the home full-time with set hours, we would likely need a babysitter or day care. However, that is not currently the case, and I expect that it won't be the case when we have children. So, I plan on at least one of us always being available for our children when they are not off at activities.
• Philippines
27 Jul 12
I'm a stay at home mom since I got pregnant with our second child. I still needed a nanny for my toddler, because the new baby would need a lot of my time and attention. I needed someone to get her prepared for school, and other tasks while Im with the baby. I do hope, soon, that I'd get to take care of both of them myself. Perhaps, when the baby is a year old.
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
18 Jul 12
My mother moved in with us 6 months ago. We rearranged things a bit to make the move possible. Now circumstances have changed and she is returning to Florida. I am a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to her being here. With my son about to begin preschool and homeschooling my daughter for the 1st year, I thought things would be different.
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
So you wanted her to live with you and your own family? Did you get in to an argument of some sort why she flew back? I would actually prefer to have a relative to help in the house, but my mother and I don't have a very good team up when at home. I also don't like to be told what to do and it would be awkward to ask her to do things around the house. That's why we just hired someone else to be nanny and helper.
@thaMARKER (2503)
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
im living away from home since high school but we have never let someone (not blood related) live in our parent's house. not for a week maybe. we allowed a relative or a family friend but for a day or two maybe. my parents are very private and we seldom invite visitors in our house. i dont like visitors too haha.. i dont know how to take care of them. well im more comfortable when im alone so i prefer entertaining my guests outside the house so we dont have to spend much time hahaha..
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
I really don't enjoy having visitors at home. Well, especially now that our home still needs some renovation. Perhaps, when it's a lot more beautiful, I could comfortable invite some friends in, but not everytime and not for a long time.
@marguicha (215408)
• Chile
18 Jul 12
I have a lady helper at home since I started with my chemo as I didn`t know how I would feel. But she does not live here and only comes 5 days a week from 9 AM to 6 PM. A couple of times I have asked her to stay when I did not feel well and sometimes, when I don`t need her, I tell her to go home earlier. I need my own spaces and I would feel unhappy if I had people around for the 24 hours of the day.
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
I think it's just more common here to have stay-in helpers because most of those who would be willing to take the job are from far off provinces, even mountain provinces and have no families or relatives nearby. They take really low salary because the job comes with free lodging and food from the employers.
@rashme317 (250)
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
we are 12 in our house including our 4 helpers. we are 8 in the family , but every weekdays it will be only the 10 of us ,since my 2 sisters are still schooling.. Well here in our country extended family are very common wherein the grandparents will also stay in one house same with theirchildren.
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
We are from the same country, rashme. Im also in the Philippines, but I would still prefer having more privacy in the house. I mean, its the only place and the best place where you can be alone with your family. When i was younger, we lived in small compound with my father's relatives. But, we have our own houses within the same are and one main gate. I didn't enjoy it at all. They would just enter our house anytime they want like they own it. I hated that, and Im just glad my husband got us our own home.
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
18 Jul 12
LIke you, I also want my privacy. Right now it's just me and my two kid siblings; plus my hubby during his RnR here. I never had any stay-in helper or maid; if ever I will be needing extra hands I hire them on a day to day basis. LIke for washing our clothes and ironing, we hire one person to come once or twice a week. So far that's all the help that we need because we don't have a little one yet. When that time comes, I don't know if i will stick to hiring them like i do now. Also, my siblings and husband have this attitude to just leave some change and money lying around. With just us in the house, we haven't experienced losing any valuables. Te last time we had a stay-in maid at my folks' place, we seem to be losing some petty cash.
• Philippines
18 Jul 12
Oh, that's another issue we have to deal with if we have other people in the house. Fortunately, I don't have much problem with that, at the moment. And, we make sure we keep all valuables in our room, and when we're out we lock the room up. I'm just not comfortable being in the same room with them, or eating on the same table together. I don't like other people knowing much about my private life - the tv programs i watch, how i laugh, how i look early in the morning, etc... And, I also don't like it when they touch the special food I buy for myself and the kids. I mean, we feed them with daily meals, and I just hope they would spare those other things I reserved for myself. I don't think its being selfish, but not everything can be shared with everyone in the house, right?!