Advice needed for issues with in-laws

[mangoo]

Hi mommies, would like to hear from you regarding this matter.

My mother-in-law is taking care of my newborn baby. I'm not living with my MIL and is worried that she might not be able to handle the baby herself, so I engaged a maid to look after my baby. My MIL would help to oversee that my baby is in good hands of the maid.

Once my maid arrives, my husband's sister, who is staying with my MIL, stops the service from her part-time helper as she asks my helper to do her household chores and orders her around, for example, help her to cook for her dog and carry bags for her when she reaches home. I'm paying for the helper out of my own pocket, my husband or her sis isn't paying a single cent. I don't feel good that my sis-in-law is doing this to me. What should I do? Should I stop the service of the maid, so that SIL would not take advantage of the maid?

 

[frog]

I am assuming that you send your maid and your baby to your MIL's house every morning. Have dinner there. Then come home in the evening with maid and baby. Correct?

In this case, you should first and foremost know that technically speaking, such a deployment of maid, although common, is borderline illegal. Maids are supposed to be working IN/AT one household, and one household only. In your case, it is understandable, that your maid needs to follow your baby. So, the way you should approach this, is to tell your MIL and SIL that such a deployment, you realize could get you into trouble, if the maid or a neighbor complain. However, you can still argue that the maid need to follow the baby. The maid can help with preparing meals and something involving the baby or you - but she should not do any specific task that is not for your immediate family members (you, hubby, baby).

So, this would rule out maid doing work for SIL, ironing clothes for them, washing their toilets, cleaning their room, etc. So, at least you are covered. And then this will also automatically solve your issue about "taking advantage" because it is illegal, anyway. They should not do it, and you really cannot allow them to do it.