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When you hire someone to work in your home chances are they are going to do things their way. In the case of a housekeeper a difference of opinion with regards to cleaning styles is not necessarily a significant problem. However, when there is a difference in opinion on theories regarding child rearing , that is another matter. I own a housekeeping / nanny service, Europa Domestics, and over the years I have received numerous calls from clients complaining that their nanny is behaving too much like the parent. Often, nannies are foreign girls who have grown up in a different culture from your own. For example, one mom told me that her Irish nanny “corrected” her child’s friend when … Continue reading →

I remember how despondent I was when I found out that my mother had colon cancer at the age of 84. Up until then she had been, surprisingly healthy, vibrant, and energetic. At that time it was she who took care of everything, including the care of my dad who had heart failure. Over the course of the ensuing 4 years my dad’s health deteriorated greatly and my mother’s battle with cancer came to an end with her inevitable death. During the last 4 years of their lives there were often family discussions between my parents, my brother, and I about what course of action to take regarding their day-to-day care at home. Being extremely independent all their lives, my … Continue reading →

Unless you are organized and specific about your expectations, you probably won’t get the most productivity from your housekeeper. Keep in mind people do things differently and your new housekeeper probably doesn’t know exactly how you like things done. So on her first day, it is a good idea to walk through the house and acquaint your new housekeeper with the household products you want her to use, where they should be used, and if applicable how to use them. You might also take for granted the order in which you expect things to be done, but your housekeeper might have completely different ideas. As the owner of a domestic employment agency, Europa Domestics, I have often heard complaints from … Continue reading →

My name is Eva Klenoff and I own a housekeeping service, Europa Domestics, which I started in 1979. At the time I was a language teacher in Boston and had recently moved to New Jersey. The job market for teachers of German and Russian was weak at the time and I thought about tapping into my entrepreneurial potential. I seemed to have a talent for finding and interviewing exceptional candidates for positions as housekeepers, nannies, drivers, and cooks. Friends and relatives often called begging me to find them someone just like the person I had hired for myself. It occurred to me that I should try opening up a domestic employment agency specializing in household help and nannies. Thus I … Continue reading →

Most of us consider ourselves to be good sons and daughters and good fathers and mothers. We remember the love and sacrifices our parents made for us and are prepared to do the same for our children. If our elderly parents ever needed our help, we like to think that we would not hesitate to do what was necessary. Yet the reality is that in our middle years we are often much busier with our work and life than we might have anticipated . Many demands and stressful situations arise which leave little time for taking on the care of a parent. Sometimes we must admit that we are stretched beyond our limit in our daily lives and cannot take … Continue reading →