# Hiring Domestic Help in Mexico City???



## srvgrl

Completing the final details of a 6 month ex pat assignment and am missing two key components. I need to find a driver and a nanny (live in is fine). I have an estimate out from an international relocation company to help make the connection with an agency, but was looking for other options. Any advice is appreciated. 

Thanks! Leah


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## Justina

Churches very often help with servants and general workers. You could ask the local church.


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## Longford

Be very careful when hiring. Ask co-workers where you'll be working and adjacent tenants where you live. How often will you want to use a driver? I'm assuming you'll be living in Polanco, Lomas or Bosques de las Lomas.


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## Isla Verde

Longford said:


> Be very careful when hiring. Ask co-workers where you'll be working and adjacent tenants where you live. How often will you want to use a driver? I'm assuming you'll be living in Polanco, Lomas or Bosques de las Lomas.


Why do you assume that the OP will be living in one of these posh parts of Mexico City_


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## AlanMexicali

srvgrl said:


> Completing the final details of a 6 month ex pat assignment and am missing two key components. I need to find a driver and a nanny (live in is fine). I have an estimate out from an international relocation company to help make the connection with an agency, but was looking for other options. Any advice is appreciated.
> 
> Thanks! Leah


My advice would be: "Be careful!"

I have heard many stories of nannies and muchachas/body guards/drivers that were hired and all went well for a short time, then things happened. There seems to be a way to behave around servants here in San Luis Potosi [conservative Central Mexico] that has rules in place. If you are not familiar with these rules you should get advice on them, at least here, I don´t know about Mexico city. Familiarity breeds contempt in some cases. 

It is highly recommended to have a personal reference when hiring someone to live in your house or be a nanny here and this has been discussed many times by many. Some of their children are in this situation now. A cousin or relative is preferred. Also a nanny or servant that worked for a trusted friend or relative for many years.

To hire a non referenced house worker is not usually done here and stories galore abound about people who did. It appears to be a mistake about 50% of the time. The rest of the time these good workers move to friends and family when situations change.

At least here it is considered an honorable profession, not a temporary/part time job to fill a gap in other employment. Cleaning ladies is another thing.


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## GARYJ65

Isla Verde said:


> Why do you assume that the OP will be living in one of these posh parts of Mexico City_


Might be as well Pedregal, SAn Angel, Santa Fe
Anywhere where you can afford a nanny and a driver!


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## GARYJ65

I agree that you have to be very careful with that, here and everywhere, but let's talk about Mexico

You have to look for references, otherwise, I would NOT hire anyone


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## GARYJ65

I'm still thinking about this thread, for a driver, You have to hire a local person, one that knows the city and its ways and speak both english and spanish, with references.

I would try one of the private taxi services , they might know a person like that

As for the nanny; much more complicated
Why don't you bring one from your country? Perhaps there is one that knows a bit of spanish and would like to spend some time here.
One other idea would be to hire a kinder or pedagogy student, a young person that knows how to deal with children, you could find one that speaks some english.

Most people I know hire a maid, a local person, who does not know anything about nothing, dress her up with an uniform and call her nanny or niñera, big mistake, she doen't do well and the most they do is to prevent children from falling or things that Nana (Peter Pan's ) could do


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## Isla Verde

GARYJ65 said:


> As for the nanny; much more complicated
> Why don't you bring one from your country? Perhaps there is one that knows a bit of spanish and would like to spend some time here.
> One other idea would be to hire a kinder or pedagogy student, a young person that knows how to deal with children, you could find one that speaks some english.
> 
> Most people I know hire a maid, a local person, who does not know anything about nothing, dress her up with an uniform and call her nanny or niñera, big mistake, she doen't do well and the most they do is to prevent children from falling or things that Nana (Peter Pan's ) could do


So I take it that being a nanny in Mexico is not a profession requiring special training, like it is in the States and Europe.


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## Isla Verde

GARYJ65 said:


> Might be as well Pedregal, SAn Angel, Santa Fe
> Anywhere where you can afford a nanny and a driver!


That's true. I live in a nice but not posh part of the city and don't know anyone who has a driver or a nanny.


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## GARYJ65

Isla Verde said:


> So I take it that being a nanny in Mexico is not a profession requiring special training, like it is in the States and Europe.


We do not have nannies, as I said, people hire maids, dress them up and call them nannies, they are far from being Mary Poppins.

The problems are:
Children are not safe with a non trained person
They might get abused
They get to learn what you don't want them to learn
Possible kidnapping


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## Justina

I agree with all the above and frankly if I was just going to be in the DF for six months then I would prefer to look after my children myself. As to a chauffeur, then perhaps the company that you or partner will be working with should be able to supply you with a safe service or at least give you details.
With maids dressed up as 'nannies' which is true, it isn't that they themselves are baddies, but so often they have boyfriends who cajole them into leaving doors open, more for the jewels or lap top than the kids, but things can happen and it is not worth the tears afterwards.


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## Longford

Isla Verde said:


> That's true. I live in a nice but not posh part of the city and don't know anyone who has a driver or a nanny.


A full-time driver and nanny are typically found in the homes of senior corporate executives where the corporation is paying the cost of those services, or in the homes of the wealthiest people in the D.F. The Mexican middle-class doesn't typically have the funds to pay for those things. When someone is at that level in Mexican society they become targets for robberies and kidnapping. And those risks, at whatever level they might exist, is the reason thorough background and reference checks are mandatory. The wealthy in Mexico, and the middle-class, don't let household help in the front door without having a certain degree of confidence in them. There are businesses in Mexico City which investigate employees for background purposes. They visit the homes of the applicants, talk with their neighbors, check other references, etc. If the OP is asking about these things seriously and not just pulling our leg (not saying that's the case here), then the employer should have someone on staff who can provide important guidance. As sincere as all of our intentions are ... the forum, this forum, isn't the place the OP will find the information being sought … IMHO.


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## Justina

Longford, you really put it in a nutshell. Any company that is taking you to anywhere should be responsible for giving you advice of all that was asked and presumably expected. I did mention the church at the beginning only cos I knew people in the Pedregal that found their maids through the church in the Pedregal and had good luck. They did live in gated communities which is another level of security.


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## Longford

Yes, people at the church in that particular community ... will be a very helpful resource. Thanks.


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## JoanneR2

You could ask if your company could provide a driver for a period of time while you settle in which is what mine did. The other posts are quite clear, you need to be careful and to get references. A recommendation from other people is the best bet. Does your company have other people in a similar situation? You could write to them to ask what they did. I don't have a nanny as fortunately my children have grown up and were left behind in England but my muchacha was recommended by my driver (his sister) and has proved to be absolutely wonderful. Good luck with the move


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## conorkilleen

My company would laugh me out of the room if I asked them to pay for a nanny or a driver. Anyone that would want one in Mexico, probably had one in the US or whatever country they came from. My neighbors have a driver, live in maid, and a live in nanny. The "mom", if thats what you want to call her, is too preoccupied with having coffee and afternoon cocktail sessions with her girlfriends to take care of her 3 children. The dad is a banker and I think he makes a pretty good salary.

We have a maid that comes 3 times a week. My wife stays home and takes care of our 3 children while she is ow 6 months pregnant. We would not have a maid if it was a different situation.

If you can afford a driver and a full time maid/nanny, great for you, however I do feel that you get further and further away from reality once you have those luxuries.


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## TundraGreen

conorkilleen said:


> My company would laugh me out of the room if I asked them to pay for a nanny or a driver. Anyone that would want one in Mexico, probably had one in the US or whatever country they came from. My neighbors have a driver, live in maid, and a live in nanny. The "mom", if thats what you want to call her, is too preoccupied with having coffee and afternoon cocktail sessions with her girlfriends to take care of her 3 children. The dad is a banker and I think he makes a pretty good salary.
> 
> We have a maid that comes 3 times a week. My wife stays home and takes care of our 3 children while she is ow 6 months pregnant. We would not have a maid if it was a different situation.
> 
> If you can afford a driver and a full time maid/nanny, great for you, however I do feel that you get further and further away from reality once you have those luxuries.


That is a stereotype. Many families have two people working full-time or more. It may be better to have a full-time caretaker for the children than to leave them unsupervised half the day. As far as a driver, I don't even have a car so I don't know what I would do with a driver, but that doesn't mean they might not be useful under some circumstances. As far as disconnecting from reality, I can think of lots of things that would qualify a disconnecting one from reality. Maybe the list would start with a TV.


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## conorkilleen

I dont think its a stereotype if the majority of the "rich" in my area have the same lifestyle. Once you delegate responsibility of caregiving, driving, and cleaning, people tend to migrate to what I believe is an unhealthy existence. That person forgets the basic human instincts and gradually is unable to do anything for themselves or others. They would pay 10 pesos to a street kid to hail a taxi for them or to carry their groceries 20 ft. Its not a stereotype if I see it everyday.


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## GARYJ65

conorkilleen said:


> I dont think its a stereotype if the majority of the "rich" in my area have the same lifestyle. Once you delegate responsibility of caregiving, driving, and cleaning, people tend to migrate to what I believe is an unhealthy existence. That person forgets the basic human instincts and gradually is unable to do anything for themselves or others. They would pay 10 pesos to a street kid to hail a taxi for them or to carry their groceries 20 ft. Its not a stereotype if I see it everyday.


I agree with you on those things, but I think that the biggest problem is who takes care of children? Who are they taking behavioural models from? A nanny? In that case, why do some people have children for if they do not have time to care for them? Then they say things like " it's better to give them quality time" I do not believe that for a second


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## srvgrl

Thanks for all the "perspectives". I will be working full time, so not really able to "care for my own children" during the day as was so nicely recommended. This venture is an amazing experience, but a sacrifice for my family, so yes, my company is willing to pay for driver & someone to take care of the children during the day, and yes, I understand security is important, which is why I was simply looking for a recommendation on an agency to do the legwork (vs. working with a "full service" relocation company who would then find me a local agency). We will be living in a gated community etc. I did not realize this was going to turn into a political discussion.


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## TundraGreen

GARYJ65 said:


> I agree with you on those things, but I think that the biggest problem is who takes care of children? Who are they taking behavioral models from? A nanny? In that case, why do some people have children for if they do not have time to care for them? Then they say things like " it's better to give them quality time" I do not believe that for a second


I think it is a strange way to live as well. It is not the way I would choose to live. However, I don't see any need to criticize it. Most people choose to live in ways that I find strange. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people.


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## GARYJ65

TundraGreen said:


> I think it is a strange way to live as well. It is not the way I would choose to live. However, I don't see any need to criticize it. Most people choose to live in ways that I find strange. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people.


I never said anyone is bad people, I am just expressing my opinion as this is the forum to do so and most of the posters do. It might be taken as a critic, depending on the point of view. If someone or most people live as they wish I agree, since I live the way I want.


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## GARYJ65

TundraGreen said:


> I think it is a strange way to live as well. It is not the way I would choose to live. However, I don't see any need to criticize it. Most people choose to live in ways that I find strange. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people.


By the way, Me and my brother were raised by my Mother, she had to work full time


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## conorkilleen

srvgrl said:


> Thanks for all the "perspectives". I will be working full time, so not really able to "care for my own children" during the day as was so nicely recommended. This venture is an amazing experience, but a sacrifice for my family, so yes, my company is willing to pay for driver & someone to take care of the children during the day, and yes, I understand security is important, which is why I was simply looking for a recommendation on an agency to do the legwork (vs. working with a "full service" relocation company who would then find me a local agency). We will be living in a gated community etc. I did not realize this was going to turn into a political discussion.


My responses where not intended to be as such, however you will find in Mexico City that those who live in gated communities and have the luxury of having a driver, maid, and a nanny are generally in another class, or world, than the majority of Mexico City residents. The rest of the population look at you a little different.

I live in a gated community close to Santa Fe, although we are not "rich". My company pays for a portion of my rent, but not all. The rest, transportation, food, maids, and other luxuries I am on my own....and I do mean on my own. I have 3 children and one on the way...you think my company would pay for more, but I don't ask. Its not worth it.


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## ReyMiguel

Hello, I will be moving to Mexico next month and be looking for a maid. In our experience, we have found help (maids, nannies and drivers) thru referrals from other expats. Either they know them or know the people they worked with. Like now, I'm about to leave the Philippines and I already found 2 new expats interested in our maid. Don't know how big is the expat community in Mexico City but probably the american school and any other american association would be a good place to look.


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## tepetapan

srvgrl said:


> Thanks for all the "perspectives". I will be working full time, so not really able to "care for my own children" during the day as was so nicely recommended. This venture is an amazing experience, but a sacrifice for my family, so yes, my company is willing to pay for driver & someone to take care of the children during the day, and yes, I understand security is important, which is why I was simply looking for a recommendation on an agency to do the legwork (vs. working with a "full service" relocation company who would then find me a local agency). We will be living in a gated community etc. I did not realize this was going to turn into a political discussion.


After three pages of ...whatever....you end up with two options of what can be done. I will go a step further and suggest. Manpower, you can get what you want and be able to change people rapidly if they don't fit or work out. You pay more but it is only 6 months.


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## JoanneR2

I did not have a driver in the UK and indeed do not now have one here. However, when I first arrived and with a job that required me to work long hours and to learn a new language very quickly, I found it very useful to have the help. I do not live in a gated community nor oiled I consider myself to be rich by UK standards though I accept that things are very different here. One thing I have learnt however, is that all of us live our lives, wherever we are, as best we can. Thos who wish to stay at home to raise their children and others of us use nannies, family or friends to help. None of us are wrong, we just make different choices.


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