Small problem - need suggestion

ais_1982 · Jun 2, 2010

Hi all,

I have a very small issue...Need all ur suggestions.

My MIL is coming to stay with us for a month... She is a nice lady in general...Whenever she cms, she only wil do the cuking stuff...Problem is , she uses all the vessels in the kitchen and puts them to clean...All means all...

If she prepares sambar in a vessel, she will transfer it to another, then server in another and again keep the remaining in another...For idli, she wil take and keep in one vessel, to serve again another plate etc....

We dont have service area, and sink is small...All vessels will be overflowing and last time my maid made a face all the days and complained that she cannot tolerate doing so many vessels after my MIL left...

I somehow convinced her....I am really worried wht to do now...I dont want to hurt my MIL but please tell me how can i tell her to use minimal amount of vessels ???

ArchanaP · Jun 2, 2010

You can do one of the below two things:

a. After she is done cooking, you can take the responsibility of transferring and serving part.

b. You can explain her the problems with the maid.

roses_bloom · Jun 2, 2010

Since your mother in law is a nice lady - you are lucky! keep the peace : )

Let her cook and serve food the way that she is used to it. If dishes get overwhelming and you are afraid of losing your maid, just wash some of the vessels yourself. She might see you doing dishes and offer to pitch in.

Don't blow it out of proportion. Let her cook and serve food to you and your husband they way that she likes Enjoy your time with your MIL and let this one go.

good luck!

saipavani123 · Jun 2, 2010

[JUSTIFY]Simple problem !! pay maid extra money or give her extra incentive (anything..materialistic) for washing extra dishes....all the days when your MIL is here.
[/JUSTIFY]

Peace777 · Jun 3, 2010

I agree. Peace is much bigger that this tiny problem. I believe in live and let live. I continued mute while my mil cut onions on my $300 dinner set She is too old to change. This one is on you. Either do it yourself or pay additional money to the paid.

ais_1982 · Jun 3, 2010

Hi all ,

Thanks a lot for pitching in ur views. Even i dont want to hurt her for such issues...I just help her in all things she does while she is here....I even sacrifice watching tv, coz she watches all serials...

I am also thinking of just telling her mildly abt using less vessels and thn month end i wil pay may be some extra money to maid...

aruna_077 · Jun 3, 2010

I think after ur MIL has cooked, served, you can go and wash the vessels recently used. They wud be easy to clean and in no time, you can reduce the vessels lying in the sink.

Remember how our moms/grand-moms wud instantly wash the vessels during cooking.

rv8 · Jun 3, 2010

Lucky that you have a nice MIL! As other pointed out, you can offer the maid an extra incentive or her salary+ some x amount only for the time she has more workload.. We used to do it with our maid whenever ILs came to visit us and she was more than happy to wash a couple of more plates and vessels.

Other thing that struck me (may sound silly) why don't you put away some vessels which you feel are extra? If your MIL asks, you can tell that the kitchen space is small, so you have put away some vessels to make space. Then she will have to use only what is available, and that will reduce the number of dishes that falls into the sink.. Just my 2 cents!!

Good luck n have a good time with your MIL!!

ais_1982 · Jun 3, 2010

Hi,

we alrdy hav kept few vessels away...lots were given during wedding...:bonk

Anyways tom mrng i am going to let my maid knw that MIL is cmg...Mrngs i pack my hubby's lunch and prep bfast b4 maid cms...lunch stuff MIL wil do...So i wil put those vessels alone and tel her to use them...Lets c...

Menku · Jun 3, 2010

Hey there !

Let her do the cooking and u take over from there !

Secondly put away the utensils that u dont use much often or are likely to be used just for transfering food from one bowl to another !

Cheers !