Hi - I have a full-time helper who's amazing - cooks, cleans, and takes care of my three-year-old and six-month old. At the same time, I've taken someone part-time who comes in 3 times a week and does all the ironing and cleaning well, so that my helper or i just have basic dusting. My helper is also very flexible on holidays. Having said that, she's our third helper in our five years here - and we've learnt a lot of lessons from our past experience - namely, that you tell them straight out that they hve to be flexible on their holidays or else you wont be interested. (we also pay her HK$4200) My advice - if she cant do the basic functions as well as childcare (after all, if we werent working, isnt the childcare stuff we'd love to do?), and on top of that, can't be flexible on her days off, well, you need to get someone else. There are plenty of great helpers around - you dont have to set the rules when you hire them.