A friend of mine (male) was looking for an apartment after spending his first year of college in a dorm. He was in law school, which in Spain is not grad school. Seeing an ad at the school which gave the specific address, he dropped by. The girl who opened the door explained that they were 4 girls and wanted another girl; my friend said “well, since you’re law students, or at least some of you are, you know it’s discriminatory to refuse to let me see the room. So let me see it and then if I like it we talk.” They go in; he likes the room so he asks to speak with all 4 girls. He then tells them “my mother is a cleanliness freak, so I refuse to do any kind of cleaning except for my own room, but I can cook. And I promise that there will be ready-to-eat food in the fridge 24/7, even during the crush for finals.” The girls looked at each other and said yes.
Middlebro was also in charge of cooking in pretty much every shared flat he’s lived in. He’s no chef, but the majority of his roomies had problems doing anything more complicated than open a can of beans. Can’t clean unless you grab him by the nose and touch the tip to the dust bunnies, though.
I had classmates who were able to afford a cleaning lady. You bet they got one.
I’m proud of your daughter for coming up with this plan. Part of growing up is getting over stubbornness and learning when to say “I just can’t do it” or “I just don’t know.” Or, as my dad says “when to call The Man.” Kudos to Doe!
I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with the idea, per se, but I doubt it would work.
Most college students have way more money than they need, and aren’t really out there in force searching for an extra buck from all and sundry. And even those few who might be are not really looking for the sort of work that might place them in any sort of demeaning or second-class position, such as providing unusual services, posing nude for art classes, or participating in bizarre medical or psychological experiments.
So I’d say you’re probably going to have a hard time of it on that front.
I am glad she came up with idea and she has already found someone.
My son pays someone to do his laundry and clean his room. He is perfectly capable of doing it himself but he is just plain lazy and there is always someone in the house that needs funds.
I don’t think there are a whole lot of jobs people will not do if the right amount of cash is involved.
Heh, looks like a bit of a “whoosh” to me. And I think it’s great that Doe has come up with this plan and has found the right person, and they will both benefit.
Jess, I’m glad that Doe has found a solution that works for her!
I earned extra $ in college by being a personal care attendant for several students. Laundry was a normal duty that I perfomed for about $7/hour. I didn’t mind it all, often I would sit around and watch tv between loads, often while my employers were in class or at work themselves. Like Doe they had fine motor and reaching problems that made it hard to do laundry well. My school’s disability services dept would advertise every semester for students who were willing to work, and then the students who needed help would choose and pay their attendants. Cool for me, cool for them.
In the “real world” Doe can take her clothes to a laundry that will wash and fold for her for a small fee/tip, or have a housekeeper that will do laundry and make beds. Heck, as a babysitter/part-time nanny I did laundry as well as light cooking.
I had a feeling that this was why she was trying to come up with another idea…I think it’s awesome that she came up with a good plan, and figured out a way to implement it.
This is in addition to the laundry money, right? Or make me seethe with jealousy by saying they don’t have to come up with quarters every time they do laundry?
I understand Doe’s position Jess but I just wanted to point out that the college is not doing her any “favors” to be “helpful” it is what she is entitled to by Federal Law. Although they may never have had an oncampus disabled student before, they are required to offer equal access to, and equal benefit from, education to every disabled student that walks through their door.
Stand up for your rights is an important life lesson too though I have a feeling you have this covered in general, is is REALLY important (JMHO) that she doesn’t look at what the school has done so far as “helpfulness” (which implies a certain voluntariness) but their own duty and obligation they undertook when they chose to accept Stafford loans and other monies emanating from the Fed Govt.
I’m a little late to the thread but I wanted to add my $.02.
When I was in college I would have taken twenty dollars a week to do the laundry of any Pampered Poochie Princess who asked, so doing it for some one who was less bodily abled than I would have been no problem. Washing sheets is not something I’m ashamed of and I’d take in laundry today if it paid enough money.
That said, Jess, your daughter sounds like a fine young woman. I wouldn’t worry too much about her(though of course you will) because she sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders. It sounds like there are many friends who want to help her out while letting her keep her dignity. And it seems that you raised a good kid. Congrats.
The single richest man in our county started out this way. He came off a farm in Monroe County northeast of here. Not poor but not rich, either. His freshman year at the college in town he organized a company that cleaned dorm rooms for a weekly fee and had five guys working for him. He was a natural at business.
It’s twenty-five years later and he’s now worth 200 million dollars or so. So it can be a winner all around.
Is that Don Aslett, Jonathon? I know he got his start with a cleaning company in college.
Thank you for the kind words, everyone. She really is a good kid and we are very proud of her. If I can brag a bit – she got all 'A’s her first semester. She had fairly major medical problems during second semester and had to take a few weeks off after spring break to have a Baclofen Pump implanted to help with her spasticity. But she still got all 'A’s and 'B’s second semester. And she was offered research assistant positions for two different professors. Rather unusual for a rising sophomore (although her school is quite small, so it isn’t unheard of).
The medical problems aside, I actually don’t worry about her much. She is just a very self-sufficiant, hardworking and practical young woman. I know she’ll have a very successful life.
(QUOTE)Thank you for the kind words, everyone. She really is a good kid and we are very proud of her. If I can brag a bit – she got all 'A’s her first semester. She had fairly major medical problems during second semester and had to take a few weeks off after spring break to have a Baclofen Pump implanted to help with her spasticity. But she still got all 'A’s and 'B’s second semester. And she was offered research assistant positions for two different professors. Rather unusual for a rising sophomore (although her school is quite small, so it isn’t unheard of).
The medical problems aside, I actually don’t worry about her much. She is just a very self-sufficiant, hardworking and practical young woman. I know she’ll have a very successful life.
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So, you don’t need our advice because you already have a mature, levelheaded daughter. Honey, relax and thank the stars and your parenting abilities that Doe is such a self sufficient young lady. I can tell you some horror stories about kids these days… but I won’t.
And I think it’s great that Doe has come up with this plan and has found the right person, and they will both benefit.
