We’ve employed the same cleaning lady for a dozen years. She’s great and we love her. However, our incomes are not rising and our children’s expenses are. We’d like to be saving more for college, and the kids are at an age where they can start helping more around the house.

Basically, it’s time to let the cleaning lady go.

But there’s an issue. She has an adult disabled son, and we have frequently spoken of how hard it is for her to make ends meet. She has no family resources at all. Her son requires special services, which are expensive.

How can we in good conscience fire someone in this kind of need? On the other hand, aren’t our own children’s futures more our responsibility?

Sincerely,
Torn Up