Help them help you

I know we all have our own list of rules for our house help to follow. However, I noticed that some employers tend to forget the needs of their helpers because they are either too busy to notice or just inconsiderate. I’m encouraging everyone to take care of your helpers especially your yayas because they are the ones who are caring for your child while you’re gone. Remember, they are earning about 1/20 of your income and the small things that you give them will go a long way. This also applies to not-so-rich households so there’s no reason why you can’t provide some of the items below.

Plan your groceries wisely. If your food is different from the helpers, at least make sure that their supply is enough for one day. If you’re going away for let’s say, a week, leave them enough cash for their food and other emergencies. Snacks are not mandatory but it would be nice to provide it as well. We all know how hard it is to work on an empty stomach right?

Provide a comfortable sleeping place. They get tired too, you know. I know someone who just puts a thick blanket on the floor and uses a towel for her pillow. A banig, blanket and one pillow will do. Make sure that their electric fans are working. They are sometimes afraid to ask so it is our responsibility to check if they are doing well. If they are not fully rested, then they will find it hard to work properly or worse, fall asleep while looking after your baby.

If they’re sick or have body odor/bad breath or have lice, give them medications to cure whatever it is that needs to be cured. They don’t have extra money to buy these things so be generous on this kind of stuff. You wouldn’t want a yaya with kuto to play with your kids, would you?

If you have extra money, why not give them little trinkets just to show how much you appreciate them? And if you can afford it, how about buying their kids some new clothes and school supplies? It doesn’t cost much but the rewards are so great. They will see how much you care for them and in return, will look after your home and kids as if it’s their own.

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You must be thinking, what if they become too comfortable? Well, that’s when we should remind them about the house rules. We need to be strict yet fair.