It is no more unusual for a family in urban areas to get the services of a Househelp. The demands of office work, domestic duties such as cleaning and laundry, taking care of kids and the need to have some personal time have caused many people to employ a Househelps.
Although, some parents who have good Househelp have enjoyed some privileges such as; Not getting to stay at home all long, One-on-one care of their kids, Flexibility of schedule which give them extra time.
Caution must be applied where necessary, as one should be aware that keeping Househelps also have some disadvantages as given below. These disadvantages quite overweigh the advantages.
*** Absence of satisfactory parental care: Parents who engage Househelps are usually busy with official and other personal chores. The love and compassion of a Househelps can never replace that of the kid’s parents. The House help may not bother about the feelings, not feeding them at the right time, maltreating them or even failing to attend to the kid, especially when no one is around. Some even transfer other aggression to the kids.
*** Female House helps can lead to break down in marriage. Some women may hand over almost all the domestic duties and care to the house help. They go to the extent of allowing the Househelp to cook their husband’s food and serving them in the bed room. As a woman allow all these, she unknowingly throw away that passionate care she had for her husband. The husband who may be morally weak soon throw in the towel and begin to have extra marital affair. The story may take another shape if the woman find out that her husband is having a local affair, making the house help loss her job. Disagreement may ensue once; the house help leaves. Hence, separation and divorce becomes an alternative Once the woman find out, the house help may loss of her jobs. Then separation sets in. On a worst scenario, divorce becomes the answer. Do remember that the children are always at the receiving end.
*** In our African setting, where men marry for company and procreation, most domestic works are expected to be carried out by the wife. If some inexcusable reasons the wife gets a house help, and the Househelp does all the domestic works that are expected to be done by a wife, people begin to wander what is the importance of the wife? They may further term her as lazy.
*** Lack of privacy: An ideal family require time for them to share their meals and plans. The Househelp who may be viewed as a total outsider or a third party, therefore they feel unconfutable sharing their dreams and plans.
*** Over dependence: Most times, the woman’s cleaning related jobs may revolve around the house help, because the house help knows much about the house. The woman end up feeling like she doesn’t know much about her own house anymore.
*** In response to children welfare, the kids may experience what is known as ‘’Maid Over Mommy’’; a situation where some mothers complain that their children are more attached to the maid than they are to them. This situation occurs because the Househelp spends more time with the kids while the woman is out for her usual career hours.
*** Kidnapping in our present day has become a trend. Some people with evil intent may arranged for a house help to gather information of an employer and go missing carrying along with a child of the employer. This may be to enable the get a ransom for any reason. On a worst scenario, the kidnapped child may never be found. Hence, the Wellbeing of the family is altered.
But if you are aware of these factors and need to take extra caution, it may take a very long time before you can finally get the worry off your mind about leaving the Househelp all alone at house
*** In the aspect of Supervision, if you are unlucky to have gotten a lazy or unskilled house help, you may need to exercise extra time and effort in supervising the Househelp, as the household duties will not be attended to due attitude problem. This can become a big stress added to the one already on ground.
Precaution in getting House helps
– Househelps should be pre-investigated or crosschecked by an approved agency. This is to ascertain the Househelp personality and Crime record.
– Ensure the Househelp know his/her limit in the house, make sure she performs his/her duties only as at when due.
– Do not maltreat house helps, remember when you are not at home, the grievance could be transferred to your children or other members of your family.
– Invest in Househelp (like sending to school etc.). However, don’t invest in them unnecessarily. Watch your Househelp closely and see if he/she is worth investing in.
– Mothers should have time for their children. Instead of having a Househelp take care of them all though, create quality time for your children. Mothers should ensure they do not expose their children to Househelp beyond the necessary limit. Some Househelps may teach the children bad morals if caution is not applied to Househelp-child exposure rate. Some even sedate the children to have enough time for themselves when the employer is away from home. A Househelp can’t take care of a child like a mother.
– In everything you do concerning House helps, put God first.
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