With varied daily tasks, deadlines to meet, and a much needed work-life balance, working class people opt to hire house managers to run the home in their absence, and take care of the children, and ensure that everything is catered for during the course of the day.
A housekeeper’s responsibilities or efforts can’t be underestimated as they assist in a number of home duties such as cooking, cleaning and so forth. The question stands, are you able to notice that your house manager is being disrespected, or doing way more than they should?
Cindy Joan, a teacher and librarian, says that boundaries should be set from the beginning. For example, your bedroom is not the house help’s business. If she or he is to help you clean it once in a while, make sure you supervise them. Show them that you can do it but you might need help some times.
She says that parents shouldn’t give their babies or children to the maid to cater for them throughout the night as they could have had a busy day and need to rest; perhaps, another long day awaits them the following day.
Joan believes that regardless of how tired the parents are, it’s their responsibility to spend time with their children, as it also enables them to bond with them. If possible, they should do so in shifts, when one sleeps, the other babysits.
According to Martin Nomwesigwa, a business development consultant, letting the housekeeper attend to the marital bedroom such as laying the bed and cleaning the bedroom is wrong.
For him, it’s such scenarios that trigger temptation, and result in cheating or having romantic relationships between domestic workers and their employers.
"A bedroom should be private, house managers who don’t have boundaries and enter their boss’ room anyhow, risk being sexually harassed or worse.
It is therefore important that the husband and wife collectively agree that their bedroom is out of bounds. This will assist to draw healthy boundaries in a relationship, and understand each other’s expectations,” Nomwesigwa states.
In addition to this, a domestic worker should never wash undergarments such as bras, panties, boxers, as its best to keep such private wear where they can’t be accessed by anyone, he adds.
He says that it’s very demeaning for a maid to see or even clean one’s underwear.
Nomwesigwa explains that the maid shouldn’t replace the role of parents in a home. Attending to children’s needs even when you’re around, for instance, putting kids to sleep, bathing them, feeding them shouldn’t be left to the care of the house manager.
He adds that even with a busy schedule, your children are your blessings and burden and you ought to carry it with pride. A maid might help you when you are not around, but when you are back, it is your duty to attend to them; play with them, assist them build their talents, catch up on school, and so forth. "This is crucial, take it as your bonding time and one day you shall be grateful for being in your children’s lives at a tender age.”
He further notes that couples should do simple things such as serving each other if food is ready instead of letting the maid do it always, although it might seem traditional, it is vital for a proper and functioning relationship.
Nomwesigwa adds that house managers shouldn’t be given tasks that they can’t execute, as that’s abusing their rights, they should be assisted if the work is heavy, or too much for them.