My helper is good! Share your story!

Dear all,

Want to encourage those who are not getting along with their helpers. I am not bragging here! We read and hear a lot about helpers who don't really live up to our standard. Want to share my story with you.


My PH helper has worked with us for 6 months and she is fine and makes the occasional mistakes that we do too (like breaking things, cook weird dishes) - but I think it depends on her effort to improve herself. She is outgoing and tries hard to learn cooking from cookbooks. We were impressed at least with her honesty as compared to our previous Indo helper who made $2,000 worth of IDD calls.


We topped her salary with occasional rewards and bonuses for her effort in improving the garden, household conditions and even started a bonus scheme to motivate her. Honestly, housework is tedious.


Want to share a story with you that happened 2 hours before Christmas. I've never really struggled to get along with my helper until just days before Christmas I caught a nasty cold and that she was out during the big days. That was when the misunderstanding began. She did offer to stay but I thought she needed her holiday too but the fact is that I can't handle dogs and housework when she's off. It was me who really had the bad temper and she pulled faces in response. I confronted her on New Year's Eve and said, "We are not going to start the New Year like this, are we?" She bursted into tears and admitted that she talked rudely and loudly at times to cause the impression that she disrespects me but in fact she respects us. Of course, I knew I was wrong to be blaming her just because I was the one to offer her the long holidays.


Yes, the matter was resolved. We are now getting along as well as ever and she sets her New Year Resolution by improving her attitude at work and I offer a list of rewards / bonuses that if she manages to complete the task successfully, the money is hers.

We have been living in Hong Kong now for 6 months and have had our helper for 5 months.


I have to say I had some reservations about having a live in helper, but I have to say she is simply fantastic. Our son gets on very well with her, and we all feel comfotable with her. She was only 1 of 2 helpers that we interviewed and I just had a gut feeling with her. I am more than happy with her and she has just fitted in perfectly.