Be careful about training your DH

Just wanted to remind everyone about DH training.


We hired our helper through an agent, who claimed that they (through their own agent in the Phillipines) gave all DHs at least 2 weeks' training before they leave for Hong Kong.


When our DH first arrived 5 months ago, she did not know how to use a microwave, a washing machine, or a rice cooker. We taught her everything one by one. Then one day later I saw her trying to turn on the gas stove. You know sometimes it will not ignite with just one turn, so you'll have to turn it back off and try again, pressing it for a few seconds. But she was quickly switching it back and forth without turning it completely off (i.e., when the gas was leaking out). I would think that's quite dangerous and felt lucky that it had not exploded after she'd been doing this for several months.


Then, two days ago, I found that she DID NOT add water to our steam iron when ironing the shirts, and she'd been doing it this way for 5 months! (I hadn't found out earlier because she's always doing the ironing either when I was breastfeeding or when I was not at home). I was sweating all over, especially when I thought about the several times when a fire could well have broken out when only my baby and the DH were at home.


She said she had never been told how to use a steam iron before (but aren't most irons are steam ones nowadays?), and she had been wondering why it was hard to get the wrinkles on the shirts even but she thought it was just that our iron was not a good one.


We are still keeping this helper just because we have spent so much time teaching her things and it's impractical to change helper with a baby right now. But I just wanted to tell everybody to be very careful about helper training (in particular with the helpers new to Hong Kong), especially with those home applicance that could potentiall pose a safety risk. Don't believe in any supposed "training" that the agencies bragged about -- if a DH doesn't know how to use an iron, what kind of training is it?

Well... the problem is that many of these agencies charge the helpers a fortune for their 'training' which in many instances is not justified...

GreenValleys -- yes that's the lesson I learned from this experience, and just wanted to remind everyone that might be as naive as I was. . .


Ed -- you got my point -- if the agency had not bragged about their "excellent training" I certainly would have taught my helper everything hand by hand. I was 8 months pregnant then and thought I could pay for a little bit of convience but obviously I was wrong!

Another great reason to cut out these agencies altogether and hire direct here http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/helpers/


I believe the YMCA has training courses for helpers - does anyone have a link to this?

http://www.esmdywca.org.hk/Courses/CourseList.aspx?type=category&id=1000005

hahaheehee true yes its true, I had a two weeks training prior to my first time ever deployment here in HK to work as a Dh but hey yes true its true, those agencies advertisement are just, well, like other business ads, is just an ads.


we dont have microwave ovens in the PH, we used not-steamed irons, come on although we used gas range in there I think the burner switch is pretty the same. for 5 months and no fire, ma'am I think you're exaggerating hehaho. but yeah new comers should be at least trained by employers and please please please gently....


our first few months in here are our most vulnerable period, since we have to adjust with our new environment, fight back homesickness and etc. DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT OTHERS DO UNTO YOU arachi?!