Introduction
Welcome to your role as a house help. Your job is essential in supporting the family by ensuring a clean, safe, and organized household while caring for children. This guide provides you with practical advice, responsibilities, and tips to excel in your role with professionalism and care.
1. Understanding Your Role
As a house help, your responsibilities may include:
Trust is the foundation of your relationship with the family. To build trust:
Caring for children is a critical part of your job. Ensure their safety, health, and happiness by:
Efficient time management is crucial in handling multiple tasks. Tips include:
Good communication is key to understanding and meeting the family’s expectations:
Caring for a household and children can be tiring. Take care of yourself by:
Kenyan households are diverse, with varying traditions and practices. Respect the family’s way of life by:
As a house help in Kenya:
12. Prohibited Practices
Physical Restraints
If children are difficult to manage:
Your role as a house help is vital in creating a happy and functional household. By working with care, professionalism, and respect, you can make a significant positive impact on the family’s life.
Welcome to your role as a house help. Your job is essential in supporting the family by ensuring a clean, safe, and organized household while caring for children. This guide provides you with practical advice, responsibilities, and tips to excel in your role with professionalism and care.
1. Understanding Your Role
As a house help, your responsibilities may include:
- Taking care of children, including feeding, bathing, and supervising their activities.
- Doing household chores like cleaning, laundry, and cooking.
- Assisting with school-related tasks, such as preparing children for school and dropping them off or picking them up.
- Supporting the family by ensuring the home runs smoothly.
Trust is the foundation of your relationship with the family. To build trust:
- Always communicate openly with us about tasks or challenges.
- Be honest about any mistakes and seek advice on how to improve.
- Respect family members’ privacy and personal belongings.
Caring for children is a critical part of your job. Ensure their safety, health, and happiness by:
- Feeding: Provide nutritious meals and snacks as per the family's instructions.
- Supervision: Always keep an eye on children, especially younger ones, to ensure they are safe.
- Schooling: Help children with homework, prepare them for school, and manage drop-offs and pickups as needed.
- Play and activities: Engage children in age-appropriate activities that are fun and educational.
- Discipline: Follow the family’s rules on disciplining children. Never use physical punishment. Encourage positive behavior through praise and guidance.
Cleaning
- Clean all rooms regularly, ensuring they are tidy and hygienic.
- Pay special attention to children’s play areas and bedrooms.
Laundry
- Wash clothes, including handwashing delicate items if required.
- Fold and organize clean clothes neatly.
- Prepare meals as per the family’s instructions, respecting any dietary preferences or restrictions.
- Clean up the kitchen and utensils after meals.
- Occasionally assist with shopping for groceries or running other household errands.
Efficient time management is crucial in handling multiple tasks. Tips include:
- Create a daily schedule to balance household chores and child care responsibilities.
- Prioritize tasks based on urgency and family preferences.
- Communicate with us about additional tasks or adjustments to the routine.
Good communication is key to understanding and meeting the family’s expectations:
- Ask questions: If unsure about a task, ask for clarification.
- Report issues: Inform us immediately about any emergencies, accidents, or challenges.
- Respect privacy: Avoid sharing personal details about the family outside the home.
- Dress neatly and appropriately for work.
- Be punctual and reliable, especially when managing tasks like school drop-offs.
- Show respect to all family members, including children.
Child Safety
- Always ensure children are in a safe environment.
- Keep harmful objects like knives, detergents, or matches out of reach.
- Be attentive during outdoor activities or playtime.
Emergency Preparedness
- Learn basic first aid to handle minor injuries or illnesses.
- Know emergency contacts, such as the family contact person phone number, the nearest hospital, and trusted neighbors.
Caring for a household and children can be tiring. Take care of yourself by:
- Eating nutritious meals and staying hydrated.
- Getting enough rest during your off-hours.
- Speaking up if you feel overwhelmed or need assistance.
Kenyan households are diverse, with varying traditions and practices. Respect the family’s way of life by:
- Adhering to their rules, including dietary restrictions or prayer times.
- Supporting cultural and religious practices in the household.
As a house help in Kenya:
- Know your rights regarding fair treatment and payment.
- We will provide you with reasonable working hours, rest breaks, and a safe work environment.
- Report any mistreatment or exploitation to local authorities or trusted individuals.
12. Prohibited Practices
Avoid Harmful Restraints and Actions
It is important to manage children with care and understanding, never resorting to harmful methods such as:
It is important to manage children with care and understanding, never resorting to harmful methods such as:
Physical Restraints
- Locking children in a room or the house: This can cause distress, fear, and harm in case of emergencies like fires. Always ensure children are supervised in a safe, open environment.
- Tying children down or restricting movement: Such actions are abusive and can have long-term emotional and physical consequences.
Medication Misuse
- Using aspirin or other medication to sedate children: Administering medicine without a prescription from a healthcare professional is dangerous and can lead to severe health issues or even death.
If children are difficult to manage:
- Use calm, firm words to explain acceptable behavior.
- Distract them with engaging activities like drawing, games, or reading.
- Discuss the situation with us to get guidance on handling the behavior.
13. Tips for Success
- Be proactive and take the initiative to complete tasks without waiting for instructions.
- Keep learning new skills, such as cooking new recipes or managing household technology.
- Build a positive relationship with the children and family members through kindness and patience.
Your role as a house help is vital in creating a happy and functional household. By working with care, professionalism, and respect, you can make a significant positive impact on the family’s life.
