A self-employed mother often shared that she quit her well-paying banking job when one Sunday, when her domestic manager was away, she couldn’t find a mwiko (wooden cooking spoon)! Many busy women may not afford to take such a bold move, even though they may at times feel like strangers in their homes. Yet keeping full control of your home while pursuing a career can be stress-free. Analyse the sources of your worries and move fast to address them. Are you unhappy about your cooking skills or the way you manage your home? You may hate (some) domestic chores, yet they remain your responsibility. Just the way you call a specialised fundi to fix the roof, the tap or an electrical problem, you hire a DM to perform domestic duties and she may perform them better than you, which is OK; she’s a specialist. Here are a few tips to ensure you firmly keep in charge of your home: -Have a duty roster. A number of employers don’t organise their DM’s duties. Most DMs find it challenging to organise themselves, especially in a new employment. Know the daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and once-in-a-while duties in your house. Have them clearly written in a chart and give a copy to your DM. In case she’s illiterate, do the chart creatively with pictures and images, or explain the roster to her then supervise her for two weeks; as illiterate DMs often have an excellent memory. The results will amaze you. -Know your kitchen. As you induct your new DM, show her where you keep everything in the kitchen and insist that she doesn’t move anything without your knowledge. -Draw a diversified and balanced menu. Avoid a weekly menu as its predictability will soon bore everyone. Draw four different menus instead for each week of the month. -Make sure you visit the kitchen daily before food is served. Spend a few minutes tasting and stirring what is ready or what is still cooking. Give remarks where necessary and encouragements where deserved. -Make sure there’s tasty, varied meals for the weekend. It’s not always possible to eat out on weekends. For busy women, this is the only time they have to unwind. If you don’t find cooking relaxing, make sure a variety of dishes are prepared for the weekend. Set Saturday morning for this task and spare your family the predicament of consuming one menu because your DM is away. -Improve your cooking skills. If by your own admission your culinary skills are wanting, enrol for simple cookery training. The most important ingredient in anything you do for your family is love. They feel it whether your dish is perfect or not. Getting an excellent DM can be a blessing. If she’s gifted where you are not, she will complement you and your family will benefit. Here’s to the soon to be not-so-perfect but totally-in-control and confident you!
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:23:35 +0000
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