Having a good helper is such a great feeling!

H

HK2008

Registered User
Dear all,
I'm so overjoyed that I feel really compelled to share with you---I've found a perfect helper! She joined us three days ago and now I fully understand why some ladies are saying 'hard to live without their helper'. It's indeed wonderful! I hired her via another lady's referal on this forum. For the first time in years, I finally get to sit down and enjoy having quality time with my kids! My helper has got everything taken care of:
1. my apartment is now spotless literally EVERYWHERE(the standard is almost five-star);
2. everything is so organised, either in the kitchen cupboards or wardrobes. My kids clothes are neatly ironed or folded up and put in different categories: winter/summer; tops and pants/skirts;
3. she's great with my kids. Just in three days she's already making my kids giggling with joy while they are playing together. And she takes great care with hygiene too-washing my kids hands before and after each meal and immediately after picking up my DD from school;
4. best of all, she's a great cook! She cooked green curry chicken tonight and it beat our favorite Thai restaurant! Now I'd rather spend money on quality materials than eating out! And she even brought along her own cookbook! I'm really looking forward to a far better improved life here in HK!
5. finally, she's a great companion---we chat a lot while going shopping or taking the kids to the playground...

Anyway, to sum up, she's truly a godsend! We are extremely lucky to have her.:yeah2
 
wow, how did you find her? I am looking for a helper myself and found it extremely difficult to find a good one. And have no idea how to spot a good one from the rest. Anyone have any suggestions?
 
Hi cutebear,
Yes I was very lucky to get her referred to me by one of the memebers of this forum. I hired her purely based on my trust of her recommendations. She gave her very detailed and honest ratings on the key areas that we were most concerned with. I don't really know how to tell the good from the bad unfortunately. But I've taken the other ladies advice here to treat her 'the way I want to be treated' as a human being. I show the kids how to respect her and her work. I have no rules set for her except for a list of things to do on a daily, bi-weekly, and monthly basis. But she always goes the extra mile to surprise me. She's now genuinely a part of our family. And my kids and hubby are the ones truly benefiting from a happy and relaxed mum and wife. I'm glad that we didn't wait for too long to make up our mind for getting a maid. Maybe a DH is not for every one, but it most defintely works for us. Hip hip hurray!
 
Sorry to be the party pooper, but isn't 3 days a little too short a time to see how good someone is? But if she really is excellent, congratulations, you have a gem there.
 
Thanks for posting, HK2008. :) This is such a refreshing read considering that we tend to hear from employers only when they are not happy with their helpers and don't hear enough from those who are happy with theirs.
 
HK2008, sounds like you have struck gold!! it also goes to show that you can strike a healthy balance with your life and living with a helper. Like you, our helper is amazing both around the house and with our son. She sings the songs I sing to him, cleans and cooks.

congrats!

PS - cutebear, i believe the best way to find a helper is through word of mouth (friends etc...).....the best ones get hired in a second. if you hear of a good reliable one that is interviewing, schedule an interview asap and if you get a good vibe from her and like her, be prepared to offer a job asap.
 
Thanks to you all ladies for posting such nice words. This is precisely what prompted me to start this thread as I just wanted to show my true appreciation to a great help that I'm having and can see clearly how invaluable she's gonna be as a part of our family. Or like southside852 put it, I've absolutley struck gold.

And AndreaY, thanks for your reminding. But I'm not stupid. I can smell pretension and falsehood from miles away. Especially I'd formed a good relationship with the lady who recommended her to me and my helper and I talk a lot about this mutual friend of ours. Besides, I've always believed to stay positive and see the bright side of things and then as a consequence, you'll be eventually rewarded as such.:flower:
 
I don't want to be a party pooper either but 3 days is so not long enough to categorically say anyone is that good. it took us 3 hires to find a brilliant maid but the first two times we genuinely thought we'd got it right for the first month when they were both on best behaviour. (and believe me, we are positive people who believe that others will do the right thing if you do right by them. Not so!) Our second helper in particular was the queen of the dazzling smile, until you turned your back. My mothe actually saw her hit my then 2 year old! We soon learnt she could switch her smile on and off as she could her wilingness to work.

I genuinely hope for you that it does work out, and I'm not saying it won't but a tip I would give anyone hiring a helper for the first time is start the relationship as you mean to keep it going and don't put up with anything you are unhappy with. Anything! Also don't be too soft, too generous from the beginning or your might find it being taken for granted down the track. From our experience it is better to start out a bit tough and ease off, increase salary etc as they prove themselves over the months than to be too generous from day one. Our first two hires we were so so generous and they just wanted more and more but without earning it. Our third we started out on minimum wage, increased it to $4000 after 2 months and by 6 months she was on $4900. Her work ethic has never slacked off. The first two times we started out at $4000.

Anyway, it's great to have a good helper and they can profoundly change your life so I hope it all works out for you.
 
Thanks very much aussiegal. I guess I'm just too excited to finally have got a great help. But you are right. I shouldn't get too soft and generous at the beginning(already spoke to hubby about giving her a pay rise). My hubby said I treat her like a guest especially when we dined out last night. I kept reassuring her to eat more and help herself...I know from my heart that this is a good person but I'm gonna take your advice and keep a bit of distance. I'll re-consider as you suggested what I'm doing now will still hold true in a long term. Otherwise, I'll revise it. I think my hubby is right---that I have to manage expectation...What a tough world we're living in...I truly wish things could be simpler but I also know that human relationships are probably the hardest to work on...
 
Hi, I also have a great helper. My husband and I just love her to death and our 16 month old son just loves her too.

However, I do agree with Aussiegal's sentiments. I think the key to good relationship with your helper is to remember that they are an employee and to make sure that you always make your expectations clear. We have always done this with our helper and I think she appreciates knowing what is expected of her and the fact that we don't expect her to read our minds. If she does something that I don't agree with I tell her so things don't build up and get tense. We haven't given her any pay rises yet (we do pay her above the min) but gave her a big Christmas bonus for her good work and I am planning on buying her a TV for her birthday which is coming up to reward her.

I hope things work out with your helper - good luck!
 
HK2008, I'm happy for you as it is soooo tough to get a good one. For me, I had experience with a helper who steals. and so, up to now, I still have no confidence in getting a live-in helper.
 
Thanks ladies again for your reply. I just feel soooo good to be part of this forum as I don't feel alone nor lonely. It's like I've got so many friends out there who are ready to point me to the right directions.

My helper is really so good. She still takes care of everything I mentioned in the original post. She had all the week's meals planned for and we went out shopping for groceries according to her list. After I made payment at the counter she said: we spent too much, Mam. I need to plan something using cheaper ingredients...

I'm also thinking of giving her a pay rise each year, but reward her with bonuses, gifts for her birthday and Christmas and CNY. We'll also take her with us when we dine out etc.

I've tried to find what I'm unhappy with her but honestly, so far I've none. So I just need to be happy, hey?
 
Grt all u lucky ladies
Im looking for a good one , since last 2 yrs have been real unlucky
Hope through this forum someone can recommend a good one .....
 
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