In the bustling city of Singapore, household helpers are indispensable in maintaining our daily routines. However, when they take a well-deserved home leave, it can disrupt your household’s routines.
Hence, here are eight essential tips to manage this downtime effectively, ensuring a smooth transition, and maintaining harmony within your household members even during your helper’s home leave.
1. Plan Ahead Of The Home Leave
Most importantly, prepare for the home leave! It is wonderful that you are right here, to learn and prepare.
Indeed, preparation is key when your helper informs you of her plans for upcoming home leave. So, start by scheduling and understanding the exact dates and duration of her leave. This way, you can set clear expectations and plan accordingly.
Immediately, consider hiring a temporary helper or a part-time cleaner through one of the many agencies in Singapore that offer short-term domestic help services. Booking early ensures availability and avoids last-minute scrambles.
On top of cleaning, remember responsibilities like child-minding, grocery-shopping, pet-sitting, laundry, car-washing, cooking, ironing and so on.
*Hint* A platform like us at MEIDE.SG can take care of all these!
2. Delegate Household Responsibilities
Why not use this opportunity to build a sense of home ownership, and family bonding?
Do this by delegating household tasks among family members, tenants and occupants at home.
And, don’t leave out the youth too! In fact, assigning age-appropriate chores to children not only helps maintain the house but also teaches them responsibility.
Thus, we at MEIDE Singapore recommend you create a task list that outlines who is responsible for what, making it easier to manage without people feeling overwhelmed.
3. Stock Up on Essentials
Before your helper leaves, make sure your home is well-stocked with essential supplies. From groceries to baby diapers, to cleaning products, having everything you need on hand will reduce the need for frequent store trips.
Yes, having this foresight can significantly ease your household burden during your migrant domestic worker’s (MDW) absence.
4. Meal Planning and Preparation During MDW Home Leave
Fourthly, meal planning can save you a lot of time and stress. Prepare a weekly menu with simple, nutritious meals that can be cooked in bulk and stored. This approach ensures that you and your family have healthy meals without the daily hassle of cooking from scratch.
Alternatively, consider hiring a temporary chef or cook from a platform (MEIDE.SG), or pre-planned tingkat meals to prevent your family from going hungry during the weeks of your MDW’s home leave!
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5. Create a “Helper’s Home Leave” Cleaning Schedule
At a loss of what to do during your foreign domestic worker’s (FDW) home leave?
Fret not! Stay calm, and continue cleaning… we say.
As a start, list down the cleaning tasks required for your homely abode.
If you are still flustered, map out your residence areas! You can do so with pen and paper. For the digitally-savvy, paint and type over your location’s floor plan!
Trust us. By breaking down cleaning tasks into manageable chunks, you can help keep your home tidy without overwhelming yourself.
Then, shoot out the daily cleaning schedule that includes all essential chores. If your household has multiple members, delegate the cleaning tasks too! This way, cleaning becomes a routine task rather than a daunting burden during the FDW home leave.
6. Utilize Community Resources in Singapore
No surprise!
In Singapore, you’d be offered a plethora of community resources that can be incredibly helpful during your helper’s home leave.
Here is a quick list of essential help for your daily chores in Singapore:
- Food Delivery Services from Mcdonalds, Grab, Foodpanda and Deliveroo
- Regular Meal Plans and Tingkat Services to Your Doorstep;
- Laundry Delivery Services, or Direct Laundry Help at Home via MEIDE;
- Childcare, Baby Care and Nanny Services;
- Online Local Shopping Platforms like Shopee and Lazada, on top of your global Amazon;
- Home Cleaning Services from MEIDE.SG;
- Community Centers and Casual Groups with programs and activities for toddlers, teenagers and the elderly;
- Nursing, respite and eldercare at home;
This list is non-exhaustive, but we hope it has given you a good headstart to maximize your coping ability during your FDW home leave!
Hey… don’t miss this!
Claim your Discount for a General Home Clean by our dedicated HSS Cleaner! Quote #MEID15BLOG for 15% Off (First Time Customers ONLY) (Valid to 12 Dec 2024 Only)
Book your #1 home services today, or join our team!
meide.sg is here for you, always.
7. Embrace Family Bonding and Personal Growth
Remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
Thus, seize this downtime as an opportunity for family bonding and personal development.
Engage in activities like board games, movie nights, or outdoor excursions to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Additionally, take up a new hobby or invest time in self-care activities like reading, gardening, or practicing yoga. This period can be rejuvenating for both you and your family.
In essence, some extra private and personal time with yourself and close ones may actually open your eyes to stuff you previously never had the chance to discover!
8. Prepare for Your Helper’s Return
Finally, as the end of your helper’s leave approaches, make preparations to ensure a smooth transition back to the usual routine.
Plan a warm welcome for your helper, such as a welcome meal or a thoughtful gift, to show your appreciation. Brief her on any changes or events that occurred during her absence, and have an open discussion about any adjustments needed. This ensures that any issues are addressed promptly, helping her settle back in efficiently.
We hope that with these useful tips, you have a smooth and successful management of your household even amidst your helper’s home leave!
Conclusion on Managing Home Leave
All in all, managing without your overseas helper can be challenging, but with careful planning, resourcefulness, and a positive attitude, it can also be a period of growth and bonding for your family.
In a nutshell, we recommend you utilize available resources, delegate responsibilities, and take this time to appreciate the hard work and dedication your helper brings to your household.
By following these tips, you’ll not only manage the downtime effectively but also enhance the overall harmony and efficiency of your home.
