By Mary Asujo
Amid coronavirus fear, most of you must have asked your maid or other domestic help to avoid coming to work till further notice. In such a situation, the burden of managing the household chores comes on your shoulders. You need to juggle your work, kids, family, household chores, everything together.
A disturbing clip of a maid beating up a toddler has been trending on different social media platforms has sent several parents into panic. Stories of maids battering children had vanished for some time; today we unveil to you why you need to be extra keen during this COVID period as a lot more could be happening than what meets the eye.
In 2014, a Ugandan maid admitted torturing toddler after secret filming. She had been secretly filmed beating and kicking a toddler and she pleaded guilty to torture. In this article, we unveil to you ways you can manage on your own without a maid. In order to make managing things a cakewalk, here are a few ways on how to cope without a maid.
Separate the chores
Suzan Ajun, a mother and health worker in a private hospital, says the advantage of having every member of the family at home should reflect in the daily chores. Separate the work to be done in advance and ensure you involve every member of the family in it. Any member can volunteer to mop the house or clean utensils, while another can wash kids’ clothes. a child can dust the house, while someone can take the job of cooking. These collective efforts will not only help in coping the chores easily but will also keep everybody busy.
Desist from using unnecessary cutlery
Olivia Mitti, a single mother of one, adds that one way of reducing extra chores is to ensure to use few cutlery; plates, spoons and forks. Use cutlery sparingly to avoid messing up the kitchen to reduce the burden on yourself or a family member. Remember to also keep some of the tools that you don’t need away from your sight otherwise you could easily get tempted.
Plan days for doing laundry
Depending on your schedule, if you have been doing it twice a week, you might consider increasing it to three days to de-clutter the house. Sometimes, it may depend on the load of clothes you have. Collect all the laundry in a basket and have the children wash some, beginning with the light ones so that they can be able to do it in your absence.
Some parents have tendency of doing all the work because they feel that their children are not able. Keep the washing machine away to help them learn household chores without a maid. In this way, they will not only learn how to do household chores but will also be of great help to you.
Programme for your kids
Most children are home and this means that it will lessen their chances of being bored. In a bid to keep them busy and also make them doing something productive, sketch out a routine for them. Divide enough time for studies, household chores, hobbies and fun time. Make them do small tasks like folding laundry, watering the plants or dusting the home.
After use, put things in their places
A small hack to avoid cluttering your home and finding things at their designated place is putting things at their assigned place whenever you use them. Picking up things and keeping them here and there leads to things get lost and also makes your home messy. In order to avoid an extra chores, keep things from where you picked them, de-clutter your workstation and make your bed as soon as you get up.
Design timetable for family activity
In order to make cooking fun and interactive, make it a family activity. Ask everyone to come to the kitchen and help you in the task. Someone can chop veggies, while someone can lay down plates. Make sure you do not create a situation of ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ in the process. Cooking together will give you some sweet time to bond together as a family.
