Practical solutions to 10 common yaya problems

Solutions to common yaya problems

Dealing with house helpers is no easy feat, especially when problems and issues arise. For many moms, particularly those who work, having yayas at home is necessary, and so you work to solve these issues rather than be left with no help at all.

Have you ever found yourself faced with a situation that you weren’t sure how to deal with? We want to help. Read on to discover our practical solutions to 10 common yaya problems.

Issue #1 - Yaya is too lazy to do her work

Your dirty dishes pile up in the kitchen sink. You notice that only the eye-level shelves are clean, but the higher ones are covered in dust. Your TV is spotless in front, but you see cobwebs in the wires behind it. Wait, don’t you have house help?

Before you blow up over the realization that yaya is too lazy to complete all of her tasks or that she takes shortcuts, try and find out why first.

Are you assigning too many chores? You could help by structuring her day with specific tasks and timeframes. This limits slacking off and ensures that every part of the house is dealt with over the course of the week.

Make sure to equip yaya with all the tools she needs to get the work done, including complete cleaning materials and training.

Most importantly, check that you are paying her enough to compensate for the amount of work that she does for you at home. Also provide adequate amounts of food and time for rest. These should keep her satisfied and driven to do her job.

Issue #2 - Yaya disciplines child through hitting or scaring

That nightmare that parents have about yayas hitting kids sadly happens in real life. In the case of mommy blogger, Frances Sales, she once caught her yaya slapping her son’s arm in the playground when she paid them a surprise visit.

It doesn’t matter if it is a small slap on the arm or a serious beating. The fact is that yayas should not discipline kids by hitting them.

Child discipline can be a tricky thing when a yaya is involved. From the beginning, you should make it clear that she should have patience with your kids and not resort to violence to keep them in check.

Observe how yaya handles your child and do not be afraid to call her out when you see her do things you are not in favor of. Be constructive when you talk to her. If her behavior does not change then she just might not be a good fit for your family.

Issue #3 - Yaya is always on her cellphone

How often is it that you see a yaya sitting in the corner of the playground texting while the child she is watching runs around on his own? At home, calling out to her for help is also difficult because one ear is permanently glued to her mobile phone.

It is understandable that yaya would want to talk to her family and friends while she is away from them, but you should also make it clear that this should not affect her work.

Strictly enforce a no cellphone rule during working hours, and have yaya leave her mobile in the room if necessary. You could give her an incentive of a monthly load allowance provided that she uses her phone responsibly.

Issue #4 - Yaya constantly borrows money

When emergencies arise, you will likely be the first person that your yaya will approach for financial aid. As her employer, you should of course do whatever you can to help out. What you will want to avoid, though, is unnecessary borrowing or overlapping of loans.

One thing you can do is create a payback calendar that shows how much will be deducted from her monthly salary, and how much will be left for yaya to receive. Set a cap or maximum total amount that you are willing to lend her so that she knows she has a limit.

You can also try and find out what exactly it is that she needs help with, and whenever possible, offer help in kind instead of cash.

Issue #5 - Yaya gets pregnant

What do you do when your yaya tells you that she is pregnant? The immediate thing you need to decide on is whether or not she will continue working for you. This decision should be made objectively and rationally.

First thing’s first, ask her what her plan is, which is what working mom, Louise Fandiño, did when her yaya confessed to being pregnant. If she would like to stay on, assess whether or not your household will be able to adapt to the situation.

If you decide to keep her, help yaya prepare in terms of her finances, health care options, and things for the baby. Also help make sure that her baby will have a safe place to stay while she continues to work for you.

On the other hand, if the decision is to let her go, give yaya time to prepare. This could mean that she continues to work for you, earn and save, until you are able to hire a replacement.

Issue #6 - Yaya flirts with the driver or house boy

Because your yaya and houseboy or driver spend a lot of time together every day, there is a real possibility of a relationship sparking between them.

This is natural and not necessarily a huge problem if they are single, unless it gets in the way of work. Explain to yaya that her relationships are a personal matter, and you will not interfere provided that work is not affected.

Emphasize that there will be no gallivanting while she is taking care of your child. Be open to the idea of allowing yaya to go on a date night in place of her usual days off.

Issue #7 - Yaya has poor hygiene

Just as you make sure that your family members practice good hygiene habits, you will want to make sure that yaya does the same.

The simplest way to make sure of this without offending her is by providing her with a toiletry kit that holds a complete set of things that she needs to stay clean. Items to include are: Shampoo Bath soap Deodorant Baby powder Toothbrush Toothpaste Comb or hair brush Headband or ponytail holders

Replenish these items monthly, or give yaya an allowance to shop for her personal hygiene items as part of her salary. If ensuring that your child’s caregiver is neat and tidy is important to you, it will be worth the expense.

Issue #8 - Yaya suddenly asks to leave

Just when you thought things were going well, your yaya blindsides you by saying that she is leaving. When this happens, you can’t help but think, "What went wrong?"

Mom blogger Didi Tiu Tang wrote that she even began to doubt herself when it comes to her relationship with helpers because she could never seem to find one who stays.

When this happens, first find out the reason behind yaya’s desire to leave. It could be that she is dealing with a problem that she is not sure how to solve. Try and offer a counter-solution if you can, especially if you feel that she is worth holding on to.

If she really is determined to leave, ask for an allowance of time before her last day to give you a chance to find a replacement, and for her to pay off any debts she may have.

Issue #9 - Yaya is caught stealing or lying

No matter how long yaya has been with you, stealing is something that should not be tolerated. Unfortunately if you catch her lying or stealing even once, there is no guarantee that she will not do it again.

In this case your best option is to let her go. You can also file a report to spare others from making the mistake of hiring this yaya and going through the same thing you did.

Issue #10 - Someone else's yaya bullies your child

Whether in school or on the playground, your child will come into contact with other yayas. Of course, these helpers give priority to their own charges, but this should not come at the expense of your own kid.

Should you find out that another yaya is bullying or maltreating your kid, you should talk to the yaya about it to find out what happened using a non-confrontational approach.

If you can, talk to her together with her employer. It is possible that she has no idea that the yaya bullies other children when out with the kids, and may want to do something to remedy the situation on her end.

What other yaya issues have you had to deal with? How did you solve them?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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Written by

Patricia de Castro-Cuyugan

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