GTM Household Help BLOG

Personal Stories Help to Enhance Trust and Caring

In today’s world, it is very difficult to take on all the tasks that are “assigned” to us.  Taking care of our homes, our jobs, and our loved ones can be overwhelming for anyone.  Which is why we rely on caregivers.  Child caregivers and eldercare givers are professionals who, when we pick the right ones, know their jobs and how to deal with the person they are caring for.  At least, that is the assumption.  But as we know, each individual is different, with his or her own specific needs.  Whether it is a child or an elderly person, there are ways to make life easier.  For instance, when a caregiver is taking care of a person with dementia, it is vital that they know the things that can distract the patient, things that can make them happy and change a difficult situation into a positive one.  Did they have a dog that they loved to do things with, a job that brought them happiness, a trip that they enjoyed or an event that made them proud?  These are the kinds of things that can distract a person with dementia and lead them to a more cooperative mood. The same is, of course, true for children.  And that is where the family’s input is so vital.  Passing along these bits of information may seem unimportant when you are dealing with someone who has a short attention span and problems communicating.  But having these personal stories on hand can truly make the difference between a bad day and a good one.  Make the time to meet with your caregiver and let them know about the life of the person they are caring for.  It will also strengthen the bond between the caregiver and your loved one and contribute to a mutually satisfying work relationship.  For more information on Household HR, contact the household employment experts at www.gtmassociates.com.

Spend quality time with your children

There is a lot of talk these days about spending more time with our children.  And indeed, most of us feel as though we don’t have enough time to do all the things that we want, including being with our kids.  We can, however, makeup for it by making the time that we spend quality time.  Have your nanny/caregiver videotape any occasion that you can’t attend, or just get some of their playtime on tape.  Then watch it with your children when you have the chance, making comments on what they did and getting them to open up about how they felt at that time.  It helps them know that you really do wish you were there, and gives them the opportunity to interact more with you.  Also, be sure to ask your caregiver to report any problems that they observe.  Changes in behavior, sadness or even anger, are ways that children often react when worried and concerned.  They may not, however, act that way in front of you.  Having an open communication with your caregiver, a teacher, whoever has interaction with your children, can alert you to a possible problem.   Also, when dealing with an eldercare caregiver, make sure that you have that open communication so that you can be aware of issues before they get out of control.  For more information on household HR, visit the household employment experts at www.gtmassociates.com.  And if you have any questions or comments, please share them!

Parent and Caregiver Communication

There are so many resources for parents these days.  There are books, magazines, newsletters and lots of on-line resources.  Many of them present the same type of information.  You can find out how your child should be eating, how much exercise he/she needs, what they need to develop socially and how to help them learn.  As parents, we read these things and do all that we can to keep our child happy, healthy and learning.  Some things work for us, and some just don’t fit into our lives, our mesh with our personalities.  Letting your nanny know what works best for you and your child is another very important step in the communication process.  Having the human resource tools in place that lets the nanny know what to expect when it comes to your child’s care ensures that the child will receive continuity of care from both parent and caregiver.  Experts agree that this continuity will provide a safe and secure environment for your child to learn and develop.  For more information on communicating with your nanny, and for all your human resource needs, visit the household employment experts at www.gtmassociates.com.

Let Your Nanny Know

There has been much in the news lately about diabetes and how prevalent it is becoming.  The frightening statistic, however, is how childhood diabetes is rising so rapidly.  It is important to be sure that our children are getting the healthy foods and exercise that we want them to get.  These are the kinds of things that we want to communicate to our caregivers, and can go easily into employee handbooks and work agreements. These kinds of Human Resource preparations ensure that your employee is aware of what is expected of them on many levels, and can follow through accordingly.  Proper HR, communicating and having an open dialog with your nanny and household staff will eliminate confusion on both sides of the relationship.  For more information on Human Resources in the household industry, check in with the Household Employment Experts at www.gtmassociates.com.  We appreciate your input and stories.  If you have a Human Resource issue that we can address, make a comment on our blog and we will have our experts answer it as best we can. 

Communicating with your Nanny

One of the resolutions we often make this time of year is to try to communicate better with our family and friends.  We want to stay close to those who are important to us.  Communication is also key to a good relationship with your household employee.  Knowing what you expect, and having a clear set of standards to follow will affect that relationship in a positive way.  No one likes to go to work not knowing what to expect and that includes your household help.  Work agreements, job descriptions and periodic meetings will increase your understanding of how the job is progressing and will keep you up to date on how your household is being run.  It also sends the message that you are taking your employer/employee relationship seriously and giving it the consideration that it deserves.  What do you think?  If you have a situation that did or didn’t work out due to communication problems, we’d like to hear about it.  And for more information on human resources and your household help, contact the advisors at www.gtmasssociates.com.