The great dilemma of working parents is leaving their children
in the hands of the caregivers. Husband and I are working parents. We have a 3
year old son who is undergoing Applied Behavioural Analysis Therapy and a
6-month old baby girl. Every day from
8am to 5pm they are left in the hands of caregivers who are complete strangers,
meaning they are not blood related.
Since, I don’t have the privilege to leave the office any
time and take my son to his therapy 3 times a week, which is about 20 minutes
ride from home (considering the city traffic), we have to hire a caregiver
solely for him and another for the baby. Though,
husband took him there when he is off duty.
Even though we give them ample salaries which, is above the
minimum in provincial areas, allowing them to cash advance if they have family
problems, giving them the same food we eat, and how considerate we are to their
needs, still they are not truthful and are bad mouthing us behind our backs.
On Monday, I received a text from one of the caregivers
specifically baby’s caregiver. I was so shocked when I read the wrong sent message
intended to our former helper, bad mouthing my 3 year old son who had done
wrong to her, like squeezing her face. I can’t believe she can actually say
something like that about my son (like a devil, animal, etc.) when in fact she
is so good in front of us, and also a mother who has two children, and is
denying that our son did something wrong to her.
I forwarded the message to my husband and ask him what I
should do, because I’m on the verge of erupting. I wanted to rush home that time
and confront him but hubby told me to hold myself and observe her first. Husband
was on duty that time and cannot go home as well.
You see, God made some situations for me that day, I was
attending a meeting at a hotel when I received that disturbing text message and
do not have the car with me to drive home right away. Then after 5pm, I wasn’t
able to go home right away too because I got a flat tire and took almost two
hours before it was fixed.
I arrived home at 7PM and by that time my anger already has
subsided. I did not confront her with but instead went inside the room with the
kids, right after I took my dinner. I held myself so that I won’t be able to
say anything hurtful to her. Considering that she took care of the baby quite
well, and it so happened that the boy’s caregiver have not returned yet from
her vacation and have no choice but for her to look after him as well while
home.
I wonder if she realized she had wrongly sent that message
to me? The following day I avoided talking to her, can you imagine that? Ako pa yung amo, ako pa ang umiiwas? But
I have no choice, dahil mahirap maghanap ng kapalit. Instead, I asked hubby’s
teenage cousin who’s been living with us lately to look after my son and see to
his needs while we are at work, so that the other will not be obligated to look
after him, and will focus only in taking care of baby girl which what we paid
her to do.
My sentiment is that, we allowed her to go home after our
family reunion last week, gave her medicine for his son and let her have cash
advance and even took her to her house which is afar our way, after all those
she can actually say something like that, or who knows what she had done to
them when we are not around. Oh, I asked
her yesterday if my son did something wrong to her, but she still denied.
After the incident, I thought of resigning from my day job,
but can’t really do that right now considering our financial need, the need to
support my son’s therapy.
Now, my only refuge is to pray to God that sooner or later
we’ll be able to surpass all these challenges that working parents has. That
soon we’ll be able to find someone who will be loyal to us and will also love
our children as their own, because I can assure them that we’ll be good
employer to them. And maybe can have my own business that will allow me to stay
at home with the kids, still earning and can help my husband provide the needs
of our family.
I totally agree, it's always hard to leave our kids to yayas. we can only hope for the best. God bless you and your family
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