• Having a good nanny helps me be a better mum
As today is Saturday, I found myself dreading the end of day, when my nanny would clock out. I knew as soon as she left, I would be ‘on duty’ with my kid alone until Monday morning.
Usually, this wouldn’t freak me out as much as my nieces and nephews are always visiting on the weekend, and they would help out by playing with my son and keeping him occupied. It also helps that they are young and have abundant energy to keep up with their cousin’s terrible-twos hyperactivity.
We are also coming out of ‘sick week’, where we spent all week taking care of my ailing son, visiting the hospital and having long, sleepless nights. As a result of his getting better, my son seems to make up for lost times by being three times more active than he was before! I spend my evenings running around behind him, catching him or pulling him away from puddles. Meanwhile, when I ask my nanny how he was during the day, she would always say he was no trouble at all!
So, yes, I rely heavily on my nanny as she gives me a much-needed break from my child so I can recharge or work on other things. These few hours away from being the primary caregiver to my child have had enormous positive impacts on me as a person and as a mother. My son's nanny is great with him, and he’s great with her (when I’m not around).
Having the nanny take care of my child in my place means I have entrusted my greatest treasure to a person who I believe will take the best care of my child as I would. Finding such a person is not an easy feat, but when we do, we get to enjoy the sweeter side of motherhood.
My nanny came to us when my son was a little over five months old, and she has taken care of him just as well as she takes care of her own son. The two of them spend most of the day together. They eat together and just a few days ago, I found them passed out in the living room together. I only had one other nanny before that, and the experience was so bad that I was ready to go through raising my kid without any help.
I know I am one of the lucky few. Most mothers go through numerous horrible child carers before they find good ones. Some never do. There are more than enough horrific tales about horrible nannies or people who work in child care, but there are hardly any stories about the good people who take excellent care of our children. We need to sing their praises out aloud. We need to highlight these important people in our lives, and we ought to recognise them for the unsung heroes they are.