Moms need all the help they can get when it comes to taking care of children. (As they say, it takes a village to raise a child!) Some moms get help from family members, while some hire a yaya.
Yaya secrets revealed
In most households, the yaya lives with her employer’s family. She literally spends her every waking moment in your home. Spending that much time with you, she will inevitably make observations, form opinion, and have requests (sometimes complaints) about you, your husband, and your children.
Ever wondered what those are? What’s it really like to be a yaya to your little ones?
Yayas spill details they want you to know like how it is like taking care of your child/children and working for you. Here are their common answers:
- Do introduce me to your kid. Before I take care of your child, make sure that we’re both introduced to each other first and foremost, so that your child would be able to know me and would feel at ease to be around me.
- Leave a list of important information. As I am just human and I won’t be able to remember everything immediately, leave a list of the important things I need to know:
– like what food your child likes, what channels or shows that he likes
– what are things not allowed for him (i.e. using cellphone, iPad/tablet, or cellphone; eating junk food or sweets, etc)
– what are the foods or medicines is he allergic to
– what his nap time or sleeping schedule is
– where his diapers or wipes are located
– where his clothes are
– how many much milk he needs to drink - I get hungry too. Make sure as you have snacks for your little one, please may you also have something for me, too? As much as I’d want to buy my own merienda, I cannot do so if I’m watching over your child.
- It’s weird washing your undergarments. You might want to rethink of making me wash your underwear, especially if it has stains. It would be really awkward for me to see those on your own underwear or your hubby’s boxers. Maybe do a quick rinse before putting it in the hamper?
- Practice tough love. Don’t give in on what your child wants or likes, especially when he’s already whining, just don’t. Practicing some tough love would go a long way. Let him throw a fit, he’ll be fine after and realize that you won’t be pursued with just whining. Make them realize that they cannot get anything they want just by whining.
- Stay-in yayas need some privacy too. I hope you won’t make me share a room with your child. I need some sleep and rest too, especially if your child still wakes up in the middle of the night and looking for you and not for me.
- I need a day off too. I hope you understand that I also need a time off from being a yaya that I also have my own life to deal with. I also deserve to spend some quality time with my family.
- I’m your child’s yaya, not your cook nor a housekeeper. I hope you understand that what I applied for was to be a yaya to your child or children and not to be your sous chef or house cleaner. Please follow what we agreed upon before you hired me. You’s complain too if your own boss gave you additional roles (without extra pay) apart from your job description, right?
- Treat me with respect and as an equal. As a new part of your lives, we also are humans who deserve to be respected and somewhat be part of your family. Hearing you and your children say “please” and “thank you” makes my job and my day a little more pleasant.
- Please keep things you don’t want me to see, read, eat, touch, nor use. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a bill, a to-do list, a bank statement, your favorite chocolate or chips, your own glass or probably your favorite pen, what matters is that you don’t put anything out there that it isn’t for me to know, eat, or use.
Sources: Reader’s Digest, Reader’s Digest
Also read: Nanay, niregaluhan ng wedding gown ang kaniyang yaya