We have been thinking about hiring a maid since I got pregnant with LittleOne. But we ended up not taking one for a variety of reasons, most of them stated in this article quoted below. I don’t know if we are doing the right thing or if hiring a maid is better as compared to a childcare centre, but for now… i think a nursery suits us best since Asyraaf seems very happy there and being well-cared for. Believe me, I have had a fair share of choosing the wrong nursery, but we got it sorted out and found the current one which is very good…Alhamdulillah…
The trick is to always do a ‘nursery sport check’ as and when you feel like it and look for tell –tale signs from your child to see if he is happy there or not… the rest, leave it to Allah…insya-Allah all will be well…
For your eyes and mind…
More young Malaysian parents are opting for childcare centres, instead of hiring a maid, to look after their children.
WHEN Dr Mafeitzeral Mamat and his wife, Dr Haniza Abdul Jalil, were expecting their first child, they looked around for a good childcare centre to register their baby.Their son, now aged four, was sent to the centre when he was just a month and a half old.
The idea of leaving their son at home in the care of a foreign maid was not something the couple, particularly Dr Haniza, was willing to consider.
They felt a well-run childcare centre would be better suited to meet the emotional and intellectual needs of their child.
The couple are among an increasing number of young Malaysian parents who are choosing not to apply for a maid once they have a child.
Put off by horror stories of child abuse by maids and concerned about the influence of foreign maids on their children, many couples prefer to place their children in childcare centres and juggle housework themselves.
Dr Mafeitzeral and his wife placed their two older children in daycare when they were still infants because they felt the children would benefit from such a setting in the long run.They chose a centre that only took in a small number of children and had a ratio of one caregiver to two infants.The couple wanted their children to socialise with other children at the centre instead of only having a maid to turn to.
“We have seen how some children mimic the speech and behaviour patterns of their maids. It may sound funny to hear a Malaysian child with an Indonesian accent, but it tells you the influence maids have,” said Dr Mafeitzeral. Dr Mafeitzeral said centre workers keep them closely updated on their children’s development and they are immediately notified if the children are unwell, not eating properly or have any other problems.
He added that it’s important for parents to do some research and find a centre that really suits their needs. Many of the couple’s friends have also turned to daycare after bad experiences with foreign maids.
Priscilla Abraham, a mother of two, has also never had a maid and her seven-year-old special needs son and 20-month-old daughter are in daycare at a centre near her home. Priscilla never considered hiring a maid given the high cost of applying for one and worries over the possible abuse or neglect of her children. She searched for a centre that met the safety and hygiene standards she had in her own home and eventually selected one with just 15 children. The principal was very welcoming of her son who has Down’s Syndrome and autism and the care provided has benefited both her children.
“They are independent and very sociable. They share things when they play and I believe being around other children has made this possible.”
But not all childcare centres provide the kind of care they promise, as Dziana Mohd Saleh discovered when she sent her son to one operating from an apartment. Dziana was shocked when she dropped by one day and found her then three-month-old baby, Adam Haqimi, lying on the floor and suckling from a milk bottle that had been propped up with a pillow.
“They did not even bother to hold the bottle. He could have choked,” said Dziana who has since moved her son to another centre.
Norzamri Shaari and Syarifah Hasniza Syed Hassan are another couple who never considered having a maid and their two children, aged four and six months are progressing well at a childcare centre.
Four-year-old Wan Alya Qistina, in particular, has changed from a quiet and shy child to one who is active and outgoing.
“They have many activities at the centre and she’s very excited about all of them and full of stories when we come to pick her up.” said Syarifah.
Habibah Soopi, who has also placed her three-year-old son in daycare, believes socialisation with other children is particularly important for an only child. When her son was born, he was first raised by his grandmother but once he became a toddler, Habibah and her husband Mohd Shahjahan wanted him to have the company of other children. Their son, who has been in daycare for two years, is an active and healthy boy who’s picking up new words all the time. “He’s so excited about the activities and the friends he has that we know we have made the right decision,” said Habibah.
Alice Leow, a mother of two girls, aged four and one, agrees with Habibah. She too has no regrets about daycare. She turned to a childcare centre after first trying out a maid when her older daughter was born. Unfortunately, the maid was not concerned about hygiene despite repeated reminders. “I once caught her feeding my daughter a piece of fruit that had fallen onto the kitchen floor,’ said Leow. Of even more concern to Leow was the fact that her daughter would get upset every time the maid was reprimanded. “It made me realise how big an influence the maid can be when she is with your child the whole day.”
Her children now attend a home-based childcare centre near their house which caters to only eight children and the workers are well-trained. “It has made such a difference. Without the stress of dealing with a maid, it’s so much more pleasant at home for all of us.” NST 260209
I welcome any suggestions or opinions you guys have, I might not see some things that you see…;-)
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