Wednesday 2 November 2016

Yayaless in Iloilo

This Christmas, we are going to Iloilo with the baby. I planned it in such a way that the nanny can take a ferry and celebrate Christmas with her son too. It has been nearly a year since she last saw him.

The tickets are now crazy expensive, 5,500 per head. If I didn't book early, it can cost me as much as 8,000php/pax.

Now, that'll be the first and the longest time that we will be yayaless and someone indirectly expressed her concern that I may not be able to handle the baby on my own.

According to my own mother... "If you know how to make one, surely you should know how to take care of it."

I agree. 

I'm a very hands-on mom. I know how to bathe, feed, carry and take care of my own baby.  Sure, there are somethings I don't know. Like...what is the best way to cure rashes and those things I learn from the yaya. But I do know the basics of child rearing.

There is such a big difference from the previous and this generation of parents. In the past, they real mostly on yayas and baby formulas. Nowadays, breastfeeding is the norm and direct latch feeding is preferred. Yayas also don't stay long so moms are more hands-on in preparation of their abrupt departure.

My mom taught me how to cook, clean, wash and iron clothes, budget expenditures and how to care for a baby even before I got married. Unlike most Fil-Chi girls who grew up sheltered and provided for...I grew up as if I was trained to be a Spartan!

My biggest flaw lies in my emotional maturity and my default reaction to escape from problems. But if we talk about the "basic deliverables" of being a wife and mother, rest assured I know my craft.


Xoxo,

L

8 comments:

  1. Good for you, if you are unsure about something you can always go by instinct. You learn as you go along and process things no bigie. Take care.

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    1. I just don't like I when certain people assume the yaya can mother my own child better than me. May mother's instinct talaga e

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  2. "Unlike most Fil-Chi girls who grew up sheltered and provided for...I grew up as if I was trained to be a Spartan!" Kaya idol kita! Hehehe! :)

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    1. Charot! Ikaw nga Dyan ang super independent living Sa Taiwan e.

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  3. If you're used to having a yaya, having to live without one seems daunting. In reality, big deal lang yung yaya if you really need alternative child care ( i.e. you work outside of the home or may sakit ka). Kung SAHM ka naman, the yaya just makes your life easier.



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    1. Agree. Sa bahay Lang naman ako. I'm thankful that someone helps me. Minsan nga parang I feel I have to share my baby para may magawa Lang sya e.

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  4. I think may *kusa* rin. We were taught in school how to clean a house a. As in dati may mini bahay sa school and dudumihan ng teacher and force you to clean it - and your grade relies on who clean it comes to be. Hahaha!!

    Iba na siguro ngayon. Or iba they don't take it seriously kasi may help. Ako, nabagok ako sa reality when I studied abroad. Lahat ikaw e. Linis, laba (i loooooved the washing machine)!

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    1. Nakakahiya yung first experience ko living abroad.

      My first project abroad was for 4 weeks. I got to stay in a company apartment and when it was time to eat, doon ko na realize hindi pala ako marunong magluto ng rice. So I survived on microwave dinners at home during that trip.

      Then umuwi ako for 2 weeks, I asked around how to cook rice and everybody I asked (I swear!) would just say, "madali lang, put this much water" and then would point to the first knuckle of their middle finger. Confident na ako.

      When I went abroad again after those 2 weeks home, na stump na naman ako because I knew about the first-knuckle-on-the-middle-finger thing, but what / where do I measure ? Edi hindi na naman ako nakaluto ng rice for the next 4 weeks.

      Pag uwi ko, I made sure to try it out for myself at home.

      Nothing beats hands-on training talaga, it's important to teach life skills at home.

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