Friday, August 29, 2008

TV Commercial            The Wonders of Having a Foreign Live-in Caregiver

The Wonders of Having a Foreign Live-in Caregiver

I have worked full time throughout three pregnancies and still continue to work full time with three preschoolers at home. My children range in age from 1 to 4 years old. The thought of returning to work after my third child was very daunting. I pleaded with my husband to let me return only part time. I felt very guilty for leaving my three small children at a babysitter from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm during the weekdays. It seemed like someone else was raising my children and not me. My husband's work is unstable but my job is very consistent and well paying. He feared that if I worked part-time and his business ran into hardship, it would be almost impossible to make our mortgage payments.

I could not argue with him but dreaded my upcoming return to the workforce. My mother suggested hiring a nanny. I laughed at that suggestion! I thought to myself "How could we ever afford a nanny?" My mother ever persistent encouraged me to call a nanny agency anyway. "You never know until you call!" she said. So I followed her advice and called. As it turned out, my mother was right! Boy, was I shocked!!! I found out that I could hire a nanny for less than what I would have to pay a babysitter. Wow! This was too good to be true! I inquired about hidden costs like the nanny's health care and transportation to Canada as I was interested in choosing a nanny from the Phillipines. I discovered that there were none. Despite my excitement, I was still skeptical. If the cost was so cheap then how come more families were not taking advantage of this? I thought to myself.

I live in the country which is two hours away from the nearest city. The town we live by has a population of 2500 people. As it turned out, the nanny agency I called in the city had placed three other Philippina nannies in my community. I immediately contacted these individuals. Everyone had nothing but great things to say about their nannies! How wonderful they were with the kids and how unintrusive they were. What great housekeepers they were on a whole! Their only complaint was the processing time as it can take up to 6 months to process a nanny from Hong Kong. Once they have their work visa, they usually go home for a visit before they come here. I was on cloud nine!

The thought that I could hire a nanny and come home every night without having to pick the kids up first at the sitter's sounded too good to be true! I also wouldn't have to rush home anymore to make supper and feed those hungry faces plus do the housework and laundry!

I counted myself in. My husband however had serious reservations about having someone live in our house. He was concerned about the potential loss of privacy. He didn't know if he could handle that. I convinced him to try. If it didn't work out we could always go back to the sitter. He finally agreed!

The hard part was picking a nanny from a resume. Most of the nannies were Philippinas and I wondered why. My nanny had a degree in computer engineering and worked briefly as an engineer in her homeland. Unfortunately, our nanny's economic situation was that she could not make enough money between herself and her husband to support their family in the Philippines. The reality was that she could make more money as a domestic caregiver in Hong Kong. Our nanny worked in Hong Kong for ten years. During that period of time, she visited her husband and their two children only once every eight months.

These women continue to dream of a better life for their families. They want the same things that we want for our families. These nannies want their children to attend good schools. They also don't want their grandchildren to live apart from their parents, like my nanny's children had to. I really felt for her because she sacrificed a lot for her family. In truth, she may only go home once in the next three years. It costs a lot to return home. Most of the money that my nanny earns is sent home to support her family. When she has lived in Canada for three years, she can apply for landed immigrant status. Then, she can work to bring her family over. In three years, all my kids will be in school and I won't need a nanny. This arrangement is perfect for the both of us.

So what have I gained by having a nanny?

I don't have to wake my children up in the morning as they can now sleep in. I don't have to bundle them up in the winter, take them out when they are sick. As for me, I can now sleep longer in the mornings because of this change. I have switched to working a 4 10's (what does that mean?) work schedule. I can go to work one hour earlier and the children don't even notice. I also come home one hour later from work. With this new schedule, I am home three days a week and I work the other four. It is unbelievable how the days feel so different for me now! It almost feels like I work part-time but with full-time benefits and salary. I can now put my daughter in playschool because I am off on her days of playschool. If I did not have a nanny, I never would have been able to work 4 10's. There was no way that I could take my kids to a sitter for 6:00 am. Who would want them that early? The nanny doesn't even have to be up when I leave because the kids usually sleep to at least 8:00 am. My nanny wakes up when the kids do. She also does the housework which means that when I come home I only have to eat and play with the kids! It means that on weekends I am not catching up on housework and laundry and neglecting the kids. Instead, they have my undivided attention. Because all the house work and laundry has been done by the nanny during the week. It means that when I come home I don't have to cook supper it is ready when I come in.

What does my nanny get out of all of this?

Better working conditions and better hours than she had in Hong Kong. The hope that one day her dream will be fulfilled and her children will know a better way of life. The dream that one day she will finally be together with her family for good!

Have I lost my privacy?

NO! Most families who have live-in nannies will say that their nannies quietly retreat to their rooms at the end of their workdays. No loss of privacy at all. On our nanny's days off, she usually goes to the city or stay at another Philippina's house. Their cultural communities are very tight knit with abundant support.

Are we inconvenienced?

To be honest.. only sometimes. Our nanny doesn't drive so we have to take her places. Our family lives in the country so I am used to driving. In this way, I don't really mind driving her. If we lived in the city...she would just take the bus. I cannot put into words how truly wonderful she is with the children and how quickly my children have bonded with her. Yet she has maintained her professionalism in our home.

Do I have any regrets?

YES!!!!!! Why didn't I hire her sooner!!!

My only advice is to use a good nanny agency. You are hiring a caregiver for your children and you want the best. Choose a good agency...your children are worth it!!!