Beware of the Bad Nanny

I've been preoccupied lately which is why this post is quite late. We got a call like two weeks ago that a nanny was willing to work for us. I can literally hear the Hallelujah Chorus when I found out. But sadly, this does not have a happy ending.

The nanny let's call her Rhea S. started to work with us on a Thursday. She was 19 and was a Bisaya but she's been living in Manila for quite sometime now. I asked her to bring the requirements (NBI, Birth Certificate) that I asked her to bring but she said she did not have any. I told her I'll just get those for her. She performed her duties as she was told. However we were surprised to have an unexpected male visitor from her one very early Sunday morning.

The male visitor let's call him Raul B. introduced himself as a relative of Rhea. He said that he has to take Rhea home to the province so she can take care of her sister who had just given birth. My husband told Raul to talk to Rhea about it. Rhea then. voluntarily left with Raul. Although, her leaving would mean that I would have to look for a new nanny again we couldn't force her to stay.

An hour later, I started to receive phone calls and text messages from an unknown number. I answered and I found out that it was Raul. He said that he's the husband of Rhea. He said that he will go back to the house and bring six men with him so my husband will admit what he did to Rhea. I was asking what my husband did but he said that he would like to talk to my husband.

Raul was claiming that Rhea was raped or harassed and that it happened at midnight. I told him this is not true since I was still awake at midnight and when I fell asleep I even rose up to turn off the AC at 1:30 A.M. Raul even said that Rhea was already pregnant and that he even heard what allegedly happened to my husband and Rhea through his phone since he called that time.

I was filled with fear then. My husband and I went to the Brgy. Hall and police station to file a formal complaint against Rhea and Raul. Even when we were at the police station Raul was calling my husband and the police heard what he was saying.

It was clear that all they wanted was money from us. I felt afraid and lost. This is a nightmare! I thought.

Here are some tips that the police gave us when hiring helpers.
1. Always ask for the NBI, Birth Certificate and any valid ID prior to acceptance of the maid.
2. Interview the maid thoroughly. Observe whether her answers are consistent or if she says it like it was practiced.
3. When your helper decides to leave you, go to the Brgy. Hall to have a formal documentation that your helper is leaving and that she did not have any injuries when she left or that she doesn't owe you money.

Trust me these tips are helpful. I just found out from a friend that his lola was also a victim of this modus. But this time the nanny complained that she was mistreated.

We are just waiting for the next steps to be taken against my former nanny and her boyfriend (we found out they weren't married but were cohabitating) but they've already stopped calling and texting us.

I'm just blessed and thankful that we're still alive and that my family is still intact. Just like what my friend said, I need to stay positive, move on and hope for the best.

Did you ever have a bad experience with a nanny? Share your story.

 

House chores: Will it ever stop?

I was sitting by the stairs. Watching the pile of dirty laundry, the unwashed dishes, the muddy floor and the toys scattered around the house. I was figuring out what to do first. Do I cook breakfast first, then give my son a bath, then do all the chores?

Then I sighed in exhaustion. Will the pile of dirty laundry ever stop from piling? Will I ever get a day when I will just wake up, eat my breakfast and juts sit around maybe read a book or two.

But alas, I find myself sweating badly and looking at what I had accomplished. I was able to manage and do everything in my what to do today list. I knew a nice long bath would be a great reward for this. I was about to do it, when my son heard me coming inside the bathroom and he hurried on following me.

Waaah! Do I ever get a break?

Then the evening comes, and my husband comes home from work. As usual he would put his shoes under the sofa, throw his used shirt near the laundry basket and ask what's for dinner. I breathed hard and told myself not to snap. But I  did. I was like an angry bear growling in anger. I couldn't stop nagging about how his actions give me extra work.

My instant reaction was, oh my God I was becoming one of those wives who nags and couldn't even take a good bath.

But I look at son, who still adores me. He looks at me constantly. Regardless if I'm sweating or I haven't take a bath yet, he smiled up to his ears and embraces me. Occasionally, he would kiss me on the lips then embrace. Then I know, it was all worth it.

Maybe it's true what they say. You never know what unconditional love is until you become a mother. They will never know the sacrifices you made. You just hang on to the hope that someday they would become the best person they could be and hopefully always eager to come home to the people who raised and love them dearly.

Help Wanted!

I was about to thank heaven for hearing my prayer of finding a good nanny for my child when alas, the nanny backed out.

Really, I've been wracking my brains out figuring out why these things are happening to me. Everything seemed to not go according to how I want it to happen. I was about to land on a job when my nanny did not return from her vacation. Just when I found another nanny, she backed out and I had to postpone or cancel my job interviews again.

I remember myself saying "Lord is this a sign? Do really want me to be a stay at home mom?" There's nothing wrong about being a stay at home mom really. But I don't know if it's really good for me. If you were able to watch Sex and the City 2 (the movie), there was one part there when Charlotte and Miranda talked about their experiences on motherhood. Miranda told her friend that everything that she used to miss when she had a job (such as parent-teachers meeting, school parties, watching her son perform on stage) she can now witness. But as much as she loved his son, she missed her job badly.

That's exactly how I feel. I love my son to death. But as much as I love him, I miss my job. I miss the daily banters at work. I miss the challenge. I miss working. I feel like I'm getting rustic, old and pathetic day by day. I feel like my IQ is slipping away. Now I get excited by soap operas. I'm curious about who my next door neighbor is currently dating. I'm bored and I'm dying to find something exciting. Am I awful for feeling this way?

I tried talking to my husband about it. But he's so cool about it. Telling me that this would go away soon and just for me to keep on praying. I don't think nobody really knows what I'm feeling or going through.

Maybe, I should really learn to let go. To really embrace my current situation and just accept whatever it is God is offering me. Maybe I should listen more so I could clearly hear Him speak what His plan is for me. I must be babbling too much during my prayers that I forgot to listen to Him.

I hope I get a sign soon. I feel like I slumped. Lord help me to find joy in what I do. I'm beginning to dread it. I feel so frustrated, I literally shouted in my bedroom this morning.