A family of 5 in Ibadan, Nigeria received a heart rending news when a blood test revealed all 3 children were HIV positive. Their parent tested negative to the virus. Who, how, where, when…………… were the thoughts on their minds, lips.
There was only one person to suspect – the nanny. She was made to screen for HIV, the result turned out positive. It was discovered that she shares her toothbrush with the children, her carelessness and those of the parents left three beautiful toddlers infected with HIV.
This article is a product of “living in the future”, I do this in my thoughts. I sometimes live in the future with the aim of drawing life lessons for the present.
While reading through an account of Stephen Kings early childhood in his book THE MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT, he recounted living with many babysitters, one of them was Eula. His description of her got me roaring with laughter until I read the part where he painted how she sometimes fart in his face.
This is how he put it, “Eula-Beulah was prone to farts – the kind that are both loud and smelly. Sometimes she was so affected, she would throw me on the couch, drop her wool-skirted butt on my face, and let loose. “Pow!” she’d cry in high glee. It was like being buried in marsh-gas fireworks.”
This casts my mind to the risk parents put their toddlers in the hands of nannies.
I need not mention accounts of nannies who were caught sexually harassing, molesting toddlers left in their care.
Isn’t it said that the formative years of a child is very important? Why are parents of this generation so comfortable leaving their children formative years to nannies?
As a grown up, I still find the characters, habits of those I regularly interact with rub on me. This brings to fore, the saying, “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are”.
Do parents of the present times have this in mind when they employ the service of uneducated nannies to take care of their children?
Amongst other things, I advise parents to consider these attributes before employing the services of a nanny.
- Ability to read and write.
- Practice good personal hygiene and;
- Conduct a medical test to check for infections, disease that are transmitted through body fluids eg HIV, Hepatitis B.
Parents should also ensure that these measures are in place at their children’s day care centres.
Let me also add that parents should immunize their children against all vaccinated diseases.
The children are our future, they deserve all the attention and care they crave. Before you initiate the process of parenting, be sure you are ready for it. Don’t birth a child you are not ready to nurture with love and care.
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