Whenever I hear people talk about sending their babies to babysitter full time (24 hours a day), I always feel very sad for the baby. Yes, it is tough to care for a baby at night after a long day at work, but it is OUR baby – our flesh and blood. Is it not worth making sacrifices for?
There is a Chinese saying, “The mother who cares for the baby has more contributions than the mother who gives birth to the baby.”
I couldn’t agree more. Getting pregnant and delivering a baby is just the first step. It does not automatically qualify one as a mother. It is the nurturing & caring that the mother showers on the child that makes up the largest part of motherhood. Actually, this is the responsibility of both parents, not just the mother.
Many parents send their babies to a full time babysitter during work days. I call this the weekend parent. Some 7 days a week, never take their babies home and only comes for daily or occasional visits => Visiting parent. Then, there are those who send their babies to a babysitter in another town/ state or country. I have a cousin who worked in Singapore and their baby cared for by their parents in Perak. They only see their baby during holidays. This one is the Holiday parent.
No matter how much the babysitter loves the child, it does not equal daddy & mommy’s love and care. And the child can tell the difference. There are many researches that show that there are psychological impacts to the child.
Furthermore, there are so much joy in caring for a child that if you will not experience if you are just a weekend/ visiting/ holiday parent. So, please take care of your child. Don’t leave that job to your babysitter. If you have made the choice to have a baby, you should make all sacrifices to care for the baby as well
I couldn’t agree more.
I wonder why they want a baby in the first place. Sometimes it make me very angry.