Yaya Horror Stories, Woes and TRIUMPHS!

So here it is that dreaded post about Yayas and the never ending hunt to find the perfect ONE! Almost all mom-owned blogs has at least one of this, if not a lot of Yaya related posts in their blogs.

Veegee and I have been very lucky to find great Yayas for Miguel and Jaime. But this does not mean we’ve been spared from hiring the worst ones too! I don’t want to dwell on those who failed us but I just want to share that we too have seen them all! We had a Yaya that never spoke a word, we had one that left in the middle of the night, we had another one that asked Yaya Flor what she thinks will happen if she covers the face of the baby with a pillow while he sleeps!! This made me freak out by the way and I never let her touch my boys after what she said. We hired a Yaya who after a few days confessed she wasn’t a Yaya but a lady guard, and finally we had a Yaya whom we already bought tickets for a trip abroad and she backed out a few days before the actual trip! She said her husband suddenly didn’t allow her to go, then I eventually found out she never had a passport when she told me she had one before I booked her ticket! Completely my fault since I believed her when she said she left her passport at home!

Our Heaven sent Yayas! Yaya Flor (right) took care of Miguel since he was six-months-old and Nanay Julie (left) took care of Jaime since he was three-months-old. I owe them a lot! :)

Have you seen the Sex and the City movie where Charlotte feared losing her Nanny more than losing her husband? That was a great take on how dependent mothers are to people who help raise and care for their children. I cannot imagine raising my boys without the help of my two wonderful Yayas, Yaya Flor and Nanay Julie. That's why I truly salute and I am very proud of my sister Maureen, who is abroad and is taking care of her three kids all by herself!

My sisters and I had a  wonderful Yaya, Ellen stayed with us for almost 40 years! All my friends know her, she went with me everywhere in my teens. She was more like a Tita that really took care of me. She was with me in all the proms and parties I attended. Veegee courted her too so he could court me! :) We've been through a lot and I love Ellen! She would visit up until now and give the best "hilot" ever. She took care of me when I was pregnant and she was in every special occasion and event of my life. She wore the same color dress as my Mama when I got married and she was beaming! We would still have our funny conversations when I would call her up on her cell to just say hey. I miss her! :)

Ellentot! My one and only Yaya who took care of ME till I was pregnant!! We love her! My kids call her Lola Ellen! :)

With Sam (left) my assistant, she's been with me for TEN years, she is the best too! Ellen (right) was so happy the day I got married! :)


 

Yaya Flor has been with us for five years now, she first met Miguel when he was just six-months-old and they have been inseparable since. She got married two years ago and has decided to stay with us because she said she can't leave Miguel just yet. She is the best Yaya ever! I cannot complain, she is also a wonderful cook and voluntarily helps around the house. She takes care of me too, she is neat and she helped me get through purely breastfeeding Miguel for 14 months! She is really already a part of the family, whenever she would go home for a vacation we both get teary eyed! She was suppose to leave last year but she said she will stay another year. She is again scheduled to leave next year so she can have a chance to have a family of her own, something she has put off just to be with Miguel.

Yaya Flor with the whole family! Jaime was still inside my tummy!

Miguel and Yaya Flor!

Nanay Julie stayed for two years before she left because Tatay, her husband had a stroke. She is in her early fifties but still as strong as ever, she carried Jaime everywhere!! She never wanted to use the stroller and the baby carrier. She is a bit old-fashioned and sensitive but she turned out to be a great Yaya too! More of like a Lola that truly cared for Jaime, she taught him how to poo without a diaper! He would squat on top of a piece of plastic and poo whenever Nanay Julie asked him to, it was amazing! She came back to Manila a few months ago and is now working for my cousin, whenever Jaime sees her he would still run to her and call her NANAY!! :)

Nanay Julie and Jaime, they sort of look alike hehe! :)

We are very thankful to our Yayas, since its so hard to find people we can trust these days. My husband and I were discussing the other day that if there is such a thing as Mother's Day and Father's day there should also be a Yaya's day because they do so much for us and our kids. Specially if you are able to find those that really care and love your kids the same way Yaya Flor and Nanay Julie has cared for our kids. They have been with us since we started building our family. So if you are experiencing Yaya woes, just hang in there the perfect one is out there and they will eventually find their way to your home too! :)