The Day I Made Our Yaya Cry

Twice.

Every Sunday, our little brood treks over to the hubby’s house in the South for the typical family lunch. It’s a lazy Sunday usually with the kids playing all throughout the day and with us oldie just eating whatever Mama sets on the table. This Sunday was even more special. It was my nephew’s 4th birthday. Food was aplenty and the kids were doubly excited. We stayed a bit longer because dinner was also served. I left DW with his cousins and Yaya Ann upstairs. I was getting ready to fill my plate with Mechado and rice when we heard a loud cry, followed by the sound of a door being slammed. Then I saw Yaya Ann carrying DW down the stairs and DW just CRYING HIS EYES OUT. Then our kid turned to us and on his forehead was a bump the size of a Ping-Pong ball. I was so scared, I was frozen stiff but I carried DW to the kitchen where BDW got ice and wrapped it around a small towel to apply on the nasty bump. DW was having none of it and was just hysterical. It was only through a compromise that we got DW to agree. We can apply the cold compress for 10 seconds at a time while DW ate chocolate ice cream. (This kid knows how to make a deal!)

All throughout that time, I was quiet. I was trying to hide how livid I was with what happened.   According to Yaya Ann DW was playing with his cousins on the bed, jumping and playing with a balloon. DW was thrown a balloon by his larger cousin so DW tumbled and then he hit the head board. Yaya Ann told me that her arms were outstretched to catch DW should he have fallen and that he refused to be held while jumping. I replied, “hindi rason yan! sa susunod pag naglalaro ang mga bato pangunahan mo na, bantayan mo ng maigi!”

I had a grave look on my face. I couldn’t even look at my in-laws because I was thisclose to crying. The usual remarks soon came flying “boys will be boys”, “ganyan talaga pag lalaki”, “mana sa tatay yan”, “ok lang yan.” I couldn’t reply because at that point, hindi ok ang lahat.

At a corner in the living room, Yaya Ann sat quietly. She was crying.  BDW went to comfort her to tell that everything was going to be alright. I didn’t talk to her because at that point it was only DW who needed care, comfort and sympathy.

After two bowls of ice cream, DW was back to his old self again and even finished a bottle of milk. All throughout his meal, I was talking to him asking him about alphabets, pointing out letters and numbers just to make sure “he’s all there”. He didn’t black out thankfully and has full control of his faculties. Save for the Ping-Pong ball on his head, DW was normal.

DW is now sleeping and the bump is still prominent. My chest is still tight from not being able to breathe properly all night. BDW told me “natatakot si Ann sayo” I told him “Dapat lang”

When we got home, I said my piece to Yaya Ann and she cried again. I told her sternly that she should learn from this experience. Yes, something like what happened is bound to happen again especially now that DW wants to do everything by himself and refuses help from anyone. DW’s curiosity is at an all-time high too, exploring everything that he could get his hands on, even if it means standing on a foot stool to reach the cd player so that he could play his favorite CD.

BDW and I both work full time and we’re lucky that when we do go to work that aside from Yaya Ann, my mom also looks after DW. But the contributions of Yayas are undeniable. They are the primary caretakers of our kids and the least that we could ask from them is to care for our children as if they were their own.

To her credit, Yaya Ann is a great yaya. She’s got a really positive attitude and I see how she really cares for our kid. I take her shortcomings as mine because I’m in charge of teaching and training her. When I saw her face with DW’s bump it wasn’t fear I saw of being fired, it was concern for DW.  I felt that it was real and I knew she was sorry.

And right now that’s enough.

Ang serious lang ng post nato. It was a big learning experience for me too so I had to write this down. How about you? Any incidents with your Yayas that made you love her more or fire her?!