SHABIHA NUR KHATOON, OP
Finding the perfect maid or caretaker for your child while you are away in office is never an easy task
Switch on any news channel or pick up any newspaper, the one thing that is sure to catch attention are stories of maids and their mismanagement of kids whose parents aren’t around to look after them. Earlier, taking care of children in the absence of their parents was not even a concern as grandparents were there in every household. But in the age of the nuclear family this equation has changed. Couples are almost all working professionals who aspire for a better standard of living but are unable to spend full time with their kids. Hiring caretakers, therefore, has become a necessity for working parents.
But hiring a maid or caretaker is not easy as you never know whether those you employ could take good care of the kids. Orissa POST speaks to a few working women who share their bitter-sweet experiences of hiring maids for their children and what qualities they look for in a caretaker.
Six-year-old Sahil’s well-being and daily routine are completely entrusted to the care of a nanny. He attends school, plays at home with his toys and naps in his own bed under her supervision, while his parents head to their respective offices every day.
Many parents, like Sahil’s mother Sefali, prefer to hire a domestic maid to take care for their child at home.
Leaving your bundle of joy in the care of a stranger can be quite a daunting prospect for most parents. “Reports of child abuse, emotional and physical exploitation are frightening,” says Sonika Gupta, a teacher by profession.
“Keeping kids under a maid’s watch also impacts them in different ways. They tend to pick up the language used by maids very fast and start using it in daily conversation. This shows that an important factor that should be taken into consideration while hiring a maid is her personality. As there is nobody to supervise them at home the possibility of exploitation cannot be ruled out,” says Sonika.
“I generally prefer a middle-aged woman as a maid because when you go for a young lady there are lots of problems that come with them like boyfriends, the question of loyalty and also their ability to give proper care,” she adds.
“At-home care is the most expensive form of childcare,” says Geetanjali Sharma Khan, a businesswoman from Bhubaneswar and mother of two.
Geetanjali, who had hired a couple of maids for her daughter, says that in Orissa hiring a maid is a tough task as not everyone is interested in a full-time job.
“When I was in Delhi after the birth of my first child, we hired a maid to take care of the house and my son, as I had strict work commitments. But in Orissa it is difficult to come across a maid who can take care of the house and the kids in our absence,” she says.
“We are needy and greedy for a maid. We need them but they too need us. While hiring a maid there are several things that need to be kept in mind. It is necessary to check the background of the person and collect in-depth information about him/her from the agency you are hiring them. Another vital tip is to employ maids on a trial basis. There is no need to give them permanent employment if one is not satisfied with their work,” adds Geetanjali.
