Another case of baby abuse where the little one died at the hands of his minder who had been working with his family for two years. After two years one would think that she would have a reasonably good relationship with her employers and the child whom she was entrusted to care for. 
Unfortunately it didn’t turn out to be so as the baby, a 15 month old boy, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The autopsy revealed that he died from strangulation and there was also other evidence of his being stomped on and kicked as well. Old fractures in his legs were also evident. The maid had telephoned the father at work that his child had fallen and was unconscious, prompting him to ask his relative who lived nearby to go to his house and to send his child to the hospital.
The maid ran away and according to the newspapers, was in another house being interviewed for a job when the man realised that this was the woman whom the police were looking for, in connection with the death of a child. He called the police and she was taken into custody on a charge of murder.
Whatever the outcome of the case, nothing will bring back the child whose life was extinguished by the inhumane treatment he was subjected to.
Young children are very vulnerable, especially when they are too young to defend themselves against adult abusers and unable to communicate with their parents about their treatment at the hands of their caregivers. There have been many such cases and I suspect lots more that go unreported or remain unknown.
It is time that parents consider what their priorities are: the welfare of their young children or a double income for a better life style. There is bound to be a sacrifice. One cannot have the cake and eat it at the same time.
I know of some young working mothers who took no pay leave or even resigned from their jobs in order to look after their babies. The young couples who are lucky, have their own parents to fall back upon, old though they may be. My good friend’s son is a case in point. The two sets of grandparents would take turns to stay with the young couple to supervise the maid when the children were very young. They deemed it unwise to leave the young children in the hands of the maid while both of them were out working the whole day. My nephew brings his child and the maid to his parents’ house before he and his wife go to work.
Another alternative would be the crèche which is registered and has trained child minders to care for the children. Such a crèche should also fulfil conditions such as the number of children they can take in and the ratio of children to child minders. It should also be monitored so that standards are maintained and the children are well-looked after.
Ideally, the workplace, if the company is big enough, should have its own crèche so that the mothers can look in on their young children during their lunch break, perhaps to help out, time permitting. In this way, the company retains its staff and the mothers have peace of mind knowing that their children will not be at the tender mercy of the care-giver.
Other parents send their children to private childminders, usually housewives whose children are already big. These childminders usually look after two children, which could be a better option if you know their background and have been providing such services.
All said and done, mothers are the best people to look after their own babies and this will enable them to bond with and nurture their young, ensuring that the babies grow into healthy and confident children. They would also be spared from the guilt complex of leaving their young with unknown strangers brought into their homes to look after them while they go out to work to support a better life style. Remember a baby trusts you with his life. He should always be your first priority.
Unfortunately it didn’t turn out to be so as the baby, a 15 month old boy, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The autopsy revealed that he died from strangulation and there was also other evidence of his being stomped on and kicked as well. Old fractures in his legs were also evident. The maid had telephoned the father at work that his child had fallen and was unconscious, prompting him to ask his relative who lived nearby to go to his house and to send his child to the hospital.The maid ran away and according to the newspapers, was in another house being interviewed for a job when the man realised that this was the woman whom the police were looking for, in connection with the death of a child. He called the police and she was taken into custody on a charge of murder.
Whatever the outcome of the case, nothing will bring back the child whose life was extinguished by the inhumane treatment he was subjected to.
Young children are very vulnerable, especially when they are too young to defend themselves against adult abusers and unable to communicate with their parents about their treatment at the hands of their caregivers. There have been many such cases and I suspect lots more that go unreported or remain unknown.
It is time that parents consider what their priorities are: the welfare of their young children or a double income for a better life style. There is bound to be a sacrifice. One cannot have the cake and eat it at the same time.
I know of some young working mothers who took no pay leave or even resigned from their jobs in order to look after their babies. The young couples who are lucky, have their own parents to fall back upon, old though they may be. My good friend’s son is a case in point. The two sets of grandparents would take turns to stay with the young couple to supervise the maid when the children were very young. They deemed it unwise to leave the young children in the hands of the maid while both of them were out working the whole day. My nephew brings his child and the maid to his parents’ house before he and his wife go to work.
Another alternative would be the crèche which is registered and has trained child minders to care for the children. Such a crèche should also fulfil conditions such as the number of children they can take in and the ratio of children to child minders. It should also be monitored so that standards are maintained and the children are well-looked after.
Ideally, the workplace, if the company is big enough, should have its own crèche so that the mothers can look in on their young children during their lunch break, perhaps to help out, time permitting. In this way, the company retains its staff and the mothers have peace of mind knowing that their children will not be at the tender mercy of the care-giver.
Other parents send their children to private childminders, usually housewives whose children are already big. These childminders usually look after two children, which could be a better option if you know their background and have been providing such services.
All said and done, mothers are the best people to look after their own babies and this will enable them to bond with and nurture their young, ensuring that the babies grow into healthy and confident children. They would also be spared from the guilt complex of leaving their young with unknown strangers brought into their homes to look after them while they go out to work to support a better life style. Remember a baby trusts you with his life. He should always be your first priority.
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