The Working Mom or the Sit-at-Home Mom?

Been a while right? Not like I abandoned you my darlings, it's just that the week has been kind of busy for me. I tried to put together a post but it didn't come through.

Personally, I want to thank God for the safety of the Orekoya kids, I just heard this morning that they have been returned safely to their mother. For the benefit of those that may not know the story, the kids(three young boys including an 11 month old baby) were kidnapped by their nanny who started working with them a day before the kidnap. From stories that went viral on the internet, I could gather that the working mother of the kids got the nanny through a site online (name withheld) which offers local classified ads for jobs, for sale, real estate, services etc. She conducted her ''due diligence'' and was convinced she had gotten a nanny for the job after speaking via phone call to two guarantors who attested to knowing the nanny. Long story short, the next day, the kids went out with the nanny and never came back. A call was later placed by the nanny and her cohorts for a ransom of 15 million naira (then 13 million) to be paid to secure the release of the kids.

Yesterday, while having lunch with my colleagues, one of them spoke of how she caught her nanny beating her 8 month old son. She said the way she felt at the moment was indescribable because the nanny knew she was around the house but still beat her son that way. Just make a mental picture of what happens when she is in the office and the nanny is alone with her son.

Sometime ago, I have gone to get my niece from her crèche only to meet her crying profusely, with red eyes and catarrh dripping from her nostrils. She was unattended to, as the nanny just sat at the other end and watched her cry her eyes out. The way I screamed and drew rain that evening is a story for another day. Some humans are wicked and that is putting it nicely, for lack of a better word! Why would you derive pleasure in making innocent children cry or inflicting pain on them?
The day my niece fell ill and had to be admitted, my sister almost resigned her job. The pressure was too much! There's even pressure when the kid is in perfect health, and you have to joggle a 7am-7pm(unofficial time) job, with caring for the kid(s), and caring for the husband  and house chores and other life issues, imagine it the other way round when the kid is ill. It is just crazy. Women are Heroes.

So I ask, would you rather be a housewife or a working mother?

Be aware that both ''job designations'' has its pecks. If you are a housewife, you'll have the whole time to watch your kids grow and monitor them. Being a housewife also means little or no personal money(not always the case), idleness and sweeping your degrees under the carpet. It could also mean no friends or contact, your mates are ahead of you career wise and a whole lot of other things too.
Being a working woman, you'll have little time for your children, hence, you may fall into the hands of evil nannies(there are some good ones though), you may not be so productive in work because your mind is elsewhere but you'll have enough to take care of the child and support the family too, you also have the opportunity to rise in your career if you want to. Considering the economic and financial challenges of life, more money is never enough. A relative staying with you might not be a bad idea, but some husbands or wives do not like that, they prefer a neutral party to avoid conflict in the home.

All through my childhood, my Dad prevented my Mum from working so that she could take care of the home. I thank them both because they made me who I am today. We all need both the financial and moral care of both parents. No one is more important than the other. I didn't have any experience of nannies, so I can safely say that I am among the lucky few. Some others where not too lucky, you hear of cases of child molestation, rape, kidnap, brutality, witchcraft, husband snatchers and the likes and some kids have to live with such nightmare all their lives, this leads to some of the vices we hear about. The kids grow up to be hardened and may derive pleasure from inflicting pain on other people (remember ''Fifty Shades of Grey''?).

It's a Catch 22 situation. Either way, there are bonuses as well as challenges. As a lady, which would you rather indulge in? As a husband, which would you have your wife do? If you're unmarried now, and you hope to be one day, how do you plan to overcome these challenges?

I would advice that ALL companies; private or public, large or small should have a crèche in the office complex where their staff who are nursing mothers can keep their kids. That way, the kids are closer to the parents and the parents can have routine check on them and also the nannies are kept in check. Everyone goes home happy. Don't you think?

Photo Credit: @MOTA_Quotes

Enjoy the rest of your day,
Barby.