Today, I just realized that my son is still not at ease with our new helper. It has been ateast one month now since our helper for 10 months left us. And now, my little one has to deal with a new "yaya."
This is one experience I have always encountered, that each time a yaya bids farewell, my son is the most affected. I too share the pain of having to say goodbye to somebody who has taken good care of my son while I go to work each day. It is by instinct that my son for sure feels happy, safe and secure with the yaya who stays with him when I'm off to work. Day by day, my son learns to feel close and almost love his yaya as he loves his mama for I know, the most essential part of the day, are spent with the yaya.
With our previous yaya, Bryan seemed to be instantly bonded with her. Without much adjustment, he wanted to be fed by her and to be near her. I was not at all troubled that he would not want to be left alone the hose with yaya. Adjustment came to easily from day one. He would permit her to sleep by his side so he could have his afternoon naps. This is why, my heart broke when she told me that she is leaving our household to pursue her studies. Well, I couldn't say no. Who am I to hinder her to have a bright future. And I knew, I would find another baby sitter for my baby.
The replacement yaya arrived one month ago. And although I have talked to my son that her old yaya has left us, and a new ate will come to take care of him when I go to work, he had not been as close to this new yaya as he has with the old one. I just thought that he was in getting to know you stage. He might be figuring out how to act with her. I noticed, he didn't ask her to carry him, He doesn't knock on her room to say goodnight as he did with the previous
"ate". I also noticed that he doesn't want her near him during his afternoon naps. I found out yesterday as I came home earlier than usual. I found him sleeping on his own, in an almost sitting position with a big pillow in his back as if he had just fallen asleep from watching TV.
This broke my heart and as I realized that he would take his nap on his own. Much more, it came to my mind that he still is not at ease with her. I just began to imagine how it felt like staying with a stranger at home helpless as there is only much that he could do.
He woke up as I attempted to fix him in a lying position to relax him and not hurt his back. But instantly, he jump wide awake as he was happy to see that I was home earlier than the usual.
I couldn't help but ask, is this the way you sleep every afternoon? His yaya said yes.. He doesn't want the pillows touched neither does he want to be moved because it would wake him and make him grouchy all afternoon. It was such a surprise to me. All the while I had been thinking that he was sleeping peacefully each afternoon.
Now I learned that he forces himself to sleep without anybody putting him to sleep. Which is quite odd because in his three and a half years of existence, he never went to sleep alone, always, he would ask me or his ate to hold his bottle for him while he drinks his milk. This is how he goes to sleep ever since i can remember.
Perplexed, I asked him,why he doesn't like ate to be near him so he could sleep in a much better position, and he answered me.."hindi sya maganda!"
Much to my surprise! Nobody ever taught him what is beautiful and whats not! Does this kid know what he is talking about? My husband and I stared at each other in amazement and my husband said, "may taste yang anak mo." Hay naku mag-ama nga sila!!!