This is definitely one of
the most viral pictures circling around the internet. I've seen it early last year, re-edited, shared, liked and etc.
Rough translation :
Child : Mom, would you
let the maid watch your jewelries/ precious things while you
are away?
Mom : Of course not, I
don't trust her.
Child : But why would you
let her watch me?
*Cue sad music*
*Commence
likes/shares/comments, mostly in furious agreement*
While I shouldn't be bothered with "just another viral picture of internet", frankly, it annoys the hell out of me. It is not just
because of the fact that I am a working mom, directly making me fall
into the evil category of moms who leave their kids with the help, but
also because there are too many refutable points in it.
I can understand how one
can liken the value of a child to gold BUT there are so many wrong
context in that logic that I just have to dissect it once and for
all:
1. Logic fail #1 : Gold
watching vs kid watching.
Do your piles of gold
need to eat 3 times a day?
Do your jewels need
polishing at least dozen times a day?
Do they make sound,
whine, need comfort?
Do the jewels/gold lie
out in the open frolicking on the kitchen floor?
I am pretty confident
they don't, unless you're an obsessive person then you might need
constant jewel polishing but I digress.
Fact #1 : Your
gold/jewel will stay safe hidden under dungeon unsupervised. Your
child won't.
A child needs constant
care and I mean 24/7 legit watching, even when he/she sleeps, you
need to know if that child is breathing okay ( not the entire time
but you get the point). That kind of supervision needs to be done by
a person, with the workload preferably shared. THUS, the need for
extra help – aka nanny/servant/maid/ another actual breathing
reliable person.
Conclusion: Don't insinuate your agreement because it is highly likely that you've relied on the help of
others.
2. Logic fail #2 :
Losing child = losing money
Hey parents, here's an
easy question:
“ Would you rather
lose your money/gold/jewel than a child?”
Assuming I will get an
unanimous “ NOOO!”, then why would you even associate their
(lack of) similarity in the first place?
For example : “ if apple
is a fruit and orange is a fruit, then is apple an orange?”.
Fact #2 : There simply in
no direct correlation between a child and gold.
I wouldn't want to lose
my belongings, but if situations require it, I'd give it up in a
heartbeat for the sake of my children's well being. No question
asked.
Conclusion : Don't
be so quickly to jump into conclusions.
3.
Logic fail #3 : The
mom's only answer must be “NO”
Why not “
yes” or
“
maybe” or why not pose a challenging flow of conversation “
Depends. Why are you asking?”
I am fully aware of the
many cases of thieving helps in the house. The thing is, before you
leave your child with another person, logically you would have
trusted that person enough to do so.
Fact #3: Alternatives of answer from the mom.
Ideally we
would all want to have trusted hired helps. Realistically though, sometimes we have to settle for less. However, the rule of the thumb still
applies : If he/she is not to be trusted, they have to go. Let alone
be entrusted with a kid!
In my case, when I first
left Emma to her nanny, I spied on her lol. I sent my sister to watch
her. We installed house cams and such. Over time and constant
evaluation, I deemed her trustworthy enough to watch my kids, my
house and basically everything in it.
Conclusion :Don't assume that all nannies are evil.
4. Logic fail #4 : The
kid had the last words.
Seriously, I would like
to meet a mom who would let a kid have the last word lol.
That's right, you listen kid
In the convo, it is
implied that the mom was not able to answer the kid's question due
to, I don't know, shame? Or perhaps, being schooled?
Moms with the
right heart would retaliate, she would answer and get the facts
straight. She would make a teaching moment out of it.
Fact #4: Moms always have the last words. Even if we're wrong lol.
Conclusion : Don't buy into the wrong moral of the story.
Okay, end of the list.
Overall, the image is a
brainless mom bashing in its full glory. Stop liking or sharing it,
because you are not helping anyone with your poor judgment skills. You are only promoting the endless prevalence of mom-judging in the world.
I am certain that all
moms have experienced a classic case of guilt. Working moms
guilt over lack of presence. SAHMs guilt over lack of certain
contributions.
The truth is any mom
should be entitled to any number of identity as long as she is
responsible in the well being of her children.
You want to be ONLY
staying at home moms, help or no help, kudos to you.
You want to be working
providing basic necessities, no judgment here.
You want to be working
for your own selfish pleasure, GO AHEAD!
Motherhood should be a
supportive community, afterall, you are raising kids who might have
to work one day and not be around their kids the entire time. So,
keep it positive and be wise.
