What did you just do! You hit my child on the head? Where were you when l carried her for nine months plus? If you have to beat her, must it be her head? At another scenario, your house help sexually abuse your female child. Some of these children get violated at their tender age. Some will introduce bad habits to the boy child like smoking and homosexuality. These days some go to the extent of sending these children out to hawk wares on the streets when they ought to be in school or at home resting after school hours. Some children are kept in harm’s way on those trips.

These are few of the many happenings in our homes and society today. When we are not around, we expect our house helps to give a hand in raising the children we brought to this world. We are too busy chasing after money and fame and we can’t find time to spend with them, yet we had time to bring them to this world. It is sad. I am not saying we shouldn’t have means of livelihood, neither am l saying that working mothers turn out bad parents. I am only saying that we should find time for the children. Let us know what is happening in their lives and in our homes while we are not around. ‘A stitch in time saves nine’.

Have you bothered to ask your child why he is so scared of his nanny or the house help? Have you noticed that your child wants to tell you something? But he or she is afraid of incurring the maid’s anger? So he keeps it to himself while he suffers. He is scared to tell you because in his little psychology, he will be beaten when you go out again. So there’s no use. Do you know that if something bad happens to that child you will never forgive yourself and his or her blood would be required of you?

Children are gifts from God and so should be treated and nurtured. Nothing is wrong when we set goals for ourselves as adults. It becomes wrong if we cannot carry our children along. They did not ask to be brought here in the first place! Why should a house help tell my child everything he knows? These children are they not the very reason why we are working?

My questions are: what is the cost of your child’s life? Who is to be blamed if our children go out of hand because we are not there to take care of them? Where do we draw the line from searching for money for financial stability and having time for our children and family? How can the government help in all these? After all, a strong, healthy family is the pride of any Nation.

The little l know about children is that they can adapt to situation faster than adults. Although there might be tale- sign of breaking down in the beginning because that is what happens when change is taking place, but if it is not noticed on time and checked, it becomes a big battle for the parents in the nearest future. That is why bad habit is hard to change. They get use to that way of life, especially when you are not there to teach them anything better than what they already know. One day, you wake up and find a monster in your home! It is good to start your children with good upbringing only you can, tomorrow may be too late.

Your house help doesn’t have a vision and dream of what you want for your home and children. They don’t know where you are coming from, so they cannot know where you are going to. Only you can interpret your dream in the lives of your children and family. Plan your life in such a way that you do not get planned by life. Let us not live lives of regret because we did not have time to take care of the little one God has given to us. So many people out there can pay any price to have what you have being given. They are known as bundles of joy, not bundle of regrets! ‘He was my son’ is already a life of regret. Take grace and strength to have a living child. ‘A living son is better than a dead King.