Yaya Hunt Began

We’re now on the hunt for a new yaya. Oh yes, it’s a hunt, believe me! Our current yaya actually told us a few weeks ago that she will be leaving on 16 April. She said her father wanted her to go back to their hometown in Dumaguete. After she told me that, I told my mother. I was expecting she can get the daughter of a yaya of their friend to be our yaya. This prospect have been intending to work as my mother’s househelp ever since our current yaya left them. Our current yaya was my mother’s househelp. I was really hoping we can get that yaya because I wanted to hire someone who was referred to us. And then last weekend, my yaya announced she already bought her ticket to go home. Which struck me because our agreement was she will not leave until we get a replacement. I had to gently reminder her of this unwritten agreement of ours. The truth is, the reality of it all only hit me a few days ago. It suddenly dawned on me that she is leaving and we’ll leave our daughter to someone who is a total stranger to us. What if she doesn’t take of Miya, what is she hurts Miya, what if she kidnaps Miya. I brokedown to my husband telling him my worries. He said, even if we get a new one, we should ask my mother-in-law to stay with us even for just a month to teach the new yaya. This is the sacrifice I had to deal with for my daughter, he said. He knows I don’t live well with strangers. The yaya I can live with because I pay her to live with us. I know, she’s my mother-in-law but still I’m a believer of that saying “You can’t have two queens in one kingdom.” That’s why when we got married it was never an option to stay with my parents or stay with my in-laws. I wanted us to be on our own because I don’t really blend well with others. Oh yes, I’m an evil evil person, I hate to admit. For the love of my daughter, I will endure living with my mother-in-law even for just a while. The hubby made a good point when he said, he stayed with my parents during my pregnancy to keep me and the baby healthy and safe, and that I can do it to this time for our daughter’s sake. So I will, I will eat my pride and try to be a good daughter-in-law. Now if only, we can find a replacement.


Earlier today, we interviewed an applicant. She’s the sister of a yaya in our building. She was okay, I guess, but I’m not entirely excited in hiring her. She lives nearby our area and she has kids and a grandkid but she’s separated. My worry is she might go home any time there arises a problem in their household, which is perfectly reasonable but I can’t let her go home every single time. She also specifically said she goes on day-offs, during the entire weekend she leaves Saturday night and goes back Monday morning. I’m fine with the weekly day-offs during weekends because I want to spend those time with my daughter plus that is our current set-up. But I’m not sure if we can request her to stay on some weekends that we do need her help. Another “thing” is she’s older than us. I’m not sure if I can order her to do things, although she said earlier that for her even if her bosses are older, she will still listen because they are the boss which is good. Plus she’s very frank, she told me she just needs to hear what are the things I don’t like so that she knows what’s expected of her which is a good thing too. If I’m gonna rate her she’s a 6 out of 10 (pasang-awa). She’s okay if we don’t have any other choice, but I want to have other choices.

My mother said she has an applicant too but we want to see and interview her first as well. Hopefully, we’ll be able to “close the deal” by this weekend. I want to iron things out by next week, ask the new yaya for NBI clearance and chest X-ray before starting to work for us. Keeping my fingers crossed and praying that the new yaya will be the right one for us and Miya.

Day 1 of 30