Who is Da Best Caretaker??

Read this from TODAY papers, today of cos! LOL

Page 24 Voices

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
BY ＤＲ JAMES DOBSON

GRANDMA'S OFF HER ROCKER

There was a time when uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters were available to give parents a helping hand with child-rearing. But more typically today, the extended family is spreaded all over the country and might not even be trusted, anyway.

Even grandparents are sometimes unavailable because they're just as busy as their kids. Let me share a humorous poem with you that describes this situation. I have no idea who wrote this piece, but I think you'll enjoy it. It's called "Where Have All The Grandmas Gone?"

"In the dim and distant past, when life's tempo wasn't fast, Grandma used to rock and knit, crochet, tatt, and babysit. When the kids were in a jam, they could always count on Gram, in that day of gracious living, Grandma was the gal for giving. But today she's in the gym, excercising to keep slim. She's off touring with the bunch, or taking clients out to lunch. Going north to ski or curl, all her days are in a whirl. Nothing seems to stop or block her, now that Grandma's off her rocker!"

Well, now we know why Grandma isn't at home waiting for a call.

But if that's an accurate portrayal of today's family, children are the losers for it. They not only need fathers and mothers who are passionately commited to them, but also the care of other adults who love them like crazy. And grandparents are the most qualified to play that role.

Hmm... How abt my case?
My mother's passed away 10 over years ago.

My mother-in-law is one of a kind.

My step-mother... dun wish to talk abt her. Nvr been ard her much anyway.

My dad? How would he know anything abt taking care of kids? =.=''

My relatives? There is this saying: 远水救不了近火... The most helpful & resourceful ones are all living in Malaysia... maternal side.

Paternal side? They always give me the feeling that so long if it doesn't bother them, it's none of their business. Perhaps it doesn't seem so to my dad or perhaps it's da way dat my dad behaves dat leads me to thinking so... or maybe they aren't dat passionate or wat... or maybe I've got to approach them directly. There's this time I asked a cousin (on da paternal side) for a place to stay when my dad wanted to chase my husband out of da temporary place (within less than 2 days' time) we were staying at (my step-mum's place; my father's then girlfriend) until he cld get a proper house to house me & my baby. That cousin told me it was kinda inconvenient.
Oh well i dunno...

Even da MPs!!! No1 believes the difficulties I've been thru!!! I was holding a 2-weeks-old baby in arms... under 21, hubby a PR. No place to house us??? We were told to approach our parents. Parents?? Had they been dat reliable!!!

In the end when I came out to work, it was nanny who took care of our boy. Sweet nanny oh bless her da nanny. She's even helped us to find another place to rent (not once but twice) after the PRO (<--- u noe wat this means) who seemed to hv a difficult marriage too (she got beaten up by her husband at times) needed us to move. Oh sweet nanny! She's really very zealous into helping ppl. Love ya!!! You may not know this but that's y you are on my list of ppl to repay back kindness shd I hv this chance!

You really can't believe the number of times I've moved ever since I've married him. Yea, not counting the times I had moved when young, during my marriage with him, I've shifted a total of 9 times! And if you include this latest time dat now I've moved to seek refuge at my dad's place, dat would make it a cool 10 times!!! *faint*

Hence for my kid, just before he turned 2, I've been relying on maids to take care of him while I go work up even until now.

And to say truth abt the maid thingy, I was kinda "swindled" into hiring one by my mum-in-law. Cos I nvr tot I wld be able to afford one. My mum-in-law was a full time housewife then. Well, more stories to dat. Wouldn't be able to tell all in a page within a single day...

Luckily as I worked, I gained recognition & my salary increased. But I was forever dumping in $$ for my maid, my child & worst of all, for all da ridiculous expenditure of my husband's dat I can nvr quite explained where fr or understand wat really happened. I wasn't in debt (though he almost landed me in debts a few times; thank god he's not a compulsive gambler!) but I wont ever really hv any excess. Even the savings I had done up for my kid were all squandered by him (I can't hv joint acct wif my boy then T.T, so much inconvenience due to age-discrimination) else I've no choice but to withdraw em due to meeting deadlines of bills. I wont apply for credit cards - is it really all so proud & clever to hv them? I was busy working & he was busy dunno doing wat. I nvr really delved into it cos i was really tired fr work. Until when I make a conscious effort to change my career into something more freelance & possibly bring in more income for me, then I saw right in frt of me all da things I cldnt stand. Bad habits of all of a sloth, undeserving, inconsiderate fella... What ARE you doing in my house!!!? The house dat I had bought (considerable CASH $$ was forked out), when I was below age & had to use HARD CASH to pay da instalments, the town council fees, the PUB bills, house-keeping misc, your ridiculous phone bills too, pay for da maid's salaries & levies, pay for our boy's expenditure & his pre-school education and YOU too??? *Incredulous*

My wish is no less than yours when you sed, "GET OUT OF MY LIFE!"

When the kids were in a jam, they could always count on Gram, in that day of gracious living, Grandma was the gal for giving.

Now who can I count on then?

???