Baby Care

Why We Pay My Mother To Babysit


The idea of paying my mom to babysit our baby seemed inconceivable at first, but if you live in Abuja, you know how exorbitant the prices of everything is, the cost of childcare is high and my mom is ever glad to do it so why not. My mom had stopped working and she was complaining about how she’s getting older sitting down and doing nothing, so when I asked her if she would baby sit our baby full time she jumped at the offer, although I never told her about the monetary part, if I did she would have declined.

It’s not a big issue for a grandmother to care for her grandchildren, what is unconventional in the arrangement is that we have to be paying my mom a monthly salary to care for our son.

It just seems unfair not to pay her when we would normally pay a child care provider, besides by paying her, we are saying how much our child is worth to us.  And the good thing about the arrangement is, we can get home late at night and still be rest assured that our baby will be fine which is why we pay her the exact amount we would pay a professional care provider.

The good side to my mom babysitting our child is that she’ll be able to adequately bond with her grandchild, and she’ll also have money for whatever she’d like it for instead of asking her children for financial help.


But since we are paying her, we are able to set boundaries, weekends are the time for her to rest and no matter how much she insist we allow her have her own “me” time on weekends, I mean it’s only fair. Also, paying her makes it easy for me to be able to tell her to do some things without feeling bad about being assertive.

And in the event that she’s no longer interested in this arrangement, she’s still my mom and she can easily tell me and I’d understand. Not everyone would agree to pay their mom to baby sit their child and that’s okay, I mean most grandmothers wouldn’t even agree to such but mine agreed after a few persuasion and she’s doing a great job.

Meanwhile, we try not to get home too late and when we have to be late, we notify her. If you’re fortunate to have an agile mother who is ready to help in taking care of your baby, gladly solicit her help, meanwhile if offering her money will be offensive, do not offer them money you can pay her indirectly instead.

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8 Symptoms That Show When Baby Starts Teething


When it comes to teething, babies start at different ages and to be able to better cope with everything that comes with teething, it’s important that parents familiarize themselves with baby teething symptoms so it can be easier on them.

And here are the 8 symptoms of teething in babies;

1. Excessive drooling

Excessive drooling is one of the first symptoms of teething, the incoming teeth will stimulate the gum, then the water will pour. A lot of towels and bibs will come handy. Diarrhea and loose stools may follow excessive drooling.

2. Baby starts biting

Babies will bite anything they can put their mouth on, this is because of the pressure on their gum. Toys, teethers, and even their mother’s nipple is not exempted.


3. Baby cries in pain

Inflamed gum can make teething painful which will cause babies to be uncomfortable. Your baby might cry in pain and be extra fussy, just bear with them.

4. Bleeding gum

Their gum might bleed, this is called hematoma. The bleeding takes place under the gum. Watch out for a bluish lump on your baby’s gum, although it’s no cause for alarm.

5. Refusing food

Some babies are more sensitive than others in the way they feel and respond to pain, they might even refuse to eat. Feeding will be quite difficult for them when teething. Do not stop forcing food on their throat though.

6. Fever 

Fever is also another common symptom of teething, but it’s low-grade fever which is no cause for alarm or worrying. But if it lasts more than 3 days and it’s high, consult your doctor.

7. Diarrhoea 

Babies sometimes suffer diarrhea when teething, this may or may not be as a result of the large amount of drool they swallow but if it’s extreme, consult your doctor immediately to rule out other possibilities.

8. Cheek rubbing 

Your baby might rub her cheek from time to time, this is because often times, the pain from teeth may radiate to the cheeks thus her to rub the cheek and soothe the pain. Although, this might also be a symptom of an ear infection so watch out.

Finally, you can conduct a test if you suspect that your child is teething, wash your fingers, then with one clean finger rub your baby’s gum, if a tooth is on it’s way, you’ll feel it. Meanwhile, rashes, sleeplessness, and coughing are other symptoms of teething. If any of these symptoms are in the extreme, check with your doctor.

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