Who knows the kids better, the mums or the maids? While the answer should be the former, there are chances that your maid may know your child better than you. Especially because they spend majority of their waking hours together and is practically your child's first friend at home.
This is exactly what most Singaporean parents found out when this viral video uncovered the truth.
The YouTube video titled Who Knows Kids Better? Mums Vs Maids shows just how much time parents are actually spending with their kids and how much they don't know about their own child.
This video has left us speechless!
Mums Vs Maids, Who Knows The Kids Better? The Verdict Is In!
The heart-touching video made by Heart Touching Films, begins with hard facts. It says that families in Singapore employ about 223,000 foreign domestic workers. Many of whom spend most of their time with the children in the house and are naturally more connected with them.
The hosts then begin to ask questions about the kids' likes and dislikes, and the mums and maids take everybody by surprise with their answers.
You can see that mums could only get about 26% answers (about their own kids) right. While 74% of the maids had more correct answers than their employers.
S'porean Mums DO NOT Know Their Kids Better Than Their Maids
Through a series of questions and answers, it is revealed that maids had similar answers to the kids, while mums answered differently. This shows just how not spending time with your child affects them and your bond.
To give you a taste of what transpires in the video, here are the questions and their answers.
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What does your child want to be when they grow up?
The mums and maids are both asked what the kids wanted to be when they grew up. While one mum was sure her child wanted to be a teacher, the maid shared that her employer's daughter wanted to be a princess. Not surprisingly that was exactly what the child told the interviewers.
Another mum claimed that her son might not have decided what he wants to do. But both her child and the maid answered that he wanted to be a pilot.
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Who is your child's best friend?
Many kids are naturally sociable and can easily make friends with others their age. This is why to younger kids, best friends are incredibly important to them.
When asked if they knew who their child's best friend was, one of the mothers said it was "very difficult to say." But the maid instantly shared the same name as the child did.
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Does your child have a crush on someone?
As young as they may be, kids are bound to experience a bit of puppy love at their age and they can be too embarrassed or shy to admit it. While a mum did suggest that her daughter might have a little crush on a boy, the maid remained close-lipped. She said she knew how the kid she took care of doesn't like people knowing so she refused to shared.
The little girl in question confidently–but quite adorably–says, "No boyfriend for me! Just friends." Clearly, the maid was right in this instance too.
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What happens when your child has nightmares?
One mum was asked what her daughter did when she had nightmares. The mum said that her daughter wouldn't wake up but would "scream and cry."
But the maid shared that the daughter would immediately search for her whenever she'd wake up from a nightmare. The kid concurred.
"I will tell my auntie (maid) to sleep beside me when I have nightmares," said the daughter.
How Not Spending Time With Your Child Affects Them
The video has come as a rude shock to many parents who rely heavily on their maids to care for their children.
However, it shouldn't dishearten you. Instead, take this video as an inspiration to spend more time with your child. Because we also know how hard it can be juggling your home and work.
So with the knowledge how not spending time with your child affects them, we recommend a few ways you can still strengthen your bond:
1. Eat meals together. Not only can eating together make it easier for you to teach your child better eating habits, it can also give you the chance to get to know your kids better.
2. Read them bedtime stories. If your hands are full during the day, spend the night getting your child ready for bed and read them stories. This gives you a chance to have as many cuddles and chats with your little one.
3. Take your kids out during a day-off. There are so many places in Singapore where you can bond and have great outdoor fun with your child.
4. Be respectful and patient with them. Kids can misbehave sometimes. But instead of blowing up on them, it's best to be a good role model and lead by example.
5. Express your love for them as much as you can. Remind your kids how much you love them with any form of affection you can give, whether through words, hugs or just simply being there for them when they need it.
With reports from Nalika Unantenne.
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