How Much To Pay Yaya

Nowadays, it’s very difficult to find a yaya for our kids, especially since as parents, we constantly fear that leaving our child to a total stranger may not be such a good idea. But once you do find that perfect, trustworthy yaya, you feel like winning the lottery.

The next question is, how much do you pay your yaya so that she’ll be happy to stay with you and take care of your child for a long time?

There are a number of things to consider when contemplating on your yaya’s salary, like the yaya’s work experience, her responsibilities or work load, and your child’s age. Rates are usually higher for yayas who take care of newborns up to 2 year-old kids, as these younger children need more attention and extra care. Yayas from agencies are usually paid salaries from P2,500 to P3,000 a month.*

[*Source: Smart Parenting, November 2007 issue]

You, how much do you pay your child’s yaya? I’d love to hear about your own “yaya” experiences.

Kiddie Party Ideas


My friend is celebrating her daughter's first birthday party soon, so I thought of this list of ideas that will make any kiddie party enjoyable and memorable.

  1. Food – Any party won’t be complete without food. Of course, the all-time kids’ favorite spaghetti and fried chicken must be part of the menu. A separate menu for the adult guests would be great, but not required especially if you’re on a budget.
  2. Venue – A McDonald’s/Jollibee/other fast-food chain/restaurant-catered party is the best option for parents who want a stress-free, all-in-one package without the need to hire party organizers.
  3. Activities – Kids enjoy being involved. Some fun activities for kiddie parties are face painting, balloon-making, magic shows, mini playground like inflatable slides, and games like “Trip to Jerusalem”, “Bring Me”, “Longest Line”, and dance/singing/beauty pageant contests for the cute kids.
  4. Souvenirs/Give-aways – These can be store-bought, but the best ones are those that you personally made or put together. We went to a princess-themed party where the 7-year old celebrant distributed the “take-home goodies” which consisted of princess-designed mini fans, stickers, mini notepads, candies, and mini toys all placed inside a cute princess box, in line with the party’s princess theme. What a truly nice treat for the kids!

So, whether you’re willing to splurge on your kid’s party or you’re on a tight budget, what’s most important is to enjoy the day in celebration of the wonderful gift that is your precious child.

Any more tips on making kiddie parties fun? Let me know how you celebrated your own child’s birthday, or the most memorable kiddie party you’ve been to!

Milk Quest

My baby is very choosy when it comes to her milk. She's been used to the NAN series of formula milk made by Nestle: NAN1 from birth to 6 months, NAN2 from 6 months to 10 months, & NAN3 for 10 months to 24 months-old babies.

Recently, though, NAN3 ran out of stock in the market. A call to the Nestle Consumer Hotline confirmed that Nestle has been re-packaging its NAN products and so explains the shortage that we are experiencing in the market. And so that started our quest for a replacement milk for our baby. Our pedia first recommended changing to PediaSure Plus (also to increase our baby's appetite). PediaSure Plus came in 2 flavors: vanilla & chocolate. We tried vanilla. It smelled so good...but our baby rejected it. :( We thought that maybe she didn't want milk with flavor. So we texted our ever-reliable pedia for another alternative. She replied, "try Enfagrow A+". But a trip to the local supermarket revealed that Enfagrow A+ also came in flavors. We saw Lactum 1+ with no flavor & asked our pedia if that was ok. She said, "alright, let's try that one". Then again, our baby didn't what to drink the Lactum milk we gave her. And so our quest continued.

Then we found Nestogen3, also from Nestle. This, we tried, and finally our baby accepted it. But we compared the nutrients labeled in both NAN3 and Nestogen3, and we found out that NAN3 has more nutrients in it. So although Nestogen is a cheaper alternative, as parents, we wanted our baby to get as much nutrients as possible in the early stages of her growth & development. Good thing NAN3 is now back in the market with its new packaging. Our baby is now happily sucking away! :)

Note: I am not in any way associated with Nestle or any other milk product. My baby has been accustomed to NAN3, and we're happy with this product. But I'm certain that there are other milk products that are also good for your baby. Do consult your pediatrician before trying any formula milk. And as doctors always say, "Breastfeeding is truly the best for babies".

Read more about the benefits of breastfeeding from this link: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/bf/benefits.shtml

Welcome!


As I watch my baby playing in her playpen, I thought of starting this blog to share my personal "mommy" experiences as well as "baby" information that may be helpful to first-time parents like me.

Having a baby has changed me. I believe I've become more responsible, more caring, more loving. Sure, there are days when I wish I had more "ME" time. But nothing beats my baby's smile, embrace, or kiss, to take away all my tiredness and lack of sleep. There's a certain magic in her eyes, her smile, her touch, her kiss.

I hope you'll join me in my "mommy" journey. Feel free to leave a comment and share your own "mommy" or "daddy" experiences, too, so that I may also learn from you. Let's all enjoy this carousel ride as parents!