Recently, our nanny went home to visit her people. She was gone for less than 48 hours, but by the time she returned, I had tried to peep at the gate at least 10 times in anticipation of her arrival. When I finally heard her open the door to enter the house, my heart was filled with joy; I almost hugged her in tears and told her about all our tough few hours. She has an enviable nanny-baby relationship with our sweet child; when they’re together, she squeals joyfully and laughs a lot. Sometimes, I walk out of whichever corner of the house that I could be in to peep and see whatever makes the baby laugh uncontrollably. Most times, it’s a face the nanny is making for her or a new position she (the baby) is being held in that encourages the most beautiful sound that ever existed – baby laughter. They have an understanding. She is the only person in the household who can leave the baby alone in her crib to grab something and return without drama. Dare it be one of the parents; she will give you a quick reminder that God, indeed, has done a great job with her lungs! When we introduced solids, feeding the little human was the most demanding job because she blew the food out of her mouth and pushed it away with her small but powerful hands. Only the nanny managed to feed her until she couldn't eat anymore. To this date, we still resort to her favourite meal on Sundays (when her friend is off) as a shortcut to success because who has time to fight with a small human being. It goes without saying that when the nanny walks in after her day off on Sundays, the entire household gets excited, but only one of us visibly shows it. Nyota ‘jumps’ up and down and smiles wide enough to show all her (now) four teeth; as if saying, “thank you for rescuing me from these clueless people.” The rest of us usually act like we had our lives together the entire day. One of my friends told me that she was once left with her baby at home for a full day, which is how she discovered daycare. It was so overwhelming that she chose to get the baby started with school at such a tender age. Don’t even get mothers started on the festive season nanny crisis. If you’re lucky like me, your nanny will choose to spend it with you. If they decide to go home, only God can keep you strong enough and give you perseverance. We ought to appreciate nannies and domestic managers more for all the magic they apply to keep our houses clean and our babies happy. They have so much experience that they do it all with a smile and in a short time, which is sometimes misleading because we think their jobs are so easy. Entertaining the baby and keeping them safe is such hard work. Just the other day, while eating and expressing milk, our baby sneaked off behind the curtains onto the balcony, which is one floor up. The nanny noticed her absence a few seconds later. After a short, panicked period and sweat-drenched clothes, we spotted her crawling back into the house with her little butt in the air, grinning and utterly oblivious to the panic she had caused. Nannies, whose job description includes keeping the baby safe, should be greatly rewarded and treated well. Yes, some nannies do the unspeakable. I have heard horror stories—and some of them are just hilarious. My favourite is the nanny who was caught on camera licking the baby’s powder milk. Another was trying on the boss’s clothes, but the winner was the one who ate the breastfeeding mom’s lactation cookies. But when God sends you a great nanny, see them! Treat them well! A little shopping for basics at the end of the month doesn’t hurt. This allows them to send some money back home, too. Contribute to their medical insurance if needed, and should they be unwell, remember that they’re human beings, too. Facilitate their treatment and give them a few days of leave, just like those you get from your office when your body fails you. Do whatever it takes to thank these awesome humans who keep babies giggling all day long. The writer is Rwanda’s first female saxophonist.
