| Nhuchche |
Posted
on 19-Feb-02 08:33 AM
What follows is from the Kathmandu Post. Almost a decade ago these childcare centers were unheard of in Kathmandu. It is an interesting development for professional couples living in Ktm....
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Baby care centres are slowly becoming part of the lifestyle of busy working couples as life in the city becomes modernised and families get reduced to nuclear size
By Sudha Shrestha
Busy mums and dads in the capital city have an extra duty to carry out every day. The clock strikes 7 in the morning. It is breakfast time for the babies.After that it’s off to the baby care centre around 8.Then spend the day in the office. The clock strikes 4 and 4:30. My god ! it’s time to go to the baby care centre and pick baby up and bring it home.
The next day, the same routine.
Baby care centres are slowly becoming part of the lifestyle of busy working couples as life in the city becomes modernized and families get reduced to nuclear size. For a majority of working parents, the big question is which is more important- baby or job. They are not in a position to say ‘no’ to both. If job is more important for meeting the high cost of living in the city. Babies are no less important for family happiness.
A growing number of worried parents are taking refuge with the baby care centres scattered in different parts of the city.
Chitra Sylvester, a science teacher at St. Xaiver’s School faced this dilemma before she found a baby care centre near her residence for her 2- year -old daughter.
Her husband is also a teacher at St. Xavier’s College.
"I feel relaxed now. Previously, I was in a dilemma whether I should give up my job or forego children.
After I found the baby care centre my worry was over. Now I am a professional teacher during the day and a mother in the mornings and evenings,"says Mrs. Sylvester, who now has two daughters.
Moreover, with the peer group atmosphere at these centres,babies tend to learn faster and show more interest than the stay at homes.
The toddlers spend the day amidst a pile of toys and creative drawings. In the process, young but creative minds learn new things.
What babies do at the centre ? Between 10-11:30 AM, they take food and play for some time. They take a nap together and wake up at 2 for lunch. After that they play for some time, and then they wait for their parents to come, according to to Arati Maharjan Rai,a teacher at the baby care centre at Pulchowk.
The Sylvester couple has found much change in their daughter.
"She now knows how to eat nicely. Previously she was careless about it. She has grown so much attached to the centre that she wants to go there even on Saturdays in order to have breakfast with her small friends," Mrs. Sylvester says happily.
Jaya and Mandap Amatya, another working couple, had already thought of such a centre before they had their baby.
"I used to pass by the baby care centre at Pulchowk. I always thought, it would be good for my baby one day. Today,my dream has come true. It is a home away from home for my baby," says Jaya, who is now mother of a 12 month old daughter.
At 8:30 after breakfast both she and her child get ready to set out, the mother for her office and the daughter for the baby centre. Her husband, who works at the project office of the Japanese Buddhist Federation downstairs,also helps out.
Coming to the centre has become an every day routine for husband and wife.
"Now, I feel at home with the centre. My baby is also doing well and showing signs of improvement in the learning process. Although just 12-months old, my daughter wants to come to the centre even on Saturdays to play with his friends," says Jaya Amatya.
Realising the importance of baby care centres for the growing number of working couples,a young group at the Swastik Women’s Saving and Credit Cooperative Bank opened last year a baby centre at Pulchowk.
The cooperative has been working for 10 years for the upliftment of low-income women through savings and income generation activities and loan disbursements.
"We opened the baby care centre after we realised problems of the working couples. One of the major problems we recognised was that a majority of educated women tend to lose economic opportunities because of the elders and small children at home. So we opened this centre to take care of the children," says Rohini Joshi, chairman of the bank and co-founder of the centre.
The centre charges Rs. 1,300 for both food stuffs and service charges including medical check-ups.There are currently 12-13 babies, their ages ranging from three month to 5 years.
Established at the cost of Rs. 90,000/- , the centre is being run by 4 well-trained teachers and one baby sitter, with the support of 13 promoters of the group.
Child psychology and creativity through fun are very important in handling pre-nursary level babies.
"All we do here is give small babies an atmosphere to play and learn. You see,we have found them more intelligent than adults and learning many new things themselves in each other’s company," says Rohini Joshi who is planning to open a kindergarten and an old age home in the near future.
Amidst the pile of toys and creative drawings , the kids spend days. In the process, small but creative minds learn new things.
Opening baby care centres has also provided work for job-seekers like Bijayswori Shrestha, a former teacher, who has been running a centre at Soharkhute.
"I was a teacher before and got fed up with the job.But I didn’t find the job I wanted. So I opened the centre which gives me both pleasure and job satisfaction," says Bijayswori .
Her centre takes care of small children from low-income families and charges a nominal Rs. 550.
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