Full Time / Part Time Babysitter / Nanny in Mumbai

If you are considering to hire a babysitter in Mumbai, but not sure if you should hire, read on.
A little baby coming into the family is the most wonderful experience for anyone. However, it can also become exhausting and you may feel overwhelmed. First time parents have so much to learn and adjust to. Even in the case of older children, if both the parents are working, they need a helping hand. In such a situation, a good nanny is like a blessing. However, there are a few reasons why some families prefer not to hire a nanny. Let’s analyse the pros and cons:
Pros:

Baby massage: Massaging Infants is a skilled job. If you have a new born baby, you may need to hire a nanny experienced in baby massage. Alternatively, you can hire a maid for baby care who does not do full time babysitting but only does baby massage job. Either way, you will need help with this aspect of baby care.

Post natal care (Jaapa) : Post natal care is very important for the baby as well as the mother. Some families hire Jaapa maids who specialise in post-natal care.

Career: If both the parents want to focus on their careers, a reliable person for babysitting at home is very important. When you are resuming work after your maternity leave, a nanny for baby who is trained and having a good chemistry with the baby will give you the required assurance. Even for older kids, you will need someone who can serve them food, take them for play etc while you are away at work.

Quality time: Time spent on parenting can be broadly divided in two parts: Mundane tasks such as bathing, feeding etc. and quality tasks such as story-telling, playing with them. Both types of tasks are important and are fun. But, if you are short of time, quality task should be given priority and mundane tasks can be handled by the nanny for baby. Even in case of mothers who are house- makers, sometimes mundane tasks become so time consuming and exhaustive, that it leads to frustration and ultimately you can’t fully enjoy the quality time tasks. Having a baby care taker allows you to make a conscious choice.

Cons:
Safety: Safety of child is a concern for parents when they are leaving the child alone with the babysitter. In such cases, CCTV can help.

Language and etiquettes: It is possible that the maid for babycare comes from a background that is different from that of the employer family. The language and behaviour may be different. Children pick up the language of their caretaker. In some cases, it may be a concern for the parents.

Emotional attachment with babysitter: One of the concerns of the mothers is that their child gets more attached with the baby care taker as compared to them. While it means that the babysitter is taking good care of your child and has a strong emotional connect, it can have emotional issues for the mother. In such cases, mothers want to retain the babysitter only till the time it is really required. After that, they take the responsibility on to themselves. However, one of the parenting advice in such cases is that the child is very much aware who is their mother and who is a caretaker. Children mould themselves very quickly. As they start getting more and more time from their mother, they will forget the nanny. So, mothers need not worry about this issue.

Cost: Depending on the duty hours for nanny service, you may have to shell out anywhere between Rs 8000 to Rs 20,000 per month as her babysitting charges in Mumbai. A full time (live-in) nanny can charge upto Rs 17,000-Rs 20,000 month. Jaapa maid service can cost upto Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 per month.

The above guidelines are broadly relevant whether you are looking to hire through an agency for babysitters or through an online portal like JobNukkad.