CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER GELORMINE
As parents, finding quality childcare is one of those dreaded tasks that need attending to. Whether a parent works outside the home, works from home, or is one of those oxy-moronic “stay-at-home” parents who occasionally needs to leave the house without her (or his) kids, finding the right person to care for our wee ones is of the utmost importance.
Many of us have found success with a facility or school that has been highlighted in our Schools Index. But this isn’t always the right choice for every parent, every child, every family. Some of us are looking for in-home care, and of the experienced Japanese “mama-san” variety.
Sure, lots of us hire these wonderful women to come into our homes to help with the cleaning, but did you know there are also some who are willing to look after our kids, too? One reader, Emeka, is wondering how to find one of the latter:
I’ve been reading Okinawa Hai posts for hours and haven’t found anything related to finding/obtaining a mama-san to look after kids. To add more difficulty to the mix, I live on Kadena and would need to find a mama-san with on-base access. Do you have any resources to assist this search? Okinawayardsales.com only has American babysitters from what I’ve seen. Thanks for your help!
Who can help her out? Have you ever hired a mama-san for the specific purpose of childcare? How did you find her? What are the rates that such a service can fetch? Do you have any words of wisdom for a fellow parent?