Wanted: Yaya

All working parents would agree with me that finding the right Yaya (Babysitter) is one of our top problem. You can't really get the best of both world, and if you're really choosy you might end up having no yaya at all. Like what happened in my case. Now, I'm really empty-handed and I hope I could find the right one soon. My criteria are not that strict: she must be honest, and kind, and hardworking, and neat, and has a good time-management skill, and sense of humor. I don't care if she's not a good cook. My GF can do that!

Parenthood Lessons from Jason Ivler

As a young dad, I got valuable lessons from the recent incident involving Ivler and his mom. There are allegations that Ivler's mom hid him in their house to escape from being caught by police authority. Ivler is the primary suspect for the murder of a top-ranking government official in the Philippines.

There is no question that parents have undying and limitless love for their kids, but "love" is not just about giving them the all best in the world, but giving them your best self. It's not about taking side on them, but letting them understand which side to take. Sometimes the hardest part of being a parent is to realize when is "too much" too much. It is our important role to give our kids the best, but it is also our role to set boundaries.

Top 5 Helpful Tips to Treat Cat and Dog Bite

1. Clean the wound. Immediately clean the wound and its surrounding area with soap and water. You can also use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.


2. Apply pressure. Apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth to stop bleeding and/or remove animals saliva. Put sterile cloth to cover the wounded area.


3. Elevate. For bite in the arms, keep the wounded area above the level of the heart to prevent infection and slow swelling. Do this until proper medical help is available.


4. Seek medical help. Go to your nearest hospital for further help. If necessary the doctor might give you anti-rabies and anti-tetanus shot (if you haven't got one in the past 5 years).


5. Observe your pet. You must observe the cat or dog who bit you for 10-15 days to verify if it develops signs of rabies or it gets sick on such time period. Report immediately the incident to your local veterinarian and to your attending physician.

Pet Owning vs. Parenthood

Parenthood and pet owning are two different worlds, too complex to unite. Some say pet owners are most likely responsible parents, but believe me the road crossing both is a real rocky one. I know that pretty well because I happened to cross the road today.

I love pets. I have dogs, birds, fishes, among others. As a newbie dad to a one-year old, I want my son to like the same things I do (including pets). I was very proud when my son pat our pet dog the first time, it was really a priceless moment for me. I really thought everything went well.

Early morning, my wife asked me to accompany her to Laguna to meet our college friends. We decided to bring our son with us so we could take him to the mall afterwards. Our hostess has a pet cat which my son liked the first time he saw it. He started touching and hugging it, but after a while, I heard him crying very, very hard. We were at panic moment after seeing him with lots of scratches over his right hand and leg.

We rushed immediately to the hospital but four of those we visited in Laguna and Muntinlupa area did not have an available anti-rabies vaccine. Imagine that? I really thought hospitals must have such antidote, after all they are hospitals, right? Ome hospital staff told me that anti-rabies are special vaccine and have certain expiration so most hospitals just purchase them on a need basis. I'm not really sure if this one is true, but I'll verify and will get back to that staff once my source tell otherwise. We finally had the vaccine at Asian Medical Center and Hospital in Alabang. It costs us P14,000.00 but we're glad our son got the immediate medication he needed.

One lesson I got from the experience is to slow down in introducing my kid with pets. I know it is a little traumatic for him right now, and maybe this is not just the right time. Or maybe I should start with a more tame and less wild pets...