SINGAPORE: An employer shared that she immediately repatriated her Myanmar helper after a frightening incident in which the helper allegedly left her three-year-old daughter alone at a playground.
In an anonymous post on the SINGAPORE TRANSFER (No Fees/SD), DIRECT HIRE & NEW HELPER Facebook group on Sunday (Jun 28), the employer explained she had spent the past year putting up with her 24-year-old Myanmar helper despite her lack of basic skills.
She claimed the helper could not cook, meaning her duties were mostly limited to housekeeping and taking the employer’s three-year-old daughter to and from full-day school.
The employer said she prepared the family’s meals herself almost every morning before heading off to work, and let the helper stay for a year.
However, her mind changed after what happened to her daughter.
She explained, “One day after school, my daughter wanted to play at the playground and told the helper that she was hungry. Instead of taking my daughter with her, the helper left her alone at the playground and went up to our unit on the 4th floor to get food.
When the helper returned to the playground, her daughter was gone.
The employer later received a call from the police informing her that her daughter had been found safe.
She claimed a passerby had discovered the child wandering around an area about four blocks away from their home and alerted the authorities.
She also alleged that the police told her the helper appeared calm when she arrived to collect the child, smiling and simply trying to take her home. However, officers reportedly refused to release the girl to the helper.
The employer added that when her daughter was found, the child’s “tiny feet were full of blisters” after apparently wandering around barefoot.
“How could this happen to my only daughter that I pamper so much with love?” she lamented
Calling it one of the most terrifying moments she has ever experienced as a parent, the employer said there was no coming back from what had happened.
“A young child should never be left unattended, even for a few minutes. My daughter’s safety was put at serious risk, and after this incident, I made the difficult decision to send the helper back.”
‘I don’t fully blame the helper’
In the comments, many people agreed with the employer’s decision to send the helper back to her home country.
One user said they would not have hesitated to repatriate the helper either, arguing that her actions were simply “not acceptable.”
Another felt the employer had made the right call, pointing out that no caregiver should ever leave a young child unattended, especially one as young as three.
They added, “Gosh, who, in their right mind, would leave a child they are caring for on the playground alone, especially only 3 years old. This is serious negligence. If something worse happened to the child, would a ‘sorry’ bring the child’s life back?”
A third commenter, who said they were a domestic helper themselves, also supported the employer’s decision.
“This is reasonable. Even I, as a helper, can’t accept this kind of mindset. I can’t imagine if this happened to my own children.”
Others, however, felt the punishment was too harsh.
One user believed the helper may not have intentionally put the child at risk. “From the story, it seems the helper didn’t do it with the intention to cause harm and was unaware of what she did wrong.”
“A bit harsh to pin the blame on her solely. Was the helper explicitly told to never leave the child’s side? Was the helper explicitly told what the expectations were?”
Another shared a similar view, saying, “I don’t fully blame the helper. As a parent, you are always accountable if anything happens. Did you tell her she can’t bring your daughter out alone?”/TISG
Follow Google News
Join us on WhatsApp
Follow us on Telegram