Nǎinai 奶奶

We are blessed to have good friends here at Peizheng whom we can call on to help us when we need it.  Before accepting the opportunity to foster Laila, it was important to make sure all the logistics were manageable.  One important necessity was child care while I am teaching classes.  Though Steven is very capable and often watches Laila, it is not his duty or resposibility to watch her on a daily basis.  Our good friends Xie Li and Elizabeth were kind enough to make inquiry with some other Chinese teachers and we met a great lady who has been a good fit!

Nǎinai only speaks Chinese, so our communication consists mostly of hand gestures and summoning my friend and neighbors Xie Li and Elizabeth for any important information to be conveyed.  Nǎinai (grandmother) lives at Peizheng with her son who is a teacher here.  She originally came to take care of her granddaughter, but job circumstances required daughter-in-law and granddaughter to move to another city.  One concern in looking for a Chinese nanny is that most will expect to live in your house, or at least spend most of each day in your home cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children.  I was not looking for this, however, just wanting a sitter for the few hours each day that I am in class.  Thankfully, Nǎinai was hoping this wouldn't be my request either, as she wants to be home each day for meals to cook for her own son.  Perfect. 

Nǎinai has been with us just a month now, as we head in to summer break.  She has been a wonderful blessing and she is so great with Laila.  She is very patient and always smiling.  She takes Laila on long walks almost every day.  Laila is quite demanding and sometimes hard to please and Nǎinai caters to her smallest whim.  Laila is still adjusting and often fussy, but it doesn't seem to phase Nǎinai at all to hold her and carry her all morning.  At our first tea meeting to discuss the possibility of this arrangement we showed some pictures of Laila and discussed some of her disabilities, something many Chinese are unwilling to accept. Nǎinai's response to our disclosure was "I'll love her like my own grandchild." And that she has done.