Over the weekend, I took on the responsibility of godparent to a dear friend's son. He was born prematurely over the Holidays. First look at him was through double glass of an oxygenated incubator, his sensitive eyes covered by cotton swabs, his arms and legs frail and unmoving. Everyone worried all around, but I had no doubt he would be fine.
Oh my. I saw him again on Saturday and he has turned into a Hala Ka baby! What exactly is a Hala Ka (Watch Out) baby? Overweight to the point of obesity. I cringe when I see very fat babies and very fat children. The thought that enters my mind is to tell the child "Hala Ka, fat doesn't stay cute for very long". But really, I should be telling the parents. Anyway, back to my godchild... then I saw his Yaya (Nanny): She is a Hala Ka adult! We have here a case of a Feeder Yaya.
By the way...The photograph above is NOT the Feeder Yaya with Hala Ka baby. It is of very healthy happy baby G of wonderful favorite friends Raymond and Agnes.
Feeder Yayas should be stopped at all costs. And then there is Feeder Parent Enabler...
Once, while I was waiting for R at a department store, I sat in front of a four year old girl in the kid's section who was obviously fed way too much. She had a full three pound bag of candy with various sweets and chocolates in front of her. She was completely concentrated on getting to the bottom of the bag by eating through its contents. I interviewed her yaya who very gamely volunteered that the mother gives the child money to buy candy so as to not bother mother while she shops. This seemed a regular thing. The yaya obviously saw nothing wrong with it, so I wanted to have a word with the mother. As mother did not show up in the five minutes I was sitting there. I told the child as gently and as seriously as I could "Hala Ka, you have to stop eating. Remember this day when a stranger told you to stop eating or else, Hala Ka".
As the baptism was winding down, I took Dear Friend aside and told her she had a Feeder Yaya. Apparently, her pediatrician had already told her that the baby was way too far right on the weight curve for his age. And she knew it, and that they were putting a stop to the over feedings. I am hoping the next time I see him, I won't have to tell him Hala Ka.
