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Abu Dhabi: Children in today's society are being handed to the care of housemaids who have assumed a parental role. These inexperienced and hired mothers are filling in the gaps of parents who are busy at work.
A significant five per cent of the UAE population is here on domestic worker visas. That's 268,000 house-maids, and this is costing the UAE Dh11 billion per year. Experts warn the reliance on nannies has become an alarming reflection that is leading to an erosion of the family unit.
The Fun City playground in Abu Dhabi's Marina Mall is a child's paradise. Children play while their parents talk on the phone. Nannies roll down the slide with children so young they must be carried.
"Every single day, parents drop their children here and leave them while they go shopping or meeting friends," says Ahmad Abdul Azim, who works at Fun City.
Common practice
This trend has become a common practice. "My wife and I are too busy to care after every child. I am not proud of that but that's the truth," says Mohammad Al Saeedi, an Emirati who has four children, each with their own maid. "The family bond is fast weakening," says child psychologist Seethi Nair, who teaches psychology at Abu Dhabi University.
Nair says maids can watch after children, but the danger is when they are forced to adopt a parental role for them. A Gulf News in-depth report reveals the long-term impact on this new generation being raised by hired mothers.
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