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All maids are on trial now, I know. They all seemingly stand accused. Thanks to the Ugandan nanny who, out of what I�m still trying to lay a finger on, mercilessly flogged and trampled on a helpless 18-month old baby. Only God knows how long this unfortunate toddler has been bottling up such torture. The said video went viral. Others watched it with intermittent outburst of emotions while others couldn�t watch to the end. A lot more others expressed in anger how they would have retaliated if they were in the stead of the baby�s father. Hmm� You cringed when watching the video. I did, too. But� has it ever crossed your mind the gravity of pain your ward(s) might be going through in your absence; especially a long one? Have you ever wondered how your children, too, (regardless of age) manage to survive each second of their lives when you leave them in the care of someone else? If you haven�t, then� you better do! Many parents today physically see their children only during the early mornings and late evenings. They are too busy chasing heaven on earth when the fate of their children is left at the mercy of strangers, preferably nannies. If you are too busy to care for your children yourself, then you might as well not give birth to them! Casual knowledge of your children is dangerous knowledge. Nannies are/ were the privilege of the rich few, undoubtedly. For some of us, the only nannies we met (or saw) were the ones on television. Our parents� income wasn�t enough to afford an extra mouth to feed (a nanny), thus, they doubled as nannies; knowing us inside out. They contrived to juggle between housekeeping and corporate lives; both of which they did creditably. Thanks to their dedication, love and sacrifice. At least, it spared us from the wrath of some disgruntled nanny. Fast forward to today. Woefully, all some parents know about their ward(s) is their names and a few times the schools they attend. That aside, they are as ignorant as anyone else on the street as to how such children live their lives each day. Pertaining to the personality of the children, such parents have little or no idea! A lot more parents have successfully (yes successfully!) bred criminals as children with their least knowledge. Everything begins at home... in their absence! If you don�t know your children (to the extent of knowing the values of their close pals), you are only another nanny of theirs, not a mummy or daddy. Giving birth to children is a privilege; moulding them to fit into our society is a responsibility! It�s the responsibility of both parents, not that of a nanny! What does it profit parents if they gain all the wealth there is, yet lose their children to loose values!? In this world today where good values each second strive to gain attention in the face of bad ones, parents can�t afford to shirk their responsibilities; not even the least. Social media wants as much attention as parents (or probably nannies) do. Corrupt morals are subliminally advertised (and somehow get more attention) even more than good ones are. Good values, today, can barely be distinguished from bad ones. If the parent doesn�t care much enough to painstakingly walk their children down the path of good ethics, they shouldn�t blame the devil when such wards live strange lives they have learnt from where only God knows. *The writer is the C.E.O of Scribe Communications, Accra. (www.scribecommltd.com)