'I didn't like what you did… but I love you': OFW Nanny in UAE earns praise for emotional intelligence, calm way of disciplining a child

Filipino Times

5 days ago

A touching moment between a Filipina nanny and a young child has gone viral online, drawing praise from netizens and sparking conversations about the role of OFWs in raising children abroad.
Rex Bacarra, a Filipino educator based in the UAE, took to Facebook to share the story after witnessing the scene while reviewing his students' papers at a coffee shop in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
According to Bacarra, a Filipina nanny was sitting beside him with a foreign child, around six years old, when the child interrupted her while she was speaking to a staff member.
'I didn't like what you did while I was talking to the staff, but I love you,' the nanny told the child, a line that showed how she was able to discipline the child with care and affection at the same time.
The child, who had been taught to say ' po ' — a Filipino word used to show respect — replied, 'Sorry po,' then asked, 'But… you still love me?'
With grace and patience, the nanny continued to calmly explain why interrupting was not polite. Rather than scolding the child, she guided him to understand the mistake and learn from it.
'She corrected like a parent, not a subordinate. She treated the child with full dignity, not by scolding, but by guiding. She helped him walk back through the moment, retrace the mistake, and see it for himself. No raised voice. No shame. Just clarity,' Bacarra wrote.
'That is pedagogy. That is emotional intelligence. That is the art of separating the child from the behavior, something many still fail to do,' he added.
The post has since gone viral, gaining more than 14,000 reactions, nearly 5,000 shares, and hundreds of comments from netizens, many of whom said they saw themselves, their mothers, or fellow OFWs in the story.
Earning praise from netizens
In the comments section, netizens praised the nanny's calm and professional way of handling the situation, calling her a 'Pinoy gem,' 'the pride of the nation,' and 'a quiet educator of humanity.'
'Maybe we should also raise how we view service providers like her? She's not just a nanny, she's a nanny. A professional. Maybe even accredited. A job that can be held with dignity and, yes, pride,' one commenter wrote.
Meanwhile, others reflected on the painful irony that many of the most nurturing, well-trained Filipino caregivers are raising children in foreign countries, while families in the Philippines struggle to find that same level of care at home.
'The sad part is that a lot of them, the good and educated nannies, are all over abroad. But while in the Philippines, our fellow kabayans are struggling to find with this kind of nanny guidance and sympathy to educate, nurture, and guide our Filipino kids,' a netizen commented.
Despite this, the moment reminded many readers of the core values often found in Filipino households — compassion, respect, and teaching through love.
'Filipinos raising the world,' one commenter proudly declared.
'She is one who educates humanity. A Filipina like her is the pride of our nation,' another social media user said.
'One day soon, we will see movers and shakers (and most likely world leaders) who were brought up by a Pinoy nanny,' said another.
Indeed, stories like this remind us that greatness doesn't always come with a title or a uniform. Sometimes, it's found in a gentle voice, a well-timed lesson, and the love of someone raising not just a child — but a future.