M'sia single mother working in Korea had to monitor son, 3, from CCTV on weekends due to lack of childcare options

A single mother from Malaysia who brought her young son with her to South Korea had to leave him home alone on weekends while she worked.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the mother, Lai Yi, could only check on her then three-year-old son remotely via a surveillance camera installed at home.

She had no choice, as there was only one nanny in the area whose services were only available from Monday to Friday.

Better future

Lai Yi, whose son is now six years old, brought her child to South Korea as she hoped to give him a better future.

Guang Ming Daily reported that because not all companies allow employees to bring their children to work, Lai Yi made the difficult decision to leave her son at home since she had no one else to rely on.

"Given a choice, no one would want to leave a three-year-old child alone at home from morning until evening," Lai Yi said.

She added that though she could endure the hardest life, what truly pained her was the thought of leaving her son home alone without adults around.

Independent

Recalling those days three years ago, Lai Yi said her son almost never cried as he learned to be independent early on, despite his young age, Sin Chew Daily reported.

She added that it was her son's strength and understanding that helped her get back on her feet from the brink of collapse each time and continue to face the burdens of life.

Video call

To put her child at ease, Lai Yi would prepare food for him before leaving for work each day.

She would also have lunch with him over video call to make up for the regret of not being with him physically.

As her living conditions gradually improved, Lai Yi said her biggest wish is to make up for the time she previously lost.

"These days, I'd rather stay home with him on weekends," she said.

Top photos via Sin Chew Daily from Facebook