Mother’s Day month is coming to an end and so today we wind up lessons from the cradle…

Babies need shots. I hadn’t understood just how much resource parents spend helping their kids build up their immunity. 3 weeks after his birth, we made a routine visit to the doctor. The baby was gaining weight; he could see; his reflexes were good; his blood sugar had normalised. So, the doctor had the talk about his vaccines, coming up in a few weeks. He offered us the baby-friendly option. We listened carefully, asked the right questions and then left, with the possibility of returning. Shortly after that we phoned his paediatrician to ask about the difference between baby-friendly and KEPI vaccines which we’d also heard about. He recommended the KEPI vaccines. 3 weeks later, we were at the government health centre in my hood, for the government approved KEPI vaccines.

We walked in at 9 am. The baby’s weight was taken; the attending nurses loudly asked my age and where I live; proceeded to give me a reading about why I had a complex baby book (this is where all details about the baby’s weight, length, date of vaccines, etc. are recorded); and then directed me to Room 1. In Room 1, there were 6 nurses (some were in training). I was told to sit and asked again when my baby was born. Then I was told to hold him up so that he could get both the oral and needle vaccine. He didn’t even let out a cry with the jab. I was warned not to give him any paracetamol should he react to the vaccine. (I must admit I proceeded to give Calpol later that day and until his fever broke). Then I was given a date to return. This date was recorded in the complex baby book. We left. It was 10 am. I had never in my life been to hospital and spent such little time. And I’ve never been to hospital and spent nothing.

So as you can probably guess, 4 weeks later and 4 weeks after that we were back to the government health centre, with zero cost and quick queues. We never did go back for the baby-friendly jabs. The KEPI

What I learnt.

1. There are always a myriad of solutions available to us. Every person and business will choose the solution that suits them, one that meets their need at a cost that they judge to be value for their money. A business could hire a full-time accountant, buying full-time coverage of the accounting role and offering regular compensation and benefits or outsource accounting services for a monthly fee. Professional services can be obtained from a large, established corporation or a nimble growing firm.
2. The solutions we choose will sometimes be simply because of how and when they are presented to us. As an individual or business, how you pitch could determine whether or not you get the job or client.
3. If the need is urgent, cost may not always be the biggest consideration. We may be willing to pay a premium to avert a bigger cost down the line, for example, the cost of compliance to regulatory rules may be worthwhile in avoiding a penalty for non-compliance.
4. We also tend to favour solutions recommended by people we trust. If a friend or business coach or mentor endorses a product or service provider, we are likely to pick the solution they endorse. If someone whose opinion we value points us in one direction, we’re likely to go in that direction. Having people we can bounce ideas off of is valuable for business and careers.

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