[CutiePie2000]

My questions:
1. Did you have Nanny/Nannies, Au Pair etc..? (For how long)

Looking back, my sisters and I refer to them as "housekeepers".
Yes, most came just for 1 year from Germany, Switzerland and France. We had 1 Australian girl. The last one (from Berlin, Germany) came and lived with us for 10 years. She only moved out when she married someone, but she still lives in Canada today and is in touch with our family. So I had 'nannies' from birth until age 15.

2. If so, how do you think you were affected by this in terms of your childhood development relationships to others outside your family.

I think I'm more willing to let someone drift out of my life. My attitude is "I had a life before this person, I will have a life after them also".

3. Why do you think your parent/s got the nanny/au pair etc..

Both of my parents worked and needed someone to run the house, cook, do the housework, etc. They also wanted someone to be able to supervise us after school until they got home from work.
All of my sisters and I were active in sports after school. To go to school, then sports, then come home to someone with a hot meal wanting to talk about your day was really quite nice. It also kept my sisters and I from fighting with each other (for the most part).

4. Do you think it was beneficial for you?

I think growing up with adult supervision and hot meals to come to was positive.

5 What race was your hired help and how do you think your relations with people of said race were based on your relationship with your nanny, au pair., etc..
They were all Caucasian girls from Europe. Back then, lots of girls from Germany and Switzerland had this fantasy of "coming to KANADA" and living there for a year.

6. If you have kids, would you get them a nanny, governess etc..? of your race or another?

I guess I would be most comfortable with someone with a similar ethnic background to my own. I might consider someone who is Latina, because it would be beneficial for the children to learn Spanish from her. Besides the obvious (like no criminal record, no abuse of the children, able to speak English, etc.) two important things are that the nanny DRIVE and the nanny be able to swim. You would not believe how rare this is to find. (My 3 sisters all have nannies and this was a real hassle for them).

7. What are your general thoughts and feelings about these type of arrangements?

I think nannies are fine, however, I think in some cases, the nanny spends more time with the children than the parents do. Also, if the nanny is not a strict disciplinarian but is a doormat, you wind up with hellfire children who misbehave and cannot be controlled.

8. Do you think our society still needs this? Why or why not...
It's not a matter of need, it's a matter of necessity. Inflation is rising faster than wages, so both parents have to work. Yeah, I guess you could argue that only parent has to work if you are willing to compromise your lifestyle, but I think most people want the best that they can possibly afford and if it takes 2 incomes, so be it. Would anyone actually CHOOSE to live in some crime-ridden neighborhood if they could afford to live elsewhere that was safer yet more expensive?


9. DO you think it's elitist?
Well, either you stay home and not earn an income and raise your kids, or you work, pay someone to look after your kids and hope that there is enough left over at the end to give you a decent lifestyle. I guess it's kind of elitist. I also think that some consideration needs to be given to how many children one can afford to have. Most people cannot AFFORD to have more than 1 to 3 children, tops.

Also, a lot of daycare centres are suspect, dirty, yucky and generally questionable as to whether they should be licenced at all. A nanny means that your child's level of attention from the nanny is split between them and their siblings, not 15 other kids. Also, I know of some $$$$$ people who have ONE NANNY PER CHILD (gee, it must be nice).