[DELTABRAT]

Originally posted by NinjaPoodle
I did a search regarding this topic and found nothing.
I'm reading The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus which came out in 2002. I find it pretty funny but sad too seeing as that the fictitious events are based on their experiences as nannies during their college years. I also reflected on my experience with the nanny I had when I was 5-8years old.

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

Yes. Until I I was 15. She lived with us.

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 don't think it negatively affected me at all. I was spoiled to death but I don't think it was because of her. It didn't even dawn on me that she was a nanny until I got older. At the point she no longer had to get us from school, she became more "the housekeeper."

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

My mother and father divorced when I was 3. She was there before then but I didn't become aware of her "presence" until after the divorce. Probably because I was more aware of how she pretty much held sh** together for my mother. My mother was working and my father's cash paid for the nanny.

4. Do you think it was beneficial for you?

Yes. She picked my brother and I up from school. She stayed with my baby brother all day at home. He spoke nothing but Spanish and couldn't speak good english for a long time because of her (until he got into pre-school). Good and bad, I guess. He still can so it's good.

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..

She was Latina. I didn't really think of my relationships with Latina/os with regard to my realtionship with her. It's interesting because I wrote a piece on this in a class I had on cross-cultural theories of gender because my nanny lived with us every day but only went home on SUndays. When my mother picked her up her own children would be kicking and screaming for her to stay but she "couldn't" (I guess). I never really though of the long term effects that could have had on them. She was like OURS in a way and not her own children's mother. It was really "The COlor Purpe-ish" when Sophia couldn't stay with her family because Misses needed her.

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

I have a child who's 12 now. My mother is the granny/nanny and she's free.

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

Depends on the situation. I believe in raising your own children unless you absolutely have to have help. I am not for the "I'm a stay at home mother AND I have a nanny because I just have to shop, get my nails done etc., etc" type of BS.

8. Do you think our society still needs this? Why or why not...

Sure. Why not?

9. Do you think it's elitist?

Not really. When I was in Paris I saw a lot of younger Black nannies with little white children and thought to myself "WTF?" But then again, the culture there is a bit "different." I don't know. I guess it could be elitist. I think it depends on the circumstances. I didn't think I was "better" because I had one. I just thought my mom needed help with her friggin kids. I also noticed that alot of people who responded had AF Am nannies. I think geographically, there's a difference and it could seem elitist. For some, their nannies are a part of the family and not "the hired help." Here, you will rarely see an AF AM nanny. All day, in Westwood, I see Latinas getting off the bus to go up into the hills of wherever to clean so-and-so's home and probably care for her children.

FYI..I posted this in Chit Chat also.