I hired a nanny because I work teaching and looking after child X. It's very strange to be looking after another persons child while you are not with your own. You almost feel jealous and sad about it. Money is money and I am anyone's bitch for a dollar and hot meal. I look after child X, we walk around the playground of the private community, we play in the sand and I talk to child X. Mother wants child X to learn English. That's why I was hired. Child X is not yet two but never mind, since when was age any barrier to language?
I have never found it natural talking to very small kids whatever their gender or nationality. I feel an idiot. Today, I spoke to child X as I pushed him along a river pathway under a cloudy sky. I said to child X, 'one day when you are driving your Ferrari around Moscow in about twenty two years time will you remember your time spent with me?', no reply from the occupant in the pram in front of me, child X remained stubbornly silent chewing on an apple. I sing nursery rhymes to child X, I can only ever remember the first two or three lines of many classic English nursery rhymes so then just make the rest up. Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out, out came the sunshine and in came the rain, incy wincy spider went back to bed again. The rest of this and other nursery rhymes are forgotten in the mists of a childhood memory.
My situation is strange, I am a man and an expat spouse and looking after my own kid but find myself now looking after other peoples kids in Moscow Russia. Life sure ain't boring and at times certainly seems very surreal and unreal to me. I can think of worse jobs. I could never imagine sitting behind a desk all day, playing office bullshit games in the mad, false corporate world that drives our world. No thank you. Give me a sandpit any, playground, paint pot or football any day.
Russian nannies are all around me as I play with child X. Today, I took child X's jumper off and another nanny put it straight back on again as if it was the arctic although its warm now and summer time. I went back to child X's house today and child X had a wet nappy. The nanny looked at me when I handed X over to her as if he was covered in horse shit. The nappy had been changed by me, just fifteen minutes before I went back to the house. These Russian nannies are good and very caring but I think they spoil and pamper the kids far too much. Hose these kids down with cold water and send them to bed with bread and cheese, it worked for me so why can't it work for the kids of today?
I spoke to two brothers at the private playground the other day. They spoke good English, they go down to the play area everyday on small electric scooters. You can see about six of these scooters lined up outside the front door of their big bling house. They told me they are are two of six children and that dad has a farm in Bulgaria with lamas, sheep, cows and horses. I asked them if he was a farmer? They answered smiling at me as if what I had just asked was a joke and told me its one of his 'other' houses. Again, where and how do these rich Russians make their money? Apparently, their father speaks Italian, German and French. I have met many Russian kids who come from cash loaded families and yet many are not at all spoiled or rude. Many have excellent manners, are very polite and speak very good English. Their parents provide the best for them and guide them to be good intelligent kids. I have been pleasantly surprised when I had expected to meet only spoiled brats.
Although I am the only rooster among these hens, I sure ain't the boss. Don't mess with Russian nannies , she knows best and is the truly the boss of the hen house.
Note: Before I get hate replies my suggestion of hosing kids down with cold water and feeding them bread and cheese! It was a joke but really used to make a point about over protecting and over dressing kids in the summertime or anytime.
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I so agree! There may be correclations with culture here. From wht I have seen, kids are mollycoddled, especially boys. My mum in law is lovely but does her lads no favours, cooking for them and running around after them. A lot of blokes in our village are thirty and over and still living with mum who cooks and fusses over them every day. It seems a bit wrong to me! But I left home at seventeen. Women are quite different too. Everyone seemed awestruck that I siad I would paint my new house. Come on ladies, it's not rocket science. I've been painting and decorating and looking after myself for a long time.
ReplyDeleteYou see kids with wooly hats on here in summer. Kids who are old enough to chew with all their food chopped into tiny pieces. But smacking kids is still very common here. Is it the case there?
Your new job sounds interesting anyway and quite good fun really.
Hi Romi we all love our kids but here I have seen kids aged 2 or 3 dressed in coats and woolen hats in the summer. Perhaps its a cultural thing?
ReplyDeleteWhen I see children in coats and hats in temperatures over 18 degrees I sing a song "looking for snow, looking for snow." It s my way of making light of what i see. My daughter was running around the park in May in a light coat, other children were in full ski gear with boots and gloves. I often get babushkas berating me for not having hats on my children in the sunshine. I initially found it offensive, now I find it funny. Russians find it difficult to evaluate temperature, weather. I have an ongoing battle with my Russian girlfriend about the clothes on our children. Gloves at plus 18 is simply ridiculous, I am in shorts. I refuse to go out with them dressed this way, or to avoid an argument take it all off outside and throw it in the back of a pushchair. When I lived in the Uk my clothes were universal, winter and summer. Now I live in Russia it is the same apart from different coats and a pair of Timberland boots. How can mentality be so different?
ReplyDeleteShaun I agree with you, I found it offensive at first then found it funny.... now find it annoying since I am surrounded by nannies for my 3 hours of childcare. I took child X's jumper off yesterday and another nanny put it back on. Today I was told to take off child X's coat by the same nanny!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh when is it too hot and when is it too cold? my inbuilt heat judgement has been blow to bits by these fussy nannies!!
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