AboutPeter Ochs Expertise I am a seasoned traveler and resident in the Middle East. I can answer most questions about the Eastern gulf: cultural, historical geographical, as well as travel logistics. I specialize in tours to Oman but can also handle other countries in the GCC ( UAE, Qatar, etc.) I don`t do Yemen, at least not yet.
Experience
Past/Present clients World Wildlife Fund
Shell Petroleum
Halliburton
Ericcson
US Embassy, Muscat
Oman Sheraton
Lufthansa
Swiss Air
Edu-tainment Travel Services
Expert: Peter Ochs Date: 12/19/2004 Subject: children and their nannies in Oman
Question Dear Peter
I am from Finnland and write an M.A. dissertation about the influence of foreign nannies on children. My special focus are the Arab Gulf States, as I know that they employ many housemaids.
What I have found out so far is that abuse of housemaids is a major problem, no matter about which country you talk. Second, I know that many people fear that their housemaid could have a bad effect on their children's language and culture.
However, up to now I could not find out so much about the influence of foreign housemaids in the Arab Gulf states on the behaviour or character development of the children, which is my main topic.
I have collected some info, but do not know whether it's true, as my source of information are only six young women (not more women or men) who had housemaids in their childhood .... so i'm not sure whether I can say whether what those girls have told me applies only to them or to many more children in the Arab countries raised by foreign nannies.
Here is a summary of my findings:
- the housemaid's presence an Arab family increases the following behaviour:
friendliness, kindness, openness, extroverted behaviour and self-confidence, but also spoiled behaviour and materialistic attitudes
The girls I ask also said that their housemaids have been quite strict and insisted on absolute obedience, as they were children.
- so argumentativeness and independent thinking might be decreased by the housemaid's presence?
Or do the housemaids only "reflect" the parent's behaviour?
Are my findings close to the general truth or very far away?
I would appreciate it a lot if you could help me ... even if you are not sure, if you would let me know your impression or your feeling on what I've found out, I would be so happy!
Thank you!
Solveigh
Answer Dear Solveigh:
I would say that your general conclusions are right regarding abuse: overworked and underpaid, sexual harrassment, etc. But I also know of successful situations where nannies stay with one employer, so I could not give you a relative breakdown. (I assume you are talking about local populations and not the westerners who come to the region for extended contracts.)
Perhaps you would need to go through some of the headhunters that recruit nannies in the region to get a sampling of results.
