The Help

I'm sick today so I am on full lazy mode. I have been spending every moment possible in a horizontal position behind my Kindle.

I've just started reading The Help. Finally right! It was so highly recommended on my maid's bathroom post that I had to check it out.

Ironically, it's Thursdays. Thursday is one of the days that my maid comes in. So there I am reading about all the social injustice in the 60s while my maid cleans my place.

And it just rubbed me the wrong way. I have always felt awkward about that. I mean, I am here and should be cleaning my own damn house. At the same time, she does need the work and I really do appreciate the help.

The thing is, there is a stain from slavery still left in day to day life in Brazil. Just look at how the middle class is reacting to the rising cost of full time nannies. It's as if they entitled, like the maids are supposed to be cheap and come and raise their family. It's how it's always been and how it should always be.

Then there's the name for the bosses. Just like Miss so-and-so in the book, here they call us Dona so-and-so.  I have always found that odd. Why should my maid use a special label of respect when saying my name? She is here working and getting paid. I don't see Mr. Rant referring to anyone at his job as Dona anything. I sure as hell don't call my female students Dona Leticia or Dona Susi.

Sadly, the more I read the book the more similarities I see. The issue with selling my apartment without a maid's bathroom for example. Like they said in The Help "Colored Diseases." It makes me sick to my stomach to even imagine that people still think that way. I'm really going to have a hard time keeping my mouth shut if anyone comments on it now.

And I just don't know what to do with this. I feel like the naive character, all full of good will and no common sense or reality behind it. I just don't get how people can treat other people as if they are less than everyone else.

On a side note, I 100% recommend The Help! I'm only 30% through it (or already seeing I started reading it last night) but I can already tell you that it's an amazing read!

Brazilian Nannies Realize Their Power

Nannies are a fact of life in Brazil and they are starting to realize the power in that. That's why it didn't surprise me too much to see an article about it in the New York Times.

While the article was based in São Paulo, I'll tell you that nanny prices are going up here in Rio de Janeiro. Things have changed quite a bit in the 4.5 yrs it's been since I had my oldest. I have seen friends fire their nannies (who were actually more my friends than the Mothers seeing that they were the ones who I met up with at the park) over money and time off.

Every once in a while you'll see the Mothers stomping into the playground with a new baba (nanny) in tow. You can just see the joy written all over their face.

One woman openly complained about her recently fired nanny's request for a R$400 a month raise and weekends off. The nerve of her! Seriously, she actually said that, the nerve of her. Let's look at the facts for a minute:

1. The daughter was 2 at that point and the nanny had raised her from birth. She stayed in the hospital with the Mother post delivery!
2. For 2 years the nanny stayed at the home 24hrs a day except for Sundays. She was allowed to leave at 10am on Sunday morning and had to be back Monday at 8am, and they were not pleased about giving her that.
3. She was making R$800 a month for all this.

Personally, I was rooting for the nanny and I told this friend that. At that moment the going rate had gone up to R$1200 for nannies and full time maids up to R$800. It's not cheap to have full time help and it shouldn't be.  Maids and nannies are taking care of your home. Hell, nannies are raising your children! I do believe this goes under one of the things you don't skimp on in life.

If it pisses you off that much, maybe you should raise your own children. Working parents can put them into school full time and be there in the evening to pick them up. Be the one to give them their dinner, bath, and put them to bed. And no, you won't be able to go out and see that movie because you don't have a live-in babysitter. Suck it up! It's called being a parent.

By the way, the nanny I mentioned found a new job right away with the pay and time off she deserved. The Mother put her daughter into full time school and expected the maid to do the rest.

On a side note, you should read the article. It's hilarious to read about women complaining that middle class families can not afford nannies. One woman even referred to the nannies as mafia, as she picked her child up from a private school. I'm amazed by the feeling of entitlement people have here when it comes to cheap labor. Do they really not realize that they are attempting to hold another person down?