by Mannahattamamma (UAE) | Oct 12, 2012 | Domesticity, Economy, Family, Human Rights, International, Kids, Living Abroad, Motherhood, Older Children, UAE, World Motherhood, World Voice
A friend came to our apartment the other day and said “Wow, your place is always so clean!”
I looked at her. “Well, I pay someone,” I said. “Duh.”
Until we moved to Abu Dhabi, I’d never had someone clean my house. I didn’t grow up with “help,” although I imagine my mother sometimes felt like the underpaid scullery maid. I went to a friend’s house for a holiday weekend once, in college, and when we got there, her mother said that if I needed something ironed, I should just leave it out “for the girl”. I was confused: the only other woman in the house was a middle-aged African American woman. I wore a wrinkled shirt to the party.
All of which is to say, until I hit forty-seven recently, I was my own domestic help.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to re-hash The Help; instead I’m writing about how strange — and dangerously seductive — it is to live suddenly in a world where “help” – and lots of it – is readily available, even to people like me, who in the scheme of things don’t make that much money. (more…)
After twenty-plus years in Manhattan, Deborah Quinn and her family moved to Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates), where she spends a great deal of time driving her sons back and forth to soccer practice. She writes about travel, politics, feminism, education, and the absurdities of living in a place where temperatures regularly go above 110F.
Deborah can also be found on her blog, Mannahattamamma.
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by World Moms Blog | Jun 23, 2012 | Canada, Child Care, Eva Fannon, Indonesia, Japan, Motherhood, New Zealand, Saturday Sidebar, World Motherhood
Mannahattamamma was struck by MamaMzunga’s post “The Help”.
“The help” can have different connotations in different parts of the world, so let’s hear about it! This week we asked…
“What is your relationship to hired help? Do you have any? If so, what kind? If not, why not?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Karyn Van Der Zwet of New Zealand writes:
“Most people in New Zealand do all of their own domestic chores. People with two incomes will sometimes have paid help come in to do the basics once a week, but this is not always the case. Full-time help or live-in help is rare and for the wealthy. It is my biggest ambition in life: to have a full-time cleaner!” (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by World Moms Blog | Mar 10, 2012 | Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Scoops of Joy, Tara B., World Motherhood
This week’s question comes from World Moms Blog writer, Tara B. She asked WMB writers to toot their own horns!
“What is one of your best attributes and how do you share it with your family?”
Read on to see what some of our world moms had to say…
Mamma Simona of South Africa writes:
“”Tooting my own horn” is something that I find extremely difficult to do! That said, I think that my best attribute is that I find it easy to empathize with others (i.e. looking at things from their point of view). The flip side of that is that for too many years I neglected to look at MY side of the equation! I was so busy looking out for everybody else that I neglected myself. I have now finally learned to “put on my own oxygen mask” before attempting to rescue others. I have always asked my children how they would feel if they had to swap places with the child they were having a problem with. They are now very caring teens who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in, yet remain respectful to others who have different beliefs from them. I feel that I have shared my values simply by living by them. Children learn from how you act and not really from what you say! :)” (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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