Pages

17 August 2010

Catch A Nanny By The Toe


Nannies came up in conversation again this morning. Surprise surprise.

This time I got some fresh insights into the beggar story. Lia claims that she can sometimes tell it's not the beggar's baby. It's in the way it's being handled. Or occasionally the baby is too pale and chubby to cut it as a beggar.

And yes, most nannies are definitely unhappy with their kids. And their lot. And the kids on their lot. And the lot.

Me: "Apart from rentals, are there any other nanny related scandals that have become well known in Indonesia?"

L: "Actually its quite common to give the kids pills."

-- "Pills? Which pills?" [notice the pique]

L: "To calm them down."

--"Like what pills? Valium? Xanax?"

L: "Probably cheap ones. Like the fakes."

-- "How do they get caught? How do the parents find out?"

L: "Well maybe the kids are slow and not themselves."

-- "But how do they know what it is?"

L: "They see the kids are not normal."

-- "Yeah - but what about the proof? How do they work out that it's pills and not some other problem?"

L: "Well they just know it I think."

-- "But do they ask the nanny? Do they go through her bag? Do they find the pills?"

L: "Probably sometimes. Yes they might ask her."

-- "And would she admit it?"

L: "Of course not. Never."

-- "So where is the evidence? Do they ever get evidence? "

L: "Probably not. They just know it."

Indonesian received wisdom is the best - unsubstantiated, yet incontrovertible.

Toddler starts looking tired for a few days and next thing you know the nanny up on doping charges.

Wonder if she gets an apology after the leukaemia diagnosis? Or when they realise it was from tight shoes.

I still believe they drug the kids, mind. If they have the guts to rent babies to beggars, a few pills in the arvo to quell the whining wouldn't even qualify for nanny training wheels.

And as for why the nannies themselves always look so bored - I'm sure they splitting the stash with their toddlers.