Most servants who work in our homes are there to do the oddest of jobs, however distasteful, at the oddest of hours, and to do it without a whimper, gripe or a grumble. We hire them to help around in the house and then gradually push the full load of the household chores on to them. In some households they are blessed and appreciated, and in some they are cursed and abused. In such homes, they are treated as low status people, bereft of feelings or dignity. Most servants have rural backgrounds and live in hutments. They migrate to cities in search of employment, and to covet a job they commit themselves do all the chores the employer dictates.
Due to personal convenience, or other constraints, many parents leave the child to the care of maids and other house servants. When the child is literally brought up by house servants, it is natural for the child to learn rural mannerisms. As a toddler his rural bent would not be so noticeable, or objectionable, but when he is an adolescent, his mannerisms and behavior would stand out like a sore thumb, and he would be regularly checked to mend his ways. Do check out the following traits which might be picked from your domestic help
1. Speech: The choice of words, the diction and pronunciation get affected. The accent comes from the region the maid or servants hail.
2. Eating Habits: He eats his meals sloppily. While eating he squelches spits and belches. It is also common practice in the villages to belch as a sign of contentment after a meal, while belching is considered gross in urban areas.
3. Personal Hygiene: Brushing teeth or keeping the mouth clean is never given top priority in villages, as it is in towns and cities. If parents don’t handle this area with care and caution, then they could end up paying through their noses for dental care at a later stage. Bathing is another ritual that is perfunctorily performed. The hair smells rancid, and may carry lice. Undergarments may not be fresh. The ears and nostrils remain neglected, as do nails on fingers and toes. Spitting and urinating by the roadside is also common among children brought up by servants.
4. Dress Sense: Under the servant’s influence, the child may grow up having no dress sense. When parents are not particular about dress sense, the child is at a disadvantage because as an adult he is likely to make the wrong choice of clothes.
5. Class Distinction: By observing the adult’s attitude towards the servants, the child knows that servants are low status people. Children learn to order the servants around, bully them, treat them without respect, even kick them or spit upon them.
Just as the parents become totally dependent on the maids to look after children, so do children become totally dependent on the maids for everything. For every activity the child has to have the maid to help him perform it. As he has grown dependent on the maid, he is unable to interact with children of his age. There are many parenting skills parents should be familiar with in order to guide their service staff correctly. In most cases, parents blindly let servants bring up the children, and react only after negative traits become ingrained in the child’s behavior.