Who takes care of kids in Mexico?

[Cindyg]

Whew. That sounds like a political topic, doesn't it? It's not.

 

I'm writing a Spanish curriculum. I'm trying to come up with a scenario that has 10 year old kids at home in the summer doing interesting things. This is not a novel; I don't need every detail to be perfectly spelled out. But I do want it to reflect some sort of reality.

 

So, in a "typical" scenario in Mexico, is the mom of school age children going to be at work in the summer? Who would be home with the kids? Grandma? Mom? A nanny? A housekeeper? A babysitter? Someone else? Would kids of this age be home alone? (The only home I was ever in in Mexico had more servants than family members, but I'm guessing that isn't typical.)

 

(I've googled the question to no avail. All I get is political discussions. Is there a better place for me to ask questions like this?)

Edited October 16, 2011 by Cindyg

[newlifemom]

no idea, but here's a bump for you.

 

:bigear:

[Cindyg]

I need another bump.

[Jean in Newcastle]

You might PM Sputterduck. And I think there is someone else here who lives in Mexico but I can't for the life of me remember who it is.

[chiguirre]

In Venezuela, poor children will be working with their parents at informal jobs by the time they're 10. In fact, they'll be doing this during the school year too, either before or after their school day depending on which shift they study.

 

Middle class kids will be enrolled in summer camps (even lower middle class kids usually go to company sponsored or government sponsored camps). Upper middle class kids go to nicer private camps offered by sports clubs or schools. Rich kids go to camp in the US. Very few women stay home, it takes 2 salaries to maintain a middle class life. Many middle and upper middle class families do have live-in help, but you wouldn't leave a 10 yo home with them all summer to watch TV. My sisters in law and friends make sure they get their kids into good summer programs, preferably ones that teach English or music or sports skills or something enriching.

[Cindyg]

Oh, thanks, y'all! Summer camp is a terrific idea.

 

How about a grandparent? Are multi-generational families as common in modern-day Mexico as they were a generation ago?

 

Do middle class families have a cleaning lady come in one a week or once a month, like US families might? Or is a live-in person more likely? And what is that person called?

 

And, one more thing. When I was last in Mexico, I asked the taxi driver why there weren't more wrecks (since nobody obeyed any traffic lights or other traffic rules). Laughingly, he told me it's because "None of the senoritas drive." (Ha ha :glare:). That was in Mexico city. In a generic middle-class area, would a single grandmother be driving? Or would they walk to go on their errands? Or take public transportation?

 

I really appeciate any help you can throw me. (I'm such a gringo!)

Edited October 17, 2011 by Cindyg

[jjins]

I would talk to the author of http://www.sewliberated.typepad.com/

 

It is a blog, the author used to write this blog:

http://montessoribyhand.blogspot.com/

 

If memory serves me all most all of Montessori by hand is from her time in Mexico as a Montessori teacher.

 

She should be able to help you answer this questions as well as many others.

[Cindyg]

Thank you so much, jjins! I just e-mailed Meg. (By coincidence, I am also a certified Montessori teacher.) Maybe that will be an important contact.

[chiguirre]

All of my answers are based on Venezuela. I think Mexico would be very similar, especially with the drug war raging. Mexico used to be safer than Caracas, but not anymore.

 

How about a grandparent? Are multi-generational families as common in modern-day Mexico as they were a generation ago?

 

Families often live together, but usually Grandma works. This depends on the specific age of the family members, but about half of the 60-70 yo women I know work.

 

Do middle class families have a cleaning lady come in one a week or once a month, like US families might? Or is a live-in person more likely? And what is that person called?

 

It depends. Almost anyone who can afford it has a weekly cleaner, but families with small kids where both parents work often have a live-in maid called either la ama de casa or la muchacha de servicio. The slang term in Caracas is cachifa. In a multigenerational home with a heavy cooking burden and no stay at home grandma, there would be a maid.

 

And, one more thing. When I was last in Mexico, I asked the taxi driver why there weren't more wrecks (since nobody obeyed any traffic lights or other traffic rules). Laughingly, he told me it's because "None of the senoritas drive." (Ha ha :glare:). That was in Mexico city. In a generic middle-class area, would a single grandmother be driving? Or would they walk to go on their errands? Or take public transportation?

 

It's dangerous to walk around if you're easily identified as being able to pay a ransom. Most middle class people stick to cars and avoid stopping if at all possible (hence the lax obedience to traffic laws). If someone had to walk somewhere they would dress down and take off all their jewelry. Personally, if I have to walk, I psyche myself up to look as fierce as possible.

 

I really appeciate any help you can throw me. (I'm such a gringo!)

[Cindyg]

Wow, Chiguirre. Thanks for the information. It's kind of a downer, though. Not exactly the kind of stuff I want to include in a children's book. But thank you for enlightening me. I'll have to think about how to shape this.

[Laurie4b]

For many Mexican families, the answer would be "older kids" and 10 year old would be the older kid.

[Mabelen]

I can't help with the Mexico scenario, I've never lived there.

 

I am just wondering why you are setting the action in Mexico if you are not familiar enough with the place or the culture to ensure acuracy. Is the Spanish variety you speak Mexican Spanish? If so, how did you learn it? In the US? How about having a multi generational Mexican American family for main characters instead? How about Puerto Rico? It's still the US so their way of life and living standards will be familiar but you have the Spanish language there as a mother tongue, although it won't be Mexican Spanish.

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

I had the same thought as Mabelen. I can't answer your question as regards families in Mexico. I know that in the Mexican immigrant families I've seen in my area, many of the children 7 and up just look after themselves at home while their parents are working, and often are responsible for younger siblings as well. They tend to get into a lot of trouble (as mine would, if they were in that situation). Good luck in your writing!

[Cindyg]

Puerto Rico is an excellent suggestion. As is focusing on a Mexican-American family in this country. Thanks. I'll think about both of those ideas.

[Shifra]

Wow, Chiguirre. Thanks for the information. It's kind of a downer, though. Not exactly the kind of stuff I want to include in a children's book. But thank you for enlightening me. I'll have to think about how to shape this.

 

When I was on bedrest pregnant with one of my children, I watched a lot of Spanish television. While the Plaza Sesamo from Mexico was similar to Sesame Street in the USA, the other Spanish childrens shows from Mexico were frightening! No skirting around real-life issues like life threatening illnesses, illegitimacy, etc.

[Sputterduck]

Whew. That sounds like a political topic, doesn't it? It's not.

 

I'm writing a Spanish curriculum. I'm trying to come up with a scenario that has 10 year old kids at home in the summer doing interesting things. This is not a novel; I don't need every detail to be perfectly spelled out. But I do want it to reflect some sort of reality.

 

So, in a "typical" scenario in Mexico, is the mom of school age children going to be at work in the summer? Who would be home with the kids? Grandma? Mom? A nanny? A housekeeper? A babysitter? Someone else? Would kids of this age be home alone? (The only home I was ever in in Mexico had more servants than family members, but I'm guessing that isn't typical.)

 

(I've googled the question to no avail. All I get is political discussions. Is there a better place for me to ask questions like this?)

 

Typical is hard to define.

 

I am around a lot of native families. Most of the time no one is home with the kids, or maybe one mom or a grandma per camp of several families. Often times the moms that are home are middle teens, so not your typical mom as you would imagine elsewhere. Sometimes the kids are in the fields with their parents.

 

As for other families, most of the moms I know work all day. Often times the kids are home alone, or at work with their parents. There are a lot of multi-generational homes, too, where there is a grandma at home. I don't personally know anyone with a nanny or a housekeeper, except for me since I had one for a while, but I don't count. I don't hang around in well-off areas, though, so I don't know if people with more money have them.

 

10 year olds are considered plenty old enough here to be home alone. We even have kids as young as 6 taking care of several younger siblings. There is even a 6 year old at one of the missionary-run schools I help out at who brings her 2 year old, 1 year old, and 4 month old siblings to school with her every day. Her mama has to work so where else are the babies supposed to go?

[Sputterduck]

Oh, thanks, y'all! Summer camp is a terrific idea.

 

How about a grandparent? Are multi-generational families as common in modern-day Mexico as they were a generation ago?

 

Do middle class families have a cleaning lady come in one a week or once a month, like US families might? Or is a live-in person more likely? And what is that person called?

 

And, one more thing. When I was last in Mexico, I asked the taxi driver why there weren't more wrecks (since nobody obeyed any traffic lights or other traffic rules). Laughingly, he told me it's because "None of the senoritas drive." (Ha ha :glare:). That was in Mexico city. In a generic middle-class area, would a single grandmother be driving? Or would they walk to go on their errands? Or take public transportation?

 

I really appeciate any help you can throw me. (I'm such a gringo!)

 

I don't know anyone who has an occasional cleaning lady except for a handful of American retirees that I know here. I don't know anyone with live-in workers, either. Perhaps rich families do. I'd assume that some do.

 

Lots of women drive here! There are not that many wrecks here because there is a flow to traffic that is not like anything in America. It looks crazy, but it's not. Also, if people wreck they risk going to jail. It's Horrible to me. If the police thinks it's your fault, they take you jail until the other person's car repair is paid for. I kid you not. If there is a wreck both parties try to get away as fast as they can. So, you just don't wreck. It's not worth it. Yes, a single grandmother could be driving. Very common. Mostly, though, at least where I am, people walk. And take little buses called "micros". With the native population, women never go anywhere alone. They go with their husband or friends or with their kids. Never alone. Sometimes kids at the schools I help at don't come to school because their mom needs to go somewhere and can't go alone. Seriously. Mestizo women go alone on foot all the time. It's not a big deal to them. Also, horses. We have a lot of people going around on horses. Now that I think of it, though, it's only males.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Sputterduck

[livingnlearning]

Sputterduck, I think it's so cool to get your insider perspective!

[Cindyg]

Thank you so much, Sputterduck. But now my head is spinning.