My housekeeper is vey religious and it’s causing issues

Can you just have a calm conversation and remind both that you respect their beliefs, but to treat your house as a workplace where its best they are not discussed or bickered about, and that you would be grateful if they can also respect your beliefs (or lack thereof).

Yes, the OP should not look out of the window, ever, for fear the malicious spirits of the last housekeeper and nanny are haunting her children. Maybe that's why the cat has been sent by God to protect the household?

I would tell them that religion is not to be discussed in the workplace. And your home is their workplace. We tend to bend over backwards to accommodate other cultures but in our homes they need to accommodate us.

What's on Jesus' business card? Is it carpenter or Messiah?

Trust the cat’s judgement.

Gorgeous cat!

I would not have such batshit ideas around my DC, ever. My cousin had a very strict Catholic nanny and my cousin has terrible MH issues linked to female guilt and shame all caused by that unpleasant woman, it has ruined her life.

I believed that about my cat.

😂

This sounds like something from a Victorian children’s novel… I love it! I’d just enjoy the drama

You should.

Great answer 🤣🤣🤣

Believing a cat has been sent by God as a protector is batshit, however you want to dress that up.

I think the nanny is fine and the housekeeper either has to go or has to stop proselytising.

At a guess you’re posted in a part of E.Europe/E.Med that was once part of the Ottoman Empire thus has Islam and also Orthodox Church?

Either way, this has the makings of a Henry James novella: “What Clara Knew”. As long as it doesn’t go “Turn of the Screw”.

OP, I’d opt for sceptical tolerance unless it affects you or the children detrimentally. The driver is your best friend !

If you are a fiction writer, or maybe even not, I think you need to document your experiences and use them one day. My life as a diplomat’s wife type of thing.

You’ll get all sorts of daft responses here from people who don’t understand the mechanics of living in different countries, dealing with different cultures etc. Although the world has changed, there are still places where ‘privileged’ visitors are expected to contribute to the local economy and professions where they are expected to have household staff.

Many years ago my sister and her husband went to South Africa and she was taken aback that she was expected to have a cleaner, despite not working herself. Also that she had to have a nanny when my nephew was born. Her husband wasn’t even in the diplomatic service, just a middle ranking chemist. Had they not had ‘staff’ they would have been shunned by their peers for being tight or common and by the locals for not ploughing money back into the community.

My late sister-in-law’s father was in the Diplomatic Service and it was normal to have a whole raft of household staff despite his wife not working.

Enjoy living in your current country, I’d love to know your nationality and where you are living but understand if you don’t feel you can tell us.

Goodness me!! Depending on what your views are, every other view could be bat shit!! I think the OPs kids are going to have an amazing rich experience learning for more than most. Lucky them.

I'm sure that, like most people who don't live in the same country as their families and work FT and occasionally go out at night or travel for work, you can figure it out by taking it in turns, or just hiring a babysitter.

DH and I both worked FT in demanding professional jobs that involved occasional travel and night and weekend events, and had a child and ran a household while living in the UK (both our families are in our home country) with a once-a-week cleaner, a daytime childminder, and later on, school with breakfast and after school clubs, and an occasional babysitter, scheduling our work travel and events around one another.

It's perfectly doable for an averagely competent person. You don't suddenly become helpless because you become an immigrant.

You're not actually doomed to have an ongoing Battle of the Household Staff.

This thread show the rich tapestry of life!

In answer to your question, I advise don’t give up on her yet. Keep saying that you are the mother and will decide for your children and your home.

That includes what toys the children can keep and up to you if evil eye stuff in your home. No burning of dolls.

Lovely use of the evil eye emoji warding off a little envy. 😉Great thread!

I wouldn't have either of these nutjobs in my house tbh

Love it 😂

They are at least giving you plenty of material 😁

I had a very religious relative who thought Harry Potter was the work of the devil! Never read a single page of the book of course 😄

I'd let them at it! It's kind of funny tbh and will probably teach your children to be respectful and tolerant of different belief systems considering they're growing up with 3 at least!

definitely don't get rid of either and possible employ another housekeeper to help the first