My housekeeper is vey religious and it’s causing issues

[Claradiplomatique]

We live overseas btw for anyone wondering.

So I have a lovely housekeeper who is very…religious.

She tells me off when she sees the children’s toys with horns (dragons, dinosaurs, Yoga Goat) or if she sees any children’s books about magic or witches. My own tarot cards and crystals are tucked into a drawer.

There is somewhat of a language barrier as I think we are having a normal conversation and she says “Jesus is coming soon” out of the blue.

There is also an ongoing battle between the nanny (different religion) and the housekeeper as nanny believes in evil eye etc and has given charms to me and the housekeeper says they are “satan’s work.” Nanny took the children to a Halloween craft workshop and came back with witchy dolls and a pumpkin which housekeeper said we should burn.

They do however both agree that our rescue street cat is sent from God to protect us.

AIBU? Do I double down on the no religion talk or let her go?

🧿🪬

Quite OP, I don’t k ow why some posters are taking such umbridge at your living situation. I was an army brat growing up and my school years were almost of a different planet compared to people I know now. Agree it’s enriching for your children to experience this.

Also - your cat is absolutely beautiful. I’m generally not a cat person but would happily adopt 100 black cats. Reckon I was a witch on a previous life 😁

She is beautiful! Please tell me she does actually get to stay with you when you get posted somewhere else,,,

Does your housekeeper live in? If not, it's not her home; and she shouldn't be wittering on about it.

Of course! She had pet passport and microchip, she’ll come to our next posting even if it costs $2000 and a lot of admin, 😍

His being sick must have been a coincidence, unless tried to poison you and somehow got him instead. Witchcraft isn't real. I don't mean that people don't really believe it and do a lot of terrible things in its name, but you can't make someone sick by cursing them.

I don’t work but if I was offered a full time housekeeper tomorrow I’d snap it up 😁

Hopefully it won't be that much! I am not a diplomat, but I have moved a cat internationally and it wasn't huuugely pricey. He was worth all I paid and more, though :)

Well it’s hard to work out really.

He got really bad allergies and there was some sort of powder and snuff like substance in our bed between the mattress and sheet. So I just say he got sick, I’m sure her intention was to get rid of the new lady of the house not give her employer the sneezes.

No one should have a free pass to spew their bile in someone else's home no matter how devout. I'm not religious at all and i respect those who are but start shoving it in my face then that's a whole other ball game. So, yes they can and should leave it on the doorstep.

As a Christian who loves anything witchy and Halloweeny (and who has a deck of tarot cards and lots of crystals) send her my way. 😁

Ah, that makes sense!

Was she in love with him, or did she just resent the new order?

Which country are you in OP?

The new order.

My husband was newly divorced and she moved with him to his new home. She went from cleaning a 5 bedroom home with 3 children to just my husband. She wasn’t keen on a repeat!

I’d worry about the housekeeper. If her own husband, the driver, thinks she’s batshit, that’s a sign. Maybe from Jesus.

I dunno I've seen paranormal activity 2 you might need her to pass on a curse to your sister.

Same here. The events described by the OP seem to be taking place somewhere in the former Yugoslavia. My best guess would be Bosnia and Herzegovina. A more distant possibility could be a former Soviet republic closer to the Caucasus, but the presence of a Catholic housekeeper makes that less likely.

If my reading is correct, tensions among the household staff would likely be both religious and ethnic, with ethnic divisions possibly even stronger.

Maybe you should!!!

Not far off!

It’s the nanny who is the problem.

You could cover all bases with some of these 😁

They’re both nuts.

Just repeat “I’m not interested in your beliefs about this” on a loop as and when necessary.

I'm ok with her because she likes the cat.

She sounds fascinating. It reminds me of that episode of The Golden Girls where they hire Marguerite and she keeps leaving crosses under the bed.

Oh come on, isn't it better children as exposed to a variety of ways of seeing the world? Isn't this multiculturalism at its best? I thought we loved diversity 🤷‍♀️ are you worried your children will believe things you don't? Are you really lacking confidence in their intellectual and critical faculties that they need to be shielded from other beliefs?

Stick with it. It would make a cracking sitcom.