Domestic Labor

Unlike many of my classmates, I have never had domestic workers in my household nor has anyone in my family worked in domestic labor. I do, however, know several friends who have had housekeepers or nannies. The relationship between the families employing the domestic laborers and the employees themselves varied from friend to friend. One of my friends hired a housekeeper that had no connection to the household at all. Her job was to come in once a week and clean the house and she did so while remaining as invisible as possible. The other friend I talked to told me that she had a nanny that did all of the jobs a mother usually does (but couldn't due to work). She drove my friend places, cooked for her, and helped her with homework. Their relationship, though professional-based, was very friendly and close. Because the nanny assumed the role of a mother figure, my friend grew to see her as such.