Raising Kids in Amman

So, what is different about raising kids in Jordan? 

1. Different school/work week: The kids go to preschool from 8:30-1 every day, but the week starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday, as the work week does. Friday is the day of rest for Muslims. Some people work on Saturdays, but we try not to.

2. The preschool is bilingual: Arabic/English

3. Multi-cultural friends: The kids in their classes are children from all over the world. There are more Jordanians than any other group, but there are also kids from England, Germany, Spain, France, Iraq, Nigeria, etc. And there are lots of mixed nationality kids: Scottish/Lithuanian, Danish/Palestinian, American/Dutch, German/Iraqi, etc. Many of these kids have also lived in third countries. When Miles is asked where he's from, he usually says Africa or Sudan.

4. Housekeeper/Nanny: When the kids get home from school, the house is completely clean, and Fe has prepared a warm lunch for them. She's from the Philippines and has been working in Jordan for 9 years for different families as a housekeeper and nanny. She's awesome!!!! Every day our clothes are cleaned, ironed and put away for us, as if by magic. This is not a phenomenon experienced by expats only. There are 60,000 Filipino domestic workers in Jordan, most working for Jordanians. Sometimes they wear blue dresses with white aprons and accompany families out to help with shopping. At playgrounds it is not uncommon to see nannies down on the ground playing in the sand with children as the mother (usually a quite dignified-looking Jordanian) sits on a park bench and watches. 

5. City space: One afternoon activity is playing in our

 "garden" which is a tiled strip of patio and large planters  that run around three 

sides of the building. It's our private garden (though occasionally home to laundry fallen from

 balconies of the 4 flights above us). There are a few olive and fruit trees, a big grape trellis, and some rose bushes--no grass, though. And once a week, the Egyptian caretaker of the building washes the white tiles (and our car). Living in a city, very few people have outside space for their children, so we feel privileged in this.

6. No TV, but DVDs: If there's no play-date or outside activity, Miles will watch a dvd while Eliza naps. We have a growing collection of illegally reproduced tv programs and movies that can be watched in English, Arabic and a few other languages. (They cost about $1 each, and they have a pretty good variety of things American kids like.) Other than that, the TV is off. We got a satellite hook up to watch the olympics, but haven't turned it on since. Plenty of channels. Plenty of crap. (Including an endless assortment of Arabic porn.)

7. Holy culture: This afternoon, we went with another family to Mt. Nebo (where Moses saw the promise land and died). My friend is looking into baptizing her baby boy there or in the river Jordan nearby where Jesus was baptized. We stopped by the carpet dealer in Madaba on the way back and bought an Iranian carpet.

8. Not much green: On the way to Mt. Nebo, Fe said: look at all the trees, Miles! She was referring to a strip of scrubby pines that had been planted along the road at one point to prevent erosion. Pitiful! The "forests" here preserved in national parks are more like patches of thorny, tall bushes. Still, we go to these eagerly to get a dose of nature for the kids. Rock and sand are plentiful; rivers, lakes and swimming pools are rare. All that lack of rain, however, means lots of days with beautiful cloudless blue skies and warm sun.

9. Arab goth: Would it be kosher to say "classic" Arabic style is kitschy and gothic? Many homes (including ours) have wall to wall marble tile (perfect for cracking small heads); huge cheaply-made overstuffed chintzy living room sets; golden chandeliers dripping with crystals; and heavy tasseled drapes. Rarely will you see bookshelves. It feels more of an attempt at regal than cozy & kid-friendly. 

10. A different idea about safety: Car seats are not enforced and not a priority. Kids play in the streets. Play ground equipment is often made of metal that has been baking in the sun and is broken in key spots. The Jordanians love sweets and children here live on them. You can never be too young for hard candy! On the other hand, you don't see kids playing outside if it's windy or slightly damp. Athletics are not encouraged compared to the States. In fact, when kids run, they are almost always told to stop running, I guess because people are afraid the kid will fall down on a hard surface.