I recently came across this discussion about maids in Otome Isekai being by default, caretakers of the children of the household. It really got me thinking about caretakers and who is considered one.
Internationally, the roles of a housekeeper or maid varies. But it is often times expected that because they are female and do domestic work, that they automatically should be in charge of childcare, sometimes without extra compensation.
One of the literary tropes used in Otome isekai is “my parents left me with the maids.” This actually is often shorthand for “my parents, despite having resources to hire a nanny and governess, couldn’t be bothered and neglected me.” A maid is expected to not only keep the house, tend to household chores, but is now expected to watch the children too. I don’t see this often put on the shoulders of male servants or even the father of the child. But fathers are rarely held accountable for caretaker abuse in Otome Isekai, and are given grace for their abuse