Ok, this is a bit awkward topic in a way, but how would you feel, if the HO would recommend a dress code for cultural reasons? We live in a country with a rather conservative way of dressing and a tropical climate (Thailand).
Would it be too much, if we asked a potential sitter to follow the basic dressing rules, i.e. covering ones shoulders and thighs when in public (for both male and female) around the house and when the house helper comes?
What they wear while out in the town is totally their choice, but since we live in a small community with some older local people, polite dressing around that area would be important. As the sitter would live in our house, they’d be seen as our friends, not as tourists by the neighbours.
How should this be said in the profile and how would you as a sitter feel about this?
Hi @CatsAndDog my hubby and I would not have a problem with this at all and we completely respect the reason for you asking this and we honour and adhere to local customs wherever we travel. I would just mention this in your profile so potential sitters applying can decide whether this is right for them before applying to sit.
Not awkward, just write a small paragraph in your listing about the need to adhere to cultural and religious dress attire around the small village you live in.
I, for one would appreciate the heads up and it would not put me off from applying one bit. Good luck and I hope you get an amazing sitter.
I would be so grateful for this information in advance! Yes, please do include anything like that in your profile, and the welcome guide. And be very specific, maybe even include a picture or two?!
I would suggest phrasing that very carefully. Most sitters have researched cultural norms in advance and wouldn’t attempt to flout very basic standards. But if I were told I couldn’t wear tank tops or shorts inside the petowner’s home in a tropical country, I would 100% not apply.
The same goes for telling a sitter they can dress how they want in town, just not in your small community. That seems like you are more concerned about how it will make you look to your neighbors than in upholding cultural norms for everyone’s comfort.
I think as long as you state this, sensitively, in your listing profile, its fine. Those who are used to travelling in more conservative cultures would be happy to respect these local norms. And newbies to your region would probably be grateful for the heads up! Main point though is that those who are unwilling to comply, for whatever reason, will not apply, so they won’t waste your time or theirs, or risk offending the locals!
You will find the perfect sitters as long as you are upfront on all levels!
I wouldn’t have a problem with this at all and always abide by the dress code in the countries I’m travelling in. As others have said, be diplomatic in the way you request this. Most sitters are very respectful and have had a lot of travel experience. I think it’s a great subject to bring up for discussion.
I’m sure you’ll find many sitters would be happy to comply. Cultural sensitivity is very important to many world travelers!
Just be very clear in your listing about exactly when and where this is expected.
And maybe give examples, just to be crystal clear? (Like, it’s ok if you wear a tank top when inside our home alone, but when our cleaner comes over, please wear sleeves or a light scarf over your shoulders.)
And maybe instead of making it sound like a “recommendation,” like a travel guide would, say that it’s very important to you not to offend your neighbors. That way sitters absolutely understand how important it is to you.
Most sitters will be aware of cultural dress codes, however, instances for example when your cleaner is in the house may not have occurred to them so I don’t think a gentle reminder in your listing will do any harm at all.
I would be perfectly fine with this sort of requirement, because your reasons make a lot of sense. It will be important to write this out carefully in your listing, so there’s no ambiguity. For instance, in your forum post that I’m replying to, you say “around the house,” and I can’t tell if that means indoors or only out in the yard. I’m also not sure if it means when the sitter is alone at home, or only when the house helper is present. In any case, I’m sure that sitters will be glad of any guidance that helps them avoid offending the sensibilities of your neighbors and helpers.
Thank you for the feed back @Harris2 ! Yes, I understand your point of view, and this this kind of sit would not be for everyone.
In our case, tank tops inside the house would be ok as long as the house helper is not around (2xweek).
And you are totally correct, why it would be important to dress in a certain way in the small community but not in the city (Bangkok, English is my second language, so town was the wrong word). That’s how Thai culture works. In our small community people know us, and it’s important we show respect. As the Sitter would be seen as our guest, we would be seen as being responsible of them. Bangkok is full of tourists, and while Thais certainly would appreciate polite dressing in there as well, it’s not a big deal. We ourselves follow stricter rules, but I wouldn’t ask that from the Sitter.
Great point about how to word it @luckycat , I like the “it’s very important to us…”. You are right, recommendation sounds like you still do as you like.
I would not have a problem with this at all and think one should always respect ther views of the culture you are living in. I have travelled to Indonesia a few times and tend to always wear a sarong and a top that covers my shoulders. I actually find it quite comfortable to wear, and am also wearing the correct attire if coming across a temple or any religious structure etc. Locals can get quite offended by tourist wearing practically nothing, baring shoulders and midrift etc. especially so if in out of the way villages.
I guess you have to reverse the situation for you to decide if it’s appropriate. If you were housesitting and were asked to adhere to a certain dresscode code that was not your normal dress code, would you feel that’s an acceptable request? For me, it depends on what the dress code is. I won’t want to be covering my head with scarfs or veils in tropical heat or have to wear clothes in that heat and humidity that have to reach up to my neck put it that way
I guess it’s time to update this We’ve now published our listing, received applications and selected the sitters! We received 9 applications, at which point I paused the listing. So, it seems that the recommended dress code wasn’t too much for many sitters. The final wording we ended up with was:
“For cultural reasons, we’d ask you to dress so that you cover your shoulders and thighs, when she (the cleaner) is around and when walking Vilma in the neighbourhood (T-shirt and shorts are fine, or a scarf over your shoulders with a sleevless top).”
I think that makes it a good thing to put in the listing, as they want to ensure the sitter will be ok with the norms of their area. Every listing isn’t for everybody.
We’ve now published our listing, received applications and selected the sitters! We received 9 applications, at which point I paused the listing. So, it seems that the recommended dress code wasn’t too much for many sitters. The final wording we ended up with was:
