Children too young to be entrusted 
with the care of infants often imitate 
the way women carry babies on their 
backs. The six-year-old above has a 
doll, but other children improvise 
with pillows or bits of firewood. 
While washing clothes at home, a 
woman keeps her infant in close 
physical contact, safe from such 
dangers as livestock or fire. After 
children are weaned, older children 
are expected to help with their care. 
quantities, such as various kinds of 
cooked food. Sewing, embroidery, mat 
weaving, and other craft activities (in- 
cluding, until recently, spinning) are 
less remunerative occupations, and 
women pursue them when they have 
fewer children around to help. Unlike 
the situation common in the United 
States, where children tend to hamper 
a woman’s ability to earn money, the 
Hausa woman finds it difficult to earn 
income without children’s help. Often, 
if a woman has no children of her 
own, a relative’s child will come to 
live with her. 
Child care is another service chil- 
dren perform that benefits women. It 
enables mothers to devote themselves 
to their young infants, whom they 
carry on their backs until the age of 
weaning, between one and two. Even 
though women are always at home, 
they specifically delegate the care of 
young children to older ones. The tod- 
dler moves from the mother's back 
into a group of older children, who 
take the responsibility very seriously. 
Until they are old enough, children 
do not pick up infants or very young 
children, but by the age of nine, both 
boys and girls bathe young children, 
play with them, and take them on 
errands. The older children do a great 
deal of direct and indirect teaching 
of younger ones. As soon as they can 
walk, younger children accompany 
their older siblings to Arabic school. 
There the children sit with their age- 
mates, and the teacher gives them les- 
sons according to their ability. 
Much of a child's activity is di- 
rected toward helping his or her par- 
49 
