this summer, i went to edmonton for three weeks. initially, i wanted to blog about it, but after a while (not really, coz i didn't even get started) i got tired. but i want to note this down so i'll remember that babysitting (the good type) is surely one of the hardest task in the world!
i was so excited when i first got there. i heard that they were kindof naughty but i was determined to tame them (again, not really) i even thought of preparing a course outline for all of them coz i thought it'll be good for me to teach them something useful instead of just playing with them. but i was too busy packing my luggage for the trip so i ended up unarmed and unprepared for the multitude of challenges ahead. (again, not really, these parenthesis are really quite disruptive and annoying, i know)
the kids were certainly a bunch (my cousins' kids) i tried enforcing some discipline by establishing some house rules eg " No fighting, no punching or kicking each other, no saying bad words, no calling names" A naughty chart and a good chart. A cross for being naughty, a shiny star for being good.
Alas, it didn't quite work out.
didn't know how to handle them. they drove me a little crazy...so much that i felt depressed the first week there. i missed sleeping on my comfy bed-without the bed-bouncing kids- and my clean pillow (untainted by their feet). i missed hearing the ticks of the clock. i missed the quietness of just being home alone. as much as i was desperate for my own privacy, the kids were just as hungry for attention. (and literally too, they kept asking for chocolate, chips, and sweets) they wouldn't let me go. I tried to take refuge in the washroom-the only room in the house that had locks installed- but even that couldn't hold out to the mighty wit of a 6 year-old kid. Ronald- i must admit, rather cleverly- used the ends of a cotton tip to unlock the door.
a beaming grin. a natural doorsmith.
another troublemaker was big brother Andersen. I was his piano teacher during my stay there. As all good piano teacher do, I made him play HANON (yes, i know all kids hate Hanon, including myself) Anyways, to ensure that his fingers were curved the way they were supposed to be, I made him play with erasers on his hand. Of course, that only made it more torturous for both of us. He would wail everytime the eraser dropped and i would make him pick it up and put it back on. One fine day, he just said to me " i wish you were dead". What could be more dreadful than having to stay with a kid who not only throws tantrums, but curses you?
But at that time, I was so frustrated myself that I didn't really mind what he said. I even replied that ,"I would too, if i were you". (but yea, of coz that was really mean of him to say that...hmph)
kids are after all kids. they don't really have the ability to process thoughts the way we do. (biologically speaking, the forebrain is not fully developed till adulthood). Even the smallest things can make their day. Like doing craftwork, making orgami frogs, beading (even boys enjoy it!)
The 24/7 babysitting days also included bringing them to the playground in the evenings and more mundane chores like washing their dishes, bringing their water for them in their preferred coloured cups, (note: this is really not exemplary of a good babysitter. a good babysitter should never yield to any form of unreasonable demands.) doing the laundry.
It was all quite crazy but kids are adorable. i loved holding thier tiny fingers in my palm, wrapping my arms around thier tiny frame (erm, generally speaking, the exception is andersen), giving them horseback rides around the house, pushing andersen on the swing using my left hand and right for ronald (it should have been reversed, given that i'm right-handed and andersen was a good 68 pounds and ronald at 38, almost half less heavy), talking to andersen before we both fell asleep.
The first week, i thought i wouldn't survive. But soon it was time to say goodbye. I gave them red packets for being good (kindof regret it now, they prob spent it on some useless pokemon/bakiugon cards ) and wrote them each a letter even though andersen is the only one who can read. (i even wrote to quinton, who's only 3. that letter was the shortest. i told him that he was cute.) i hope they'll remember what i said and be good kids. although i'm sure they're prob tearing my aunt's house down.
So the conclusion is: kids are naughty but absolutely adorable. they'll annoy you, but you'll grow to love them. and babysitting is not a piece of cake. but harder still is being a parent. and of course, the greatest parent must be God, for we sinned, but were pardoned. and he might have wanted to punished us, but still he forgave, and sent his only son to die on the cross for us. An awesome Father.
We should learn to be good kids too.
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