The joys of Babysitting.
For the past month I have been babysitting two boys. Babysitting to me is a normal, almost daily activity that I’m accustom to. And these boys weren’t anyone new to me for they went to the daycare I work for. However, I’ve come to realize how much of a handful these boys can be.
Normally I babysit in increments of 2-5 hours. I’ve now bumped myself up to 8 and a half hours and I’ve never really baby sat boys before. So I’m learning a little about what boys are like which hasn’t been very pleasant.
One of my favorite things about the boys is they like to get out and about. I can take them to the park or beach and let them run loose. I kinda have to play with them but I’m not complaining since I get to swing or wade around in the shallows. They also like playing pass with the tennis ball. That brought back fond memories of when my dad and I would play pass out in the road when I was younger.
However there’s a list of annoyances.
The older brother, 8, cannot seem to entertain himself without the use of a video game. So when he gets board he resorts to bugging his little brother, 6, and I have to quickly figure out what to do with him if it’s not time to go out to the park. Mostly this involves giving a few warnings since it hasn’t escalade enough for him to be fully isolated in his room. I have come close though to having both boys (cuz the 6 year old can push his older brother’s buttons right back) sit and read for a half hour. I’m actually kinda looking forward to using that one day cuz I feel that would be a constructive quiet time.
Now the 8 year old also has an odd quirk about him. Well, maybe it’s not odd, but it sure drives me crazy. He always seems to have to watch what I’m doing. Two examples just from today. First, my lunch was last to be ready. Both boys had finished and the younger one went to watch TV. The older lingered around the table practically watching me eat. It was worse than a dog begging at the table side. Felt very awkward. I compensated my irritation and awkwardness by focusing on the cartoon on the television, trying to be oblivious to the ever watching 8 year old.
Then we stopped by my house to drop off some groceries I had purchased. I wanted to finish cleaning the kitchen before coming home tonight and cooking (and to burn some time by letting the kids play with my dog Thor). I had also told the boys to stay out of the kitchen so I didn’t have to maneuver around them as I cleaned. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later the older boy was hovering around the edge of the kitchen just watching me clean. I’d ask him if he need anything and he’d respond, ‘No.” Then I’d politely ask him to go find something to do so I didn’t have that feeling of being watched.
I really don’t get what it is he finds fascinating about me. I wish he could be a little more like his brother. That boy can entertain himself very well.
There are other things that those boys do that bug me, like talking about each other’s privates (way weird!) which came to a screeching halt when I reminded them that I was a girl and would much rather not hear about that kind of stuff. Yet I do enjoy playing with those boys. I guess parenthood is quite comparable to what I’m going through. One can enjoy their kid(s) but I’m sure they find as they get older they have some odd quirks about them that just pushes one’s buttons.
And the last note about babysitting today was my dog Thor. Thor loves getting attention and I taught the boys some basic rules about how to work with Thor (like don’t pet him when he’s laying down, don’t get in his face, and use a firm, assertive voice to get his attention). I also showed them all of Thor’s tricks and ever since whenever they get a chance to hang out with him they try to get him to do those tricks. Thor is happy to please for the first few minutes. But after the boys start sounding like a broken record and giving mixed commands he burns out real quick and just looks at them. I only intervene when they’re telling him to go away and he’s not listening.
The first time I noticed he stopped listening to them I would give the hand signal from behind the boys backs and Thor would immediately respond to it, the boys praising him thinking he listened to them. And today, toward the end of my cleaning, I heard the boys telling Thor to get up. I guess they were able to finally cuz they asked him to sit, but soon were asking him to get up again. I looked over and saw he had laid back down and after the boys saying get up many more times I just smiled. Thor had that look on his face that said, “Please someone make them shut up!” and “Ha, I don’t have to listen to you boys.” It was almost as though he was enjoying listening to their voices get a little more annoyed to him not responding.
Of course as soon as I walk over and ask him, “Thor why aren’t you getting up?” he gets up and wags his tail for me. I kneel down and ask, “does someone need a hug?” and my pup puts his head on my shoulder. I gave him a good, long hug and massaged his neck while whispering thanks for his patience with the boys. That’s one reason why I don’t have Thor and the boys get together too often because Thor seems to burn out on them real quick and like me wonders when the day will end. But he’s a good dog and I love him all the more for it.
Normally I babysit in increments of 2-5 hours. I’ve now bumped myself up to 8 and a half hours and I’ve never really baby sat boys before. So I’m learning a little about what boys are like which hasn’t been very pleasant.
One of my favorite things about the boys is they like to get out and about. I can take them to the park or beach and let them run loose. I kinda have to play with them but I’m not complaining since I get to swing or wade around in the shallows. They also like playing pass with the tennis ball. That brought back fond memories of when my dad and I would play pass out in the road when I was younger.
However there’s a list of annoyances.
The older brother, 8, cannot seem to entertain himself without the use of a video game. So when he gets board he resorts to bugging his little brother, 6, and I have to quickly figure out what to do with him if it’s not time to go out to the park. Mostly this involves giving a few warnings since it hasn’t escalade enough for him to be fully isolated in his room. I have come close though to having both boys (cuz the 6 year old can push his older brother’s buttons right back) sit and read for a half hour. I’m actually kinda looking forward to using that one day cuz I feel that would be a constructive quiet time.
Now the 8 year old also has an odd quirk about him. Well, maybe it’s not odd, but it sure drives me crazy. He always seems to have to watch what I’m doing. Two examples just from today. First, my lunch was last to be ready. Both boys had finished and the younger one went to watch TV. The older lingered around the table practically watching me eat. It was worse than a dog begging at the table side. Felt very awkward. I compensated my irritation and awkwardness by focusing on the cartoon on the television, trying to be oblivious to the ever watching 8 year old.
Then we stopped by my house to drop off some groceries I had purchased. I wanted to finish cleaning the kitchen before coming home tonight and cooking (and to burn some time by letting the kids play with my dog Thor). I had also told the boys to stay out of the kitchen so I didn’t have to maneuver around them as I cleaned. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later the older boy was hovering around the edge of the kitchen just watching me clean. I’d ask him if he need anything and he’d respond, ‘No.” Then I’d politely ask him to go find something to do so I didn’t have that feeling of being watched.
I really don’t get what it is he finds fascinating about me. I wish he could be a little more like his brother. That boy can entertain himself very well.
There are other things that those boys do that bug me, like talking about each other’s privates (way weird!) which came to a screeching halt when I reminded them that I was a girl and would much rather not hear about that kind of stuff. Yet I do enjoy playing with those boys. I guess parenthood is quite comparable to what I’m going through. One can enjoy their kid(s) but I’m sure they find as they get older they have some odd quirks about them that just pushes one’s buttons.
And the last note about babysitting today was my dog Thor. Thor loves getting attention and I taught the boys some basic rules about how to work with Thor (like don’t pet him when he’s laying down, don’t get in his face, and use a firm, assertive voice to get his attention). I also showed them all of Thor’s tricks and ever since whenever they get a chance to hang out with him they try to get him to do those tricks. Thor is happy to please for the first few minutes. But after the boys start sounding like a broken record and giving mixed commands he burns out real quick and just looks at them. I only intervene when they’re telling him to go away and he’s not listening.
The first time I noticed he stopped listening to them I would give the hand signal from behind the boys backs and Thor would immediately respond to it, the boys praising him thinking he listened to them. And today, toward the end of my cleaning, I heard the boys telling Thor to get up. I guess they were able to finally cuz they asked him to sit, but soon were asking him to get up again. I looked over and saw he had laid back down and after the boys saying get up many more times I just smiled. Thor had that look on his face that said, “Please someone make them shut up!” and “Ha, I don’t have to listen to you boys.” It was almost as though he was enjoying listening to their voices get a little more annoyed to him not responding.
Of course as soon as I walk over and ask him, “Thor why aren’t you getting up?” he gets up and wags his tail for me. I kneel down and ask, “does someone need a hug?” and my pup puts his head on my shoulder. I gave him a good, long hug and massaged his neck while whispering thanks for his patience with the boys. That’s one reason why I don’t have Thor and the boys get together too often because Thor seems to burn out on them real quick and like me wonders when the day will end. But he’s a good dog and I love him all the more for it.