I’m a little out of practice, since I haven’t looked after the kidlets in a year. This is the longest stretch between babysitting since… well, since the turn of the NEW MILLENNIUM, I realised! Whoa! So I didn’t hesitate at all when the opportunity came up again. Maybe it’ll help me get some of my verve back.
This time I’m at a friend’s house looking after two young boys, and the challenge is not how to entertain them (that part I can always manage), it’s how to get them to go to sleep on time short of tying them down! In this case, after teeth were brushed and pyjamas donned, I had to be as creative as possible. BE FIRM, I reminded myself. It’s funny how kids build up a repertoire of stalling tactics (“Can I get a drink of water?”), bargaining tools (“If you let me stay up and finish the movie, I’ll…”), grandiose promises (“I’ll be REALLY REALLY REALLY good!”), and of course the requisite cajoling and wheedling (“I LUUUUUUUVE YOU!”).
I’ve positioned myself at the top of the stairs with the PowerBook on the floor, standing (well, sitting) guard lest a door squeak open and a child sneak out. Younger Brother did run out and tripped over my power cord, splitting the plug, so I’m running on battery power now — and it’s nearly gone. I’ll have to tell you later what I resorted to doing to tucker them out. (EDIT: I made them count!)