Saturday, August 21, 2010
Second babysitter story
No, we do not hire babysitters all the time, it just seems like those make the best stories.
Today we had to go finalize our cabinet selections for the new place and knowing this was important (and knowing that last time we went with Blake our appointment time was virtually wasted because I was cleaning up kid messes, etc) I decided to hire a babysitter. Not the babysitter from yesterday....the babysitter from down the street- the one Blake called fat last time she was here, yes she actually came back.
I asked her to take him to the park and then figured they play a little and watch a bit of TV. The TV is what happened last time....we came home and the TV was on and they had watched 2 movies. This made me totally mad because I don't pay a babysitter to watch TV, but then my friend Adele pointed out that for $5/hour (we pay all our other sitters twice that much) who really cares what goes on as long as your kid is safe and your house is still standing when you get home. Point taken. So at least our house was still standing today and Blake was OK. No park, 4 hours worth of TV. Not great, but at least he didn't call her fat today. progress.
Today we had to go finalize our cabinet selections for the new place and knowing this was important (and knowing that last time we went with Blake our appointment time was virtually wasted because I was cleaning up kid messes, etc) I decided to hire a babysitter. Not the babysitter from yesterday....the babysitter from down the street- the one Blake called fat last time she was here, yes she actually came back.
I asked her to take him to the park and then figured they play a little and watch a bit of TV. The TV is what happened last time....we came home and the TV was on and they had watched 2 movies. This made me totally mad because I don't pay a babysitter to watch TV, but then my friend Adele pointed out that for $5/hour (we pay all our other sitters twice that much) who really cares what goes on as long as your kid is safe and your house is still standing when you get home. Point taken. So at least our house was still standing today and Blake was OK. No park, 4 hours worth of TV. Not great, but at least he didn't call her fat today. progress.
The bad text from the babysitter
Yesterday, after months of delayed, re-scheduled hair appointments, I finally made it in to get my hair cut/colored...you mean it's not natural? :)
I hired a babysitter. She came at about 1:30. I was out of the house by 1:45, enough time to get a venti passion tea at starbucks before settling in to the hair dresser's chair at my 2:15 appointment.
2:05 the text you don't want to get. "I guess we're not going to the library. Blake's throwing things at me and I can't get him to stop. Tried timeouts and nothing is working. What should I do?" WHAT?!?! Now granted, this is the behavior I live through everyday, but never actually expected it out of him with a babysitter he really likes. I texted back and told her to put him in his room and leave him there until he stopped. Didn't work, he was still being bad.
Knowing how terrible this behavior is everyday of my life with this child, I certainly didn't wish that on anyone, so I told her that I would just get a hair cut and no color and come home immediately. Now this could have gone one of two ways: possibility 1: "no, don't come home, I'll handle it." Possibility 2 (and what really happened) "well, I would hate for you to have to come home, but..." As I said, I realize how it feels to be stuck with that and so I had no choice but to leave my haircut and go home and rescue the babysitter.
I am totally exasperated with this kid's behavior. Just ask my husband. I have tried everything I can think of...yelling, spanking, you name it. If he knew how to flip me off, that's what he'd be doing. I finally tried a new technique though. Locking MYSELF in my room. Golden. Basically all he wants is my attention 24/7, so taking myself away from him was the worst thing I could have done to him. I stayed in there for almost an hour with him knocking/crying/begging me to let him in. Priceless- noisy and annoying, but priceless.
I hired a babysitter. She came at about 1:30. I was out of the house by 1:45, enough time to get a venti passion tea at starbucks before settling in to the hair dresser's chair at my 2:15 appointment.
2:05 the text you don't want to get. "I guess we're not going to the library. Blake's throwing things at me and I can't get him to stop. Tried timeouts and nothing is working. What should I do?" WHAT?!?! Now granted, this is the behavior I live through everyday, but never actually expected it out of him with a babysitter he really likes. I texted back and told her to put him in his room and leave him there until he stopped. Didn't work, he was still being bad.
Knowing how terrible this behavior is everyday of my life with this child, I certainly didn't wish that on anyone, so I told her that I would just get a hair cut and no color and come home immediately. Now this could have gone one of two ways: possibility 1: "no, don't come home, I'll handle it." Possibility 2 (and what really happened) "well, I would hate for you to have to come home, but..." As I said, I realize how it feels to be stuck with that and so I had no choice but to leave my haircut and go home and rescue the babysitter.
I am totally exasperated with this kid's behavior. Just ask my husband. I have tried everything I can think of...yelling, spanking, you name it. If he knew how to flip me off, that's what he'd be doing. I finally tried a new technique though. Locking MYSELF in my room. Golden. Basically all he wants is my attention 24/7, so taking myself away from him was the worst thing I could have done to him. I stayed in there for almost an hour with him knocking/crying/begging me to let him in. Priceless- noisy and annoying, but priceless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)