My New "Job"

This might ramble a little....so I apologize now.

For a while now, I have been the backup babysitter for my Jazzercise class. If the lady who normally does it gets sick or has too many kids in there, I am supposed to go help. I've had to do it a few times but overall, it wasn't too bad.

Well, last week, the manager came and asked me if I would consider being the full time sitter for Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning classes. These are the classes that tend to have the most kids (and they are mostly toddlers). The current sitter is 84 and is starting to get a little crochety with them. The kids feel it and then are crying and don't want to be there. So it's getting kind of rough. I said yes. She said she'd have us work together for a while and then phase to me only on those classes.

WELL...Monday was okay. There were just 2 kids - Maggie and another little boy who's 4. I sat on the floor and read to them most of the time.

We had some issues on Wednesday though. The current babysitter always puts one of the instructor's kids in a high chair (he's 18 months) because he cries and tries to go to his mom. The class manager asked me to take him out, so I did. I sat on the floor and played with him, his sister, Maggie, Allison and Jordan (who was in her stroller). The first class was fine but then it came time for the 30 minute extra session. First, the other babysitter wanted to open up the partition. I asked her not to do this because Allison's class was in the gym playing and I didn't want her to get confused and think she could go play because I had kept her home from school. Well, she opened it anyway. I had it cracked so Allison and the instructor's 2 kids could all take turns peeking at the kids playing (which they were doing). When she opened it, she then grabbed the instructor's little boy FROM MY LAP where he was playing quietly and put him in a highchair so he could watch (and I giggled a little when he screamed to get down). This is what I ALWAYS do," she says. I called the manager after class and told her after Spring Break next week, I would like to do it by myself.

Unfortunately, today was not much better. I was prepared though because during my extra session last night, the manager told me the other babysitter was a little upset. So today, I get there and start setting everything up. The other sitter comes to me and says, "There will be NO sitting on the floor and playing with the kids today. That's not what we're here for. We're not here to interact with them." Are you freakin' kidding me?!?!? I told her that it might not be how she does things but that's how I babysit. If she doesn't like it, she can take it up with the manager. She said she had. I told her that the manager hadn't mentioned anything to me and I had seen her the night before. Until I heard otherwise, this was how I was going to do things. She said she'd never had any issues with the kids before. I told her that was because she put the ones who wanted to run around in high chairs. (I know, I probably shouldn't have said this). So, it was a little tense but the kids were really good. (And yes, I did get on the floor and play with them).

So that's my new job so far. I'm happy because the kids who are normally "cryers" haven't cried or screamed at all. I'm happy because this seems to make their moms VERY happy. I'm happy because I get to play with some really great kids. I'm happy because I hopefully will only have 1 more week of fighting with an 84 year old. Cross your fingers that Spring Break goes by QUICKLY.

I do feel kind of bad for her. I mean, she's 84 and she's there 11 times a week and has been doing it for 3 years. This is her only time out of the house from what I can tell. BUT on the other hand, she's 84. She sits in a chair and just watches them. This is fine for the older kids but the little ones need some interaction so they can pass the hour without screaming and their moms can get a break and workout. She's getting to where she tells me the same stories over and over and over. She's usually confused on what day it is. Plus, she's forgotten to come in a few times because she thought it was a different day. It's just not safe for her to have that many kids anymore. I know it might seem a little harsh but I really feel that I'm doing the right thing here. Plus, if other parents have complained or are concerned then it's really in their best interest to pursue other options. (I do still feel kind of bad for her though).