One of the greatest challenges of parenthood is arranging for a babysitter to come and watch your children while you go out. So it’s nice when the kids get old enough to take care of themselves so they don’t need someone to sit with them. Or is it?
When I was old enough to do the babysitting for my younger brothers and sisters, my parents paid me twenty cents to watch the rest of the family. Well, that was a disaster. Nobody minded me.
After that Mom said to me, ‘Billy, we are going out again tonight. You will be sort of in charge, but you will all babysit yourselves.”
That worked fairly well. Every time Mom and Dad went off without us, we just took care of ourselves. Of course, if they went away for a few days they asked an adult babysitter or a young married couple come in and watch us.
Other than that, we took care of ourselves. It was perfection in
babysitting.
The water splashed.
“Billy! That got me all wet!”
“Oh, come on, Vera. It was just a joke.”
“You’re going to get it when Mom and Dad come home.”
“What are you doing, Vera?”
“I am writing your name on the blackboard. That’s one bad mark against you.”
“You can’t do that. The teacher only does that in school.”
“I can do it here at home too. You’re going to really get it when Mom comes home.”
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