Babysitting

Tonight I have to babysit my cousins, Maddie, Garrett, and Ben. Maddie is 7, Garrett just turned 4, and Ben will be 2 in April. Maddie tends to be a little bossy and hyperactive at times, always telling Garrett how to play a certain game and shoving him when he is the center of attention. Garrett definitely has the “middle child syndrome.” Although he tends to be the family favorite, he is extremely emotional and sensitive. He will start to cry for no reason at all, and then ten seconds later, he is laughing at God only knows. Ben is one of the most relaxed babies I have ever seen; he is happy just as long as he’s eating. They are definitely a handful. Maddie and Garrett will probably be fighting over their iPad and Wii. I love to babysit my cousins because we get to order pizzas and movies, although having all the kids agree on one movie is always an issue. Garrett normally only wants to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks, even though he has seen it about 12 different times. Ben loves the show Yo Gabba Gabba so he gets to watch that on his own little DVD player. It helps him falls asleep so I’m a big fan of Yo Gabba Gabba. Even though I love my cousins (they’re pretty much like my siblings), babysitting them wears me out. I am literally so exhausted when I get home that I can totally understand why my aunt and uncle need a night away once in a while. I cannot imagine having to take care of them all day everyday and still having energy to think for themselves. I am only there for one meal of the day, and I get extremely stressed out just from that. I could not handle having to try to get each kid to finish their dinners and wash their hands before and after. I guess they have just gotten used to it by now. Babysitting definitely makes me consider the number of kids I want to have.