I put #28 Babysit for a full day on my 30 for 30 list namely because I wanted to see if I'd feel more keen on having my own children some day. Also, I welcomed the challenge since I haven't taken care of a child entirely on my own since I was a highly-overpaid* weekend sitter during my high school years. Although the basic care fundamentals haven't changed, I sure hope that 29-year old me would know more about life and how to respond to situational emergencies than me at 16!
Luckily for me I have a good girlfriend who was willing to loan her 9-month old baby Jack for a night to help with my little experiment. (Although I'm sure if she's reading this, she probably won't like the sounds of "experiment.") Don't worry, Annie, it all worked out just fine!
I don't have any pix to prove this momentous event (too busy watching the kid, and all), but here are a few things I learned from this updated life experience:
1. Babies are not quite like pet dogs. At the beginning, I found myself trying to play with Jack the way I do with FurFur. "Go get the ball!" didn't go very far with him (or with FurFur, sometimes).
2. Babies don't judge.
3. Peek-a-boo never gets old.
4. Babies relate to you best if you get down to their level. I was on the floor 98% of the time, and mostly crawling around on all fours chasing him around. Jack thought it was really funny when I zoomed in at him at eye-level.
5. Lots of silly noises and sing-song voices keep them happy. I know zilch kid songs, so I sang what I knew: Christmas songs and old-school Britney. Poor Jack.
6. How do you manage to EAT as a mother to a (non-sleeping) young baby??? (I didn't really figure out how to master this successfully, so any tips would be welcomed!)
7. Pacifiers can actually help prevent SIDS. Yea, I googled** this.
Besides a crying spell while I changed him (I don't blame him, it wasn't a very smooth ride since he writhed around so much like a snake), the night was pretty good.
*In case you're wondering, way back then I was paid at least $10 an hour for one young kid, and then $12 after they had a second. Which is a whole lot more than minimum wage today. Come to think of it, maybe I'm in the wrong industry entirely.
**When Jack awoke crying during his sleep and I couldn't get him to calm down, I had to resort to using a pacifier. I thought I was so clever until 20 minutes later, when it occurred to me that maybe it's unsafe for babies to sleep with pacifiers? I actually googled "Is it alright for babies to sleep with pacifier?" Fortunately, some sources say pacifiers can actually help reduce the risk of SIDS, and even more fortunately, the parents came home shortly thereafter :) Whew.
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Glad it was a good night! Jack had fun and wants to play again soon!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! P.S. are you hungry all the time?? How do you find time to eat?!
ReplyDeleteWow, baby sitting, nice one! I'd love to babysit my niece and nephew but they are just too hyper! Lol. But you're right, I too have to figure out if I'll ever be comfortable being with kids and having my own kids. ;)
ReplyDeleteI usually cook dinner after he goes to bed. Otherwise I get him involved in a rousing game of empty-the-laundry-basket or try-to-put-cheese-in-his-mouth-in-the-highchair; those are usually good for a little bit of cooking time. I'm still trying to master everyone eating together so he can eat what we eat...someday!
ReplyDelete@Simplyquely– the good thing about having a niece/nephew is that you can be The Cool Aunt for a day, and then give them back! I wish I lived near my baby niece to sit for her regularly – she's adorbs!
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