You down with OPC? Thoughts on babysitting as a twenty something

is for Children.

I've agreed to babysit for several days. This isn't much different from my usual position, babysitting a teacher's class, except that it occurs within a home, is less structured, and affords me no breaks.

Unlike when I was 12 and babysitting, now watching someone else's kids makes me a little bit sad. I look at their beautiful life and their beautiful children, and read their children an Henri Matisse story book which I begin to think might be boring separated from an art lesson, and I just die a little inside when a very cute insightful little boy makes precocious observations.

For example: comparing a more classical Matisse painting with a more Matisse-like Matisse painting, he identifies that the more classical one seems more realistic because of the texture. Texture! I would be excited if I heard an 8th grade make that comment! This is what my kid will be like....if I ever do have kids.

Also things that make me sad are other people's home ownerships.

.....I would really like to own a home.

So I am babysitting for a group of kids, only one of which lives in the house where this is taking place. One mom dropped off her little boy, who I noticed had a wet spot on the crotch of his pants. The spot was about the size of a quarter, and seemed pretty high. I give him the benefit of the doubt and think...oh that is too high to be pee. Pee happens a little lower in boys.

But then I remember that he is 4 and maybe pee doesn't happen so low for him.

This notion was confirmed later in the day when he asked me to turn the sink water on for him so he could wash his hands post peeing. He is quite short.

He was already in the process of peeing when I answered his call, door wide open. When he was done peeing, and he had certainly peed all over his...self, I asked him if he was going to wipe (because it appeared that this wasn't in his plans).

"No, I...I, My mom, my mommy says, I, when I pee, my mommy says when I pee I don't have to wipe."

Wet spot mystery: solved.

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