stand-in “mom”

Unexpected late night shift rattled my friend and her husband because their schedule got messed up. Both of them were required to work late and there’s no one to look after their two kids (8-year old girl and 4-year old boy).

I happened to be there during that “panic moment” so I volunteered to go straight to their house after my work and become a stand-in “mom” for that evening.

I was a bit late because I had to run a quick errand. As soon as I arrived, the 4-year old boy greeted me with a cute smile and told me that I was late. I can’t help but to give him a mischievous grin and offered an apology.

I guess that broke the ice because the kids and I, immediately “clicked” and were chatting like long lost pals. There’s an overflowing of stories, jokes, magic tricks, and ballet “moves”. Thus, laughter filled the room most of the time.

Supper time was a bit of a challenge because obviously, they were not hungry. They have been taking snacks in between the chatter. I had to rack my brain for some convincing techniques in order to encourage them to eat without sounding like I was nagging. Surprisingly, the little boy ate more even if he got sidetracked a couple of times.

After an hour or so, I gave them a heads up that it would be bed time after 30 minutes. And of course, I had to think of another method in order to talk them into going to sleep. Later on, I persuaded the little girl to finally snooze.

The little boy was another matter. He was scared to sleep in his room so I accompanied him. While I was playing with my phone, I noticed that he was tossing and turning so I did the trick that usually works for babies… I gave him a continuous gentle pat and he fell asleep after 5 minutes. Ha!

On the other hand, I discovered that:

• Gadgets worked well with kids.
• Attention span is really super short.
• They need to do different things every few minutes.

I must say, the kids were super hyper but not brats. Thank goodness! It’s amazing how matured and independent they are for their age. I’m pretty sure they will go a long way and rock the world with a big bang when they grow up.

Becoming a “mom” for few hours is an absolutely learning and exigent experience for me. It’s some sort of a preparatory training for me to become a “mom” in a few years time (fingers crossed).  I wonder how will I fare as a mother and how will my soon to be kids turn up? Hmmmm…. That remains to be seen.

All in all, I salute all the parents (especially the single parents) out there who are painstakingly raising their children to become independent and well-mannered individuals. Also, kudos to the unsung heroes, the nannies and babysitters. I truly admire your patience and dedication.  You have my high respect.

Hats off to all of you! 😀