I used to think most of boy/girl behavior is taught, but today is making me re-evaluate. I'm keeping a little girl, age 3 and she plays so different than Ivan. At first I thought maybe it was because she was older, or her personality, then I started thinking maybe there is something to the boy/girl thing.
All morning, she has been taking care of Dominique's doll (which Ivan never plays with)- carrying it, holding it, feeding it and putting it to bed. She actually listened and obeyed when I told her not to make any noise for 2-3 hours while Ivan slept (she got here at 6am). When we played cards, she played while Ivan threw the cards all over the room. She colored while he threw the crayons. She finished her picture while he climbed onto the office chair (on wheels) to retrieve a stick (we had put out of reach), so that he could pretend he was using a weed eater in the house and then used it as a baseball bat- again, in the house.
We go on a walk and she sat with Dominique while Ivan got past 2 houses, jumped out of the wagon and proceeded to hunt down fallen branches, walk through uncut grass up to his chest, pull and push the wagon, pick up trash and chase through yards.
She saw a foam pad in the sandbox and used it to sit on. Ivan was already in the sand, covered with it all over. He lasted about 5 minutes before he decided to climb all four corners of the gazebo. Meanwhile, she played in the sand a good 30 minutes.
It will be interesting to see how much is personality/age or gender and how Dominique will act as she continues to explore her world.
I captured this hilarious mealtime moment on video for our enjoyment. And don't be mistaken, she isn't looking down at her food, her eyes were totally closed. It was even more obvious before I brought out the camera. If you can believe it, she woke up some when I was filming.
What were your best and worst babysitting moments?
6 comments:
Well, I think it might be a boy/girl thing....it might be a family thing....it might be a personality thing.
But does it really matter?
My worst babysitting/Au Pair situation: The boy trying to hit me with a chair but fortunately just hitting my ear.
My best babysitting/kindergarten situation: Teaching a 3 year old how to use a fork and knife instead of a spoon.
It IS a boy/girl thing for sure! Very obvious when I volunteer in Harrison's preschool class. The girls sit and colour, do crafts, listen and play dolls quietly, while the boys scribble, do 1/2 the craft and run wild chasing eachother around the class, running over the girls playing house! And all of these kids come from different homes, different parents and have varying personalities! It comes down to gender!
You aren't kidding about her liking food! Most would have given up trying to eat once they got the head-bobs!!! CUTE!
Oops...forgot! My worst babysitting moment was as a nanny, when I knocked over the family's xmas tree, and smashed nearly every ornament and light on it! The 1 1/2 yr old boy kept dancing around the tree in the broken glass repeating "uh-oh" as I sat there crying until I started to laugh! It was awful! They still call me Super Nanny all these years later...so I guess they got over it!
Just realized that I forgot to put in my best and worst- worst: babysitting Jenn and Andrew and getting real angry at her and spanking her (didn't really have that right), then being so mad, I really could have hurt her (because she didn't act penitent enough for me). Sorry Jenn- so glad you are the peacemaker. Don't even remember why I was so mad.
Best moment: I got to be surrogate mom in my cousin's first swim class for the mom and child week. She didn't do anything and I worried so much over it, but then was so proud when the next week she became a little fish. Much later, she was on the swim team, but I try not to let that fact go to my head ;) Yeah- Cayley!
I love your videos! this one is priceless!
BEST OF THE BEST: Babysitting twin grandchildren as time and circumstances allow!
Can't really think of a worst because I always seem to get a kick out of kids.
Just love your videos!! You couldn't have staged that one of her falling asleep.
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