Untold Stories of the BabysittER.

Ever seen the show “Untold Stories of the ER” where people who lived through traumatic ER experiences narrate their stories to a dramatized scene acted out in the background? If you haven’t, I’ll be the first to say that you’re really missing out. I love that it gives you an inside look at some of the craziness that goes down in an ER on a daily basis. It has definitely given me a greater appreciation for what the workers have to go through.

That being said, I’d like to give you, my darling blog readers, an inside look into the life of a babysitter. We will call this “Untold stories of the BabysittER.”

***Warning: Some stories may be uncomfortable or just downright gross, so read at your own     discretion.***

1. A 1 year old’s arm comes out of socket and I have to pop it back in. The cracking sound gave me the creeps.

2. A little girl jumps a wooden fence barefoot resulting in an inch long splinter deep in her heel. We couldn’t locate tweezers so the neighbor had to come over to lend a pair. An hour later, I had made a hole in her foot large enough to remove that bad boy.

3. While playing hide and seek, I hide in a dark closet in the basement. Unaware that the door locks when shut, I was trapped in the closet with no phone or light. My hiding spot turned out better than I thought, because the kids never found me. Instead, they went to the neighbors house to say they lost their babysitter and someone needed to call the police. They found me an hour later.

4. While peacefully winding down after an eventful night, a little girl projectile vomits all over the brand new rug, her sister, and me. That was not fun to clean up.

5. Little girl runs into table, bumps head, and knocks off the glass decorative bird. Poor birdy was beheaded.

6. Playing “pretend doctor” results in the discovery that two of three children have temperatures over 100 degrees.

7. Children all refuse to take a shower at the discovery of a mushroom growing within it.

8. While showering three kids, I am notified that the youngest has pooped in the corner while no one was looking. Oh, then she stepped in it and tracked it on the floors throughout the bathroom. I got in the  shower to clean it up and instead of turning on the shower head,  turned on the side sprayers. Needless to say, I took a shower too that night – fully clothed.

So, contrary to what many would like to think, babysitting is more than watching TV, and often has it’s challenges. Luckily I like a good challenge, and I’m happy to report that I’ve made it out alive. While I do love children dearly and firmly believe they are a precious gift from our Father, I wonder how mothers endure them 24/7. I’m convinced that the Lord must give mommies an enormous amount of grace and patience for their children. I’m going to need a double dose.