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Babysitting - a chore or a joy?
I spent a week recently doing my sister in law a favour. She and her husband wanted a few days off, but two dogs, a 10 year old boy and an Edinburgh house needed some looking after.
"There's a deep frozen lasagne in the fridge and please could you help Ruairidh with his project - doesn't matter if you can't. Thanks Jo. Byeeeeeee!" And they were gone, clutching boots and wellies, and all the other kit needed for Monro bagging.
But it did matter, because the project had to be in for Friday, and I remember enough about projects and deadlines to know that it's best if they are handed in on time, especially for the wee chap.
I was glad to be there. My nephew is fun and we made a "ground rules" plan, the minute the front door had banged. We drew up a time-table, set a few limits about bed time, home work and free time. As I wasn't his parent, he complied instantly.
We set to and tackled the project. He was writing about Mons, the town in Belgium where he was born, near the big NATO HQ. Not for him an easy town like Glasgow, London or New York, no, he chose a town with not too much history and very few famous sons. However we did find out something about "The Monkey of Mons" and the "Angel of Mons" and that Mons means mountains. We made the rest up! So that was fun, and the project got handed in on time.
I hope he doesn't tell his teacher that I was a teacher, because it didn't exactly look like teacher inspired work! He went off to school all day, leaving me with the dogs, and long days exploring Edinburgh. Now that doesn't sound like hard work does it?
I wandered around Stockbridge with all its busy and interesting shops. I trailed along the Water of Leith with the dogs, who seemed hell bent on knocking the many cyclists off their bikes, so the walks were not the dreamy things that walks at "The Burn" are. I had to concentrate and apologise and pick up poo. I wouldn't be a town dog owner for anything.
As I was enjoying my fix of being a town dweller, I did reflect on the differences between country living and town living. Even in a leafy suburb, the senses are assaulted constantly. Buses are opening and closing their doors with that big whoosh noise. The traffic is constant and people are everywhere.
Of course there is a buzz, and you don't have to travel miles to get to centres of entertainment, but on the whole I realised that I prefer to hear the birds sing, and feel close to nature rather than be in competition with it.
Still I was there to do a job, so I very diligently put in a washing once a day and cooked an evening meal. The wee chap trailed in looking weary at the end of the day, and I was reminded that there really is no simpler creature than a tousle-haired 10 year old boy.
Knees filthy, socks round his ankles, shoelaces undone, but miraculously not tripping him up. His school bag looked as though it had bricks in it, and there was always another bag full of a variety of kit.
First stop the cupboard. Must have something to eat. I watched his little routine. A yoghurt from the fridge and crunchy nuts from the cereal shelf.
Then he heaped too much cereal into the yoghurt pot until it spilled over, dogs at the ready because this does happen everyday. Then we have a small discussion about free time and homework time, supper time and bed time and he drifts off to do his thing.
Also coexisting with us in the house was a "just ignore her" teenager. Olivia has a job which she was constantly about to be "sacked" from. Everybody "hates" her at work, but the job keeps going and so does the phone with all her friends on the other end.
She is a picture of fabulous alternative dressing, which she tells me she changes when she gets to work. She is going into fashion design. She has enough beads around her neck to curve her spine. She wears tiny dresses with a huge belt round her bottom.
Her hair is washed and straightened everyday and then hours are spent piling it casually on top of her head with ornaments stuck in with immense care, to look random. Then she wears thick tights with the feet cut off with big deliberate holes. It's hard to understand or describe, but the gear certainly turns heads, which I assume is the whole point.
It was an education for me because I only have boys. Anyway she floated in and out, picked at food and slept a lot. We got on a treat and didn't get in each others' way. Our timetables hardly coincided.
Before I knew it, my time was up. The parents were home, family balance and banter was restored. I was declared "cool" and sent packing back to my regular life.
My nephew shared with me one of the most profound thoughts I have ever heard. I want to end this article by sharing it with you now. On one of the evenings as he trailed in from the garden with the 2 dogs in tow he said, "Jo, what's not to love about a cricket bat?" Not a thing, kid, not a thing!
- Jo Middlemiss is a personal life coach living and working in Edzell. You can contact her on (01356) 648 329.
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Weather for Brechin
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
