Babysitting ... help

[Hydrogen]

Ok, so apparently Tyler told an extended relative we would watch their kids next weekend, while they are out of town. Apparently they are both boys, aged 5 and 8 ....

So, I'm not really excited. I thought I might be able to get out of it with work, but no, I only work 1 day next week, Thursday.

Advice? Tyler wants to take then to Universal Studios for a day, which would be awesome if it was not a 6 hour trip there and back.

I apparently am boring, because my vote is to stay home, and watch movies. Since when is that a bad idea ?

Any other ideas? Kids are just not my strong point, maybe someday.

[Ben]

If I were in your situation, I would just watch some movies at home, play some games, go for ice cream and whatever.

[Bookmarked]

I love kids. Pinch of salt, sprinkle of lemon, perfect.

That piece of totally predictable off colour humour aside, I'm all for the movies thing. The great thing about kids that age is that they live with so many rules about what they're allowed to eat/watch/do etc. that even loosening one or two of these in a simple way can make for a magically fun experience. I'm not talking compete crazy anarchy, or hedonistic indulgence. Keep it simple, with a little special food, a few good movies and maybe a slightly later bedtime.

And trust me, I remember how much of an evil child I was on long car rides. Do not take children under 10 out anywhere for more than an hour each way.

My thoughts, such as they are.

[s5m1]

Hydrogen, good luck with the kids! I have kids in that age range, and they can be a lot of fun. You just need to plan ahead so they do not have down time where they can get bored. Also, make sure you have snacks with you wherever you go. Kids that age can get hungry and ornery fast. If that happens, your Kevlar and handcuffs will offer no protection from their wrath. Whatever you do with them, if it is outdoors, use lots of sunscreen. Young kids burn really easily and then are very unhappy.

I do not recommend that you stay home with them for the entire weekend. Kids that age have boundless energy and will be climbing the walls if they are inside all weekend. I also do not recommend driving to Orlando from the Panhandle. It is too long a drive with small kids for a short weekend. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Beach. Load them up with sunscreen and they can play in the sand and waves all day long.
2. Go to a movie. Kids love movies. Snacks are a must.
3. Rent videos. For those times when you are home, take them to Blockbuster and let them pick them out.
4. Water park. If there is one nearby, also a kid favorite.
5. Mini-golf.
6. Go to a park and throw a baseball or a football. Batting practice at a baseball diamond is also good if they are into baseball.
7. Indoor laser tag. Many areas have places that do this and it is relatively cheap.
8. Bowling. I have never met a kid that age that does not like to bowl.
9. Local children’s museum. Many areas have them.
10. Picnic. Find a park with grills and cook some hotdogs and hamburgers. Let the kids help choose the food.
11. Tag. Kids love to play the old fashioned game of tag. Combine this with a picnic at a park.
12. Frisbee. Combine with a picnic or the beach.
13. Pool. If you don’t have one, find a local community pool and bring lunch. You can spend most of a day there. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
14. Go to a minor league or college baseball game. They are less expensive than the pros and kids still love them. Again, snacks area must.
15. Bake cookies.
16. Buy ingredients for ice cream sundaes and let them make their own sundaes. Ice cream, hot fudge, sprinkles, whip cream, etc.

Good luck to you guys. Remember to have lots of patience but also be firm when appropriate. Give them fair warning of what you expect and have some gradually escalating consequences in mind to curb their behavior if necessary.

Have fun!

[TriBi]

^ The oracle has spoken (a lot of good ideas!).

Nothing I could possibly add to that....

Listen to kids...ask them what they want to do.That way you'll make them happy...

[davo-man]

Originally Posted by s5m1

1. Beach. Load them up with sunscreen and they can play in the sand and waves all day long.
2. Go to a movie. Kids love movies. Snacks are a must.
3. Rent videos. For those times when you are home, take them to Blockbuster and let them pick them out.
4. Water park. If there is one nearby, also a kid favorite.
5. Mini-golf.
6. Go to a park and throw a baseball or a football. Batting practice at a baseball diamond is also good if they are into baseball.
7. Indoor laser tag. Many areas have places that do this and it is relatively cheap.
8. Bowling. I have never met a kid that age that does not like to bowl.
9. Local children’s museum. Many areas have them.
10. Picnic. Find a park with grills and cook some hotdogs and hamburgers. Let the kids help choose the food.
11. Tag. Kids love to play the old fashioned game of tag. Combine this with a picnic at a park.
12. Frisbee. Combine with a picnic or the beach.
13. Pool. If you don’t have one, find a local community pool and bring lunch. You can spend most of a day there. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
14. Go to a minor league or college baseball game. They are less expensive than the pros and kids still love them. Again, snacks area must.
15. Bake cookies.
16. Buy ingredients for ice cream sundaes and let them make their own sundaes. Ice cream, hot fudge, sprinkles, whip cream, etc.

Wow, sounds like MY idea of a perfect weekend! I'd love to do all that stuff

My advice is to plan ahead, whatever you do. That way you won't be left with any of those awkward times, where you have nothing do to

[Alabastair]

Although not ideas on what to do with them, here are some helpful tips I think might come in handy:

Keep really colorful, decorated bandaids with you. When a kid gets hurt/falls, its amazing how much faster their pain goes away when you kiss the boo-boo and give them a really pretty bandaid.
If they are acting extremely bad, and you have to put them in time out, I usually take their age, double it, and thats how long they are in for. If they act better, they can get out early (nearly always the case).
Kids don't pay attention to things for long periods of time, so inbetween activities, try to get them to help clean up. Its saves work for everyone involved, and it keeps them from racing to new activities too quickly.
If you go to the park, bring bubbles along. Kids love it. Heck, I think most people love bubbles. Bubbles are always a good idea.
Watermelons. If you can get the seeds out, kids love watermelon. It gets really messy though, so bring wetwipes along.
Also, if you are dealing with kids, make sure you ask them frequently if they need to go to the bathroom. This is more for the younger kids, but when they are having fun, they loathe having to stop for something as inconsequential as wetting their pants. Make sure you are never too far away from a bathroom either.
Like said above, getting ice cream is an amazing idea. I highly recommend it.

Good luck, and tell us how it goes!

[sexyalex]

awuhh this is sooo cute! I never heard of a gay couple baby sitting before humm, i am horrible with kids. Well not horrible, i am just a bad influsence

i think u should PM mother Becky. She might can give u some really useful pointers on how to go about handeling them. But as it relates to activities.

humm,
well, you could try a few things like

• doing really fun stuff in the kitchen like someone said cookies o.o...but cookies may be a bit hard for 8 year olds...try pizza^^
• :3 u can give them a shot of tiquila and let them sleep for hours while u paste urself to Direct Tv
• take the drive to universal studios, might be good for passing time
• playing a few intresting board/video games but NOT FOR LONG, might work too(for board game i recommend "Life") but the reason i said no for long is cuz i know kids have short attention spands.
• how many computers do u have? don't be afraid to put them around it to just mess around. I bought up some magic school bus and reader rabbit and other educational game softwares to occupy my little neices time when she is here(unfortunatly she only plays it for the graphics and sound and not for learning )
• art and craft anyone? parents might..not all, MIGHT miss their parents, so...take out simple partchment paper, paper sizzors, glitter, crayons etc, and let them make welcome back or "i love you" card for their parents and u can do one for Tyler too ^^
• whatever you doo, be careful of their diet and it's the main reaosn i don't give my neice ice cream when i am baby sitting her for the week or so, u don't want a sick kid on ur hands(trust me) it's not a pretty experience. Milkshakes, -iffy- sundes, -stiff iffy- but there are other treats kids love that MAY not affect their health. Brownies anyone? or how about taking them shopping...and i don't mean clothes shopping <.< i mean grocery store shopping. Make them pick out fruits they like and make pancakes WITH the fruits they chose,
• in addition, i know the museum may sound fun...so does the pool (>.< omg i would never bring someone's child to a pool...especially 2 of them! i can't imagine if.....x.x-kid drowns-) but u know what, museums are boring anyways and the beach sounds like a totally fun idea. Hummm, having thought of it, u can buy time by introducing them to urr friends i mean, why not...that's a ncie short trip kids usually like(to meet their sitters friends, especially the female ones)

so what do u think?


go figure? kehehehe

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by TriBi

^ The oracle has spoken (a lot of good ideas!).

Nothing I could possibly add to that....

I agree! What a great list! s5m1 is cut out for this work! Come to my house!

I would print off that list right there and ask the kids what they would like to do. If its something they choose, it will make it all the much more fun. I agree 12 hours in the car with two kids is too much and its also going to be very expensive. I think you can have alot of fun with the kids at home and maybe if they enjoy your time together the parents will give you three or four days next time and you can take them to Universal.

Have fun!

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by sexyalex

awuhh this is sooo cute! I never heard of a gay couple baby sitting before humm, i am horrible with kids. Well not horrible, i am just a bad influsence

i think u should PM mother Becky. She might can give u some really useful pointers on how to go about handeling them. But as it relates to activities.

humm,
well, you could try a few things like

• doing really fun stuff in the kitchen like someone said cookies o.o...but cookies may be a bit hard for 8 year olds...try pizza^^
• :3 u can give them a shot of tiquila and let them sleep for hours while u paste urself to Direct Tv
• take the drive to universal studios, might be good for passing time
• playing a few intresting board/video games but NOT FOR LONG, might work too(for board game i recommend "Life") but the reason i said no for long is cuz i know kids have short attention spands.
• how many computers do u have? don't be afraid to put them around it to just mess around. I bought up some magic school bus and reader rabbit and other educational game softwares to occupy my little neices time when she is here(unfortunatly she only plays it for the graphics and sound and not for learning )
• art and craft anyone? parents might..not all, MIGHT miss their parents, so...take out simple partchment paper, paper sizzors, glitter, crayons etc, and let them make welcome back or "i love you" card for their parents and u can do one for Tyler too ^^
• whatever you doo, be careful of their diet and it's the main reaosn i don't give my neice ice cream when i am baby sitting her for the week or so, u don't want a sick kid on ur hands(trust me) it's not a pretty experience. Milkshakes, -iffy- sundes, -stiff iffy- but there are other treats kids love that MAY not affect their health. Brownies anyone? or how about taking them shopping...and i don't mean clothes shopping <.< i mean grocery store shopping. Make them pick out fruits they like and make pancakes WITH the fruits they chose,
• in addition, i know the museum may sound fun...so does the pool (>.< omg i would never bring someone's child to a pool...especially 2 of them! i can't imagine if.....x.x-kid drowns-) but u know what, museums are boring anyways and the beach sounds like a totally fun idea. Hummm, having thought of it, u can buy time by introducing them to urr friends i mean, why not...that's a ncie short trip kids usually like(to meet their sitters friends, especially the female ones)

so what do u think?


go figure? kehehehe

Alex! No tequila for the kids!

[Lexington]

Since nobody else has brought this up...

Tell Tyler to stop offering your services as a babysitter without consulting you first.

Lex

[Hydrogen]

Originally Posted by Lexington

Since nobody else has brought this up...

Tell Tyler to stop offering your services as a babysitter without consulting you first.

Lex

If only it were that easy...

I am amazed by all the good responses. I would not have come up with some of them.

I think I finally got Tyler off the idea of Universal Studios... I believe that is more what HE wanted to do (I have told him for months we would go...)

So, I found out there is a caravel at a local Veterans post, so we will do that one day and probably do the beach and watch movies the rest of the time. Hopefully I can get Tyler to make cookies or a cake with them, so I have a good excuse to go off this diet

Oh, and I have to admit, I know this is wrong, but one time when I was younger I cut a sleeping pill open and put it in some Poweraid of the kid I was watching...
(I was 13 ... no one should leave a 13 year old to watch a kid)

[Hydrogen]

Originally Posted by Alabastair

Also, if you are dealing with kids, make sure you ask them frequently if they need to go to the bathroom. This is more for the younger kids, but when they are having fun, they loathe having to stop for something as inconsequential as wetting their pants. Make sure you are never too far away from a bathroom either.

This is one of the main reasons I don't like kids... or puppies.

[AeonToy]

Lex[/QUOTE]
Oh, and I have to admit, I know this is wrong, but one time when I was younger I cut a sleeping pill open and put it in some Poweraid of the kid I was watching...
(I was 13 ... no one should leave a 13 year old to watch a kid)[/QUOTE]


LOL!!! hahahahha thats hilarious....

but seriously, the easiest thing is to go the park and let them run around. then, go back when they are tired to feed them and if they still arnt tired, watch a movie then sleepy time.

its amazing how kids can watch the same movie over and over again. like CARS

[InaRut]

As a kid there is nothing I loved more then going to the park. Or even exploring outside at that. My brothers andI use to go into this nearby forest (that really wasn't much of a forest) and explore it for HOURS!

[Kimi]

Originally Posted by s5m1

Hydrogen, good luck with the kids! I have kids in that age range, and they can be a lot of fun. You just need to plan ahead so they do not have down time where they can get bored. Also, make sure you have snacks with you wherever you go. Kids that age can get hungry and ornery fast. If that happens, your Kevlar and handcuffs will offer no protection from their wrath. Whatever you do with them, if it is outdoors, use lots of sunscreen. Young kids burn really easily and then are very unhappy.

I do not recommend that you stay home with them for the entire weekend. Kids that age have boundless energy and will be climbing the walls if they are inside all weekend. I also do not recommend driving to Orlando from the Panhandle. It is too long a drive with small kids for a short weekend. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Beach. Load them up with sunscreen and they can play in the sand and waves all day long.
2. Go to a movie. Kids love movies. Snacks are a must.
3. Rent videos. For those times when you are home, take them to Blockbuster and let them pick them out.
4. Water park. If there is one nearby, also a kid favorite.
5. Mini-golf.
6. Go to a park and throw a baseball or a football. Batting practice at a baseball diamond is also good if they are into baseball.
7. Indoor laser tag. Many areas have places that do this and it is relatively cheap.
8. Bowling. I have never met a kid that age that does not like to bowl.
9. Local children’s museum. Many areas have them.
10. Picnic. Find a park with grills and cook some hotdogs and hamburgers. Let the kids help choose the food.
11. Tag. Kids love to play the old fashioned game of tag. Combine this with a picnic at a park.
12. Frisbee. Combine with a picnic or the beach.
13. Pool. If you don’t have one, find a local community pool and bring lunch. You can spend most of a day there. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
14. Go to a minor league or college baseball game. They are less expensive than the pros and kids still love them. Again, snacks area must.
15. Bake cookies.
16. Buy ingredients for ice cream sundaes and let them make their own sundaes. Ice cream, hot fudge, sprinkles, whip cream, etc.

Good luck to you guys. Remember to have lots of patience but also be firm when appropriate. Give them fair warning of what you expect and have some gradually escalating consequences in mind to curb their behavior if necessary.

Have fun!

That sounds fantastic!!
ANd if I like doing those thing above is that mean I have similar interests as 5 to 8 kids??