Friday, November 14, 2008

Nanny Lisa, AKA Mary Poppins without the Magic Carpetbag


Most days, I am thankful for my job.  I mean, how hard is it really to drive kids around and help them with homework?  20 hours of nanny work a week for free rent (& utilities!) is a steal, I know this.  But there are some days when I think: I will never have children.  The things that drive me up the wall:
  1. Complaining.  I don't want to walk to the car.  I don't want to read.  I don't want to do my homework.  I'm bored.  I'm too tired to do that.  I don't want that for dinner.  Why did you take so long?  Why do we have to wait?  Why can't I have candy for my snack?  The constant, dissatisfied, whiny tone takes its toll.  
  2. Uncooperativeness.  Having every request met with some argument, some rationale for why it doesn't have to be done.  When instructions are intentionally interpreted literally to avoid cooperation, so I have to give increasingly specific directions to avoid the argument 'I'm doing what you asked!'  Or, just a simple 'No.'  When every little thing is a struggle, I want to pull my hair out.
  3. Bickering.  Siblings have a way of getting on each other's nerves that must grate on parents' nerves the most... or at least the nanny's.  I could handle a blow-out fight every once in a while, but the bickering and nagging is like nails on a chalkboard.    
  4. Yelling.  Loud noises generally, expressing any emotion.  I don't like them.
The kids I nanny are good kids.  Really, they are.  Most of the time, we don't have problems, and even have fun!  But some days... Some days they are quite a handful, and I think, I'm not cut out for this.  Leave me to the world of rational adults, please!!

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