Sep 1, 2010

The Certainties of Caring for Children

If a child asks you, "Guess how old I am, four or five?"Always guess five.

If a child is taller than your waist, don't offer to spin her around. By the time she asks for a fifth turn, you will probably scrape her knees against the ground from exhaustion.

As dirty as a child gets, they can always be cleaned again, so make your decision: would you rather have happy children playing harmlessly out side making blackberry jam with their fingers and a cereal bowl and not bothering you? Or would you rather impatiently tell them not to make a mess of themselves and then have to answer their subsequent complaints of "I'm bored"?

If you pick up an adorable small child and he tells you with an innocent sigh, "My mom can't hold me anymore, only my dad." Know that he loves being held as much as you love holding him. Just be prepared to carry him for the rest of the evening.

If one child asks you to blow up one of the long skinny balloons meant for pumps and sees you succeed, take a deep breath: you will probably be asked to blow up at least five more.

(If I have missed any, let me know.)

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