 If you’re anything like me you just show up to babysit. BUT, if you’re like me you realize shortly after arriving at the residence that you’re overwhelmingly unprepared. It never fails when I go to babysit without some kind of activity planned the time drags, kids are bored, you struggle to entertain, keep the kids engaged, and you start counting the minutes to when parents come home or the kids’ bedtime. But, when I go prepared with something in mind to do with the kids time flies, and it’s not always because we do the activity. For some reason when I have something prepped the kids inevitably have their own things they want to do, things they want to show me, games they want to share with me, etc sometimes we don’t even get to the activity I planned.
For whatever reason when I come prepared to do something with the kids things go a lot smoother. Maybe its that I know I have something in my back hip pocket to whip out in case things go south OR because I am prepped I’m more relaxed and the time just passes more easily. Whatever the reason I just say go prepared to spend time with the kids by having some ideas on what to do together with them; whether it’s make kool-aid, jello-o, painting, playing a board game, watching a video about something they’ve shown interest in, or is educational in some kind. Anything, and I promise, your time with the family will be so much more enjoyable.
