When I was 7, mummy gave birth to my (then baby) brother. So from 7, I was expected to learn how to take care of him and my (then) 4-year-old sister together. I remembered that it was rather fun, carrying a baby, feeding him, playing with him. When he was older, I walk him to kindergarten. When I was maybe about 10, mummy began to babysit my neighhour's children. In the period of about 5 years, she babysat 2 children. Being the eldest of the family, I had then helped mummy to mind my siblings and the child that mummy babysat.
So it seems like those skills came in useful. I was never afraid to carry babies, infants, nor scared by their cries (I only felt sorry for them when they cried really badly - red face, tears all over their faces, etc) I know how to burp babies after their milk feed, how to carry them to support their necks, how to pat them to sleep, how to change their nappies, fold their nappies (in those days, we used cloth nappies).
Yesterday, I had my taste of motherhood babysitting my niece, the 16-month-old Belle. Her parents were working and so I helped my MIL mind her while she went for evergreen fellowship. I have taken care of Belle before but yesterday, I take care of her for a stretch of 5-6 hours by myself. I bathed her, changed her, took her to the nearby park for a walk, watched tv with her, carried her to sleep, fed her lunch, played with her, talked to her, etc.... it was really tiring physically, but really rewarding and satisfactory. I can't imagine how I would have felt if it were my own child...
Belle is a really easy child to take care of. She is really sensible even at this age. She is starting to learn how to speak new words, both English and Chinese words. Right now, she can say "pa pa", "ma ma", "mum mum" (means to eat), "gai gai" (means to shop), "pooh bear", "bear bear", "baby", "na na" (means banana), "花" (flower), "bird", "pretty", "画画" (means to draw) There are many other words that she cannot speak but you know that she understands what you are telling her. E.g. if you say "let's go watch tv", she will walk you to where the tv is". It is really amazing how children knows things even though you don't teach them. God is really good at His creation, isn't it? And to think that we are created in His image.
So it seems like those skills came in useful. I was never afraid to carry babies, infants, nor scared by their cries (I only felt sorry for them when they cried really badly - red face, tears all over their faces, etc) I know how to burp babies after their milk feed, how to carry them to support their necks, how to pat them to sleep, how to change their nappies, fold their nappies (in those days, we used cloth nappies).
Yesterday, I had my taste of motherhood babysitting my niece, the 16-month-old Belle. Her parents were working and so I helped my MIL mind her while she went for evergreen fellowship. I have taken care of Belle before but yesterday, I take care of her for a stretch of 5-6 hours by myself. I bathed her, changed her, took her to the nearby park for a walk, watched tv with her, carried her to sleep, fed her lunch, played with her, talked to her, etc.... it was really tiring physically, but really rewarding and satisfactory. I can't imagine how I would have felt if it were my own child...
Belle is a really easy child to take care of. She is really sensible even at this age. She is starting to learn how to speak new words, both English and Chinese words. Right now, she can say "pa pa", "ma ma", "mum mum" (means to eat), "gai gai" (means to shop), "pooh bear", "bear bear", "baby", "na na" (means banana), "花" (flower), "bird", "pretty", "画画" (means to draw) There are many other words that she cannot speak but you know that she understands what you are telling her. E.g. if you say "let's go watch tv", she will walk you to where the tv is". It is really amazing how children knows things even though you don't teach them. God is really good at His creation, isn't it? And to think that we are created in His image.
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Belle on the slide in a small park nearby. She smiles just like her mummy, my SIL
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She was really good and easy to take care of. I wished my own children will be like her!
And yes I woke up with achy biceps and back today :p What a good workout for the day!
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