What do I do with the abnoxious kids I babysit? What do I do in a restaurant?

Shannon (8) and Jakob (6) were acting up today in Pizza Street. When I took Shannon to get another slice and some ice cream, Jakob started dancing to the music on the table. He jumped on the other tables and danced while stepping in other peoples’ food. I was SO embarassed. When I went to get him, Shannon came back with a loaded tray of desserts and her face was covered in chocolate. The she yelled “FOOD FIGHT!” and threw a piece of cake at Jakob. As usual, Jakob cried and threw the GLASS thing of parmesan at Shannon, and Shannon ducked and it hit the floor. So, I payed for it and asked their parents for money for paying back. They paid, of course. But before the day was over, they did a LOT more. When we went to Hobby Lobby (I thought having art projects on their minds would help cool things down a bit, They got into some glitter and markers and Shannon’s whole face was black and Jakob’s was pink.

You need to talk to the parents. Find out what they would prefer. You should just leave the establishment with the kids and tell them that you can’t take them out if they are going to act like this. I used to babysit kids that age and they can understand consequences. You can pull them aside and sternly tell them that you will leave the establishment unless they learn to behave. You will also tell their parents.

When you talk to the parents, ask that they talk to the kids before you come to babysit. Tell the parents that you’re concerned about their safety and won’t be able to take them out if they’re not going to listen.

*Seriously, for your own protection, I hope you have some form of insurance. In Pizza Street, if that glass parmesan hit shannon, that could have been a serious problem that can put you at legal risk. When you were at hobby lobby, if some of that glitter got in either of their eyes, you could also be at risk. So, unless you have adequate legal coverage, then I don’t recommend taking these kids out if you cannot control them. (Jakob could have also slipped while dancing on the tables, he could have injured another customer).

Ask the parents if giving the kids an earlier bedtime is a possible punishment, or if the parents give time outs. Some parents are strongly against time outs so you do need to discuss these options with the parents.

**Bring your own craft bag next time too. I always went to the dollar store and would load up on cheap goodies – bouncy balls, bracelets, craft goods, crayons, coloring books.

Foam Flower Crafts for Kids : Cutting Leaves for Flower Kids’ Crafts

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