1. The Entry
You get to the house and walk through the door. You’re fully energized and ready for whatever these kids are going to throw at you.
2. The Exit
The parents leave with the classic “call if you need anything, have fun kids,” and then it’s just you and them. This is when the true challenge begins.
3. Getting Your Cardio
You take the kids outside to blow off some steam (and hopefully exhaust them a bit). Of course you end up running around with them, which reminds you that you aren’t as young as you used to be.
4. Monopoly Monstrosity
After the outside play time has run its course, and you probably aren’t capable of running after them again, you end up taking them inside to play something else. Since board games end up like this half the time, you end up popping on a movie or TV show to keep them occupied for a little while.
5. Driving Miss Daisy
If you have to drive the kids anywhere, sometimes it’s nice, but sometimes it’s a little too much of a glimpse into your life 15ish years into the future.
6. Chopped
The kids inevitably get hungry. Not only are you forced to navigate a kitchen that you don’t know (where you probably can’t find anything), but you are forced to rely on your cooking skills that are definitely not on “mom” level yet.
7. The Sugar Rush
Obviously after dinner the kids ask for a dessert of some kind. You probably almost always say yes but then immediately regret it once the sugar high kicks in.
8. The “B” word
The classic bedtime argument starts. This ranges from either a negotiation of how much longer they can stay up to a full on tantrum. If you’re lucky, the kids will just listen, but that doesn’t happen often.
9. The Great Collapse
Once the kids finally go to bed you’re in the clear to relax until the parents get home.
10. The Payout
Even though you leave exhausted, you have a feeling that you’ll be coming back again.
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