Babies!

I mentioned yesterday that I got a job. It's not the job I expected to get - in a supermarket, stacking shelves or behind a till - nor is it the job I was trained to do during my studies (librarian). It's a job as a professional babysitter. I'll be working 18 hours a week, looking after two young children, a boy and a girl aged 4 and 7 respectively. I'm meeting their mother for the first time tonight at seven.

Those who know me well won't be surprised at all. I've always loved kids, I have two little sisters I've spent lots of time looking after, and I've been babysitting for other peoples' kids since I was thirteen. I even have a French certificate, called the BAFA, which you need to work in holiday camps and after school clubs. Some of my family were surprised when I didn't decide to do that for a living.

The truth is that although I do love kids, there are certain limits. Firstly, there mustn't be too many of them. The interships I did in order to obtain my BAFA taught me that minding eight five-year-olds all at once for ten hours a day, at least five days a week, is too stressful for me. I'm terrified something might happen to one of them, and I can only comfortably take care of up to three at one time.

Secondly, they can't be too old. Preferably no older than ten. After that I think they can generally take care of themselves, but in France there are holiday camps for kids up to the age of 16, and it felt weird telling people who were nearly my own age what to do. In fact, I'm most comfortable with babies and toddlers.

Also, the pay and the hours are generally crap. So I decided to concentrate on writing, and when my mother suggested becoming a librarian, I did a couple of short placements in small public libraries, and agreed.

Several things have prevented me since then from actually becoming a librarian, but I won't go into them - the last one being the economic crisis and potential employers' recent pickiness, I think you'll understand. Around christmas, I discovered the wonderful world of babysitting agencies. Good pay, flexible hours, possible training and career support. The interview went well, and although they said they couldn't allow me to mind kids under three (you have to have a specific state-recognized diploma for that), they'd find me something with kids aged three to ten.

I waited. Then I rang and told them it didn't matter if there weren't too many hours a week, that I'd accept pretty much anything in the area. I waited. I gave up and started looking for supermarket jobs. Then on Friday they rang me, and the rest is (sort of) history.

I'll stop going on about it now, I'm just happy to have work. Today is baby day also because I've nearly finished the crochet'd woollen blanket I'm making for Nans' (and my) nephew, due in April. Yes, I know how to crochet. Not well, mind. This is the most complicated thing I've ever done, and I'm not sure I won't be too embarassed to give it to them...

NB - the image below isn't mine, I'm nowhere near that good!