As I may have mentioned, I've been at my sister's house since about mid-May. (I'm due to go back to my own home in a couple of weeks or so.) In addition to looking after her 8-year-old, I'd also help out with some of the housework, such as the dishes, whether I've been requested to do so or not. Occasionally, she'll ask me to clean out the rabbit/guinea pig cage or vacuum or something else, the phrase, "If you have time..." will somehow be involved, like it was tonight.
I'm willing to do what it is she asked me to do, but I wonder what would give her the impression that I didn't have time? I'm in the house more often than not. Whatever time isn't spent with my nephew or playing fetch is likely to be spent watching TV or surfing the net. Just as one who has time to lean has time to clean as the saying goes in some jobs (and I've had jobs with that rule, figuratively speakin), if I have time to be sitting around watching TV or surfing the net or some other nonessential activity, surely I have time to clean that cage, vacuum (provided nobody is trying to sleep at the time), or whatever else needs to be done. I have nothing but time. I might as well use it to help fulfill a need that someone else has.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Have You Ever Had To Write "I Will/Will Not [Fill In The Blank Here]" When You Were In School?
One punishment that you may be familiar with in a school setting is writing x number of sentences saying that you will not talk in class, chew gum, or whatever you did wrong.
I think I've had that punishment once. At one point, I had said the word "shut up" (which was considered a "bad word") and had to write it down 200 times. (That's just the number for the first offense.)
I'm considering having myself doing that whenever I make a mistake I could've easily prevented at the time, especially if it's one that by any means affects someone else in a negative way. (After all, part of what this blog is intended to emphasize is that one's actions do affect others, and that said actions need to have a positve effect.) I'm very prone to forget the simple things, I'm hoping that this penalty for myself will reinforce in me that doing the wrong thing or failing to do the right thing is not is not IS NOT acceptable, especially if it means, hurting, offending, and/or letting down someone else.
There were simple mistakes in the past that I've made more than once (such as leaving the phone off the hook or not turning off the light when I leave the room) and have gotten in trouble for. Other times, I made a mistake on something that I had been informed of in the past. (For instance, the rule on putting away groceries was that frozen stuff went in first. Once, I handed my dad the wrong thing, and he got P.O.'d about it, and it turned into a little discussion of my tendency to not have my brain on at certain times.)
Once I do make a mistake on something I didn't know about, and I am told what IS supposed to happen (for instance, I put the sponge on the back of the sink, and I was told later that it's supposed to go in the drainer), I'm worried that I will forget and repeat the mistake, and that the you-know-what will hit the fan. I think in a case like that, I'll write it down 25 times if it's a first offense. Second time, it'll be 50 times (75 if I failed to catch the mistake before someone else did). Third time and beyond, it'll be 100 times. For mistakes on things that I have been informed of before the mistake happend and/or ones in which I should've used my common sense, it'll be a hundred sentences of what I will/will not do every time I mess up.
This may sound like I'm being too hard on myself, but if others will not tolerate my mistakes, why should I tolerate the mistakes myself, especially if they effect someone else? I may not have control on other peoples' behavior, but surely I can control my own.
I think I've had that punishment once. At one point, I had said the word "shut up" (which was considered a "bad word") and had to write it down 200 times. (That's just the number for the first offense.)
I'm considering having myself doing that whenever I make a mistake I could've easily prevented at the time, especially if it's one that by any means affects someone else in a negative way. (After all, part of what this blog is intended to emphasize is that one's actions do affect others, and that said actions need to have a positve effect.) I'm very prone to forget the simple things, I'm hoping that this penalty for myself will reinforce in me that doing the wrong thing or failing to do the right thing is not is not IS NOT acceptable, especially if it means, hurting, offending, and/or letting down someone else.
There were simple mistakes in the past that I've made more than once (such as leaving the phone off the hook or not turning off the light when I leave the room) and have gotten in trouble for. Other times, I made a mistake on something that I had been informed of in the past. (For instance, the rule on putting away groceries was that frozen stuff went in first. Once, I handed my dad the wrong thing, and he got P.O.'d about it, and it turned into a little discussion of my tendency to not have my brain on at certain times.)
Once I do make a mistake on something I didn't know about, and I am told what IS supposed to happen (for instance, I put the sponge on the back of the sink, and I was told later that it's supposed to go in the drainer), I'm worried that I will forget and repeat the mistake, and that the you-know-what will hit the fan. I think in a case like that, I'll write it down 25 times if it's a first offense. Second time, it'll be 50 times (75 if I failed to catch the mistake before someone else did). Third time and beyond, it'll be 100 times. For mistakes on things that I have been informed of before the mistake happend and/or ones in which I should've used my common sense, it'll be a hundred sentences of what I will/will not do every time I mess up.
This may sound like I'm being too hard on myself, but if others will not tolerate my mistakes, why should I tolerate the mistakes myself, especially if they effect someone else? I may not have control on other peoples' behavior, but surely I can control my own.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
I Should've Had A Plan Today
My nephew played a video game off and on pretty much all day (which I joined a small portion of per his request). When he wasn't doing that, he was watching TV. When my sister came home, she had him stop and go do something else.
I feel bad for letting this happen. Being the sitter, I should've come up with other things for us to do in order to decrease the temptation to spend so much time on the video game. But I was rather lazy about that. I had no idea what to do.
Maybe tomorrow, I could suggest an occasional game of chess or something. After all, I have been told that part of babysitting is to be a guide rather than a mere beacon, and I've been too much a beacon lately, I'm afraid. I could never get away with this kind of passivity in any kind of professional job. I'd be expected to use my initiavtive at all times. There were also times around my parents when I was expected to use my initiative on a task. I really need to do that with my nephew. (Besides, there's this guy I'm interested in who looks after his sister's kids in the day, not to mention has a son of his own from a previous relationship whom he only sees so often. I'm worried that lack of proper child care skills on my end might turn him off.)
Tomorrow, I'm going to suggest some non-electronic stuff to do either before or after limited time with the video game.
I feel bad for letting this happen. Being the sitter, I should've come up with other things for us to do in order to decrease the temptation to spend so much time on the video game. But I was rather lazy about that. I had no idea what to do.
Maybe tomorrow, I could suggest an occasional game of chess or something. After all, I have been told that part of babysitting is to be a guide rather than a mere beacon, and I've been too much a beacon lately, I'm afraid. I could never get away with this kind of passivity in any kind of professional job. I'd be expected to use my initiavtive at all times. There were also times around my parents when I was expected to use my initiative on a task. I really need to do that with my nephew. (Besides, there's this guy I'm interested in who looks after his sister's kids in the day, not to mention has a son of his own from a previous relationship whom he only sees so often. I'm worried that lack of proper child care skills on my end might turn him off.)
Tomorrow, I'm going to suggest some non-electronic stuff to do either before or after limited time with the video game.
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