I'll Watch Your Kids

Let me show you what I mean. It’s 3 p.m. in the afternoon. You’re a mom of two toddlers: a four-year-old and a two-year-old. Today’s been an especially hard day. It may have been like the one a mom was having the other day when I called. I was calling her to tell her I was praying for a family member that was sick. As soon as she answered I knew this would be a short phone call. She answered in a breathless voice and, as soon as we started to cry, her two children started wailing in the back ground. I said, “Having a tough day?” She said something like, “You have no idea!” I got off the phone quickly and thought to myself: “I’m glad it’s her and not me.”

Well, let’s say you’re having one of those days. It’s been one thing right after another. You’re trying to talk logic with two year old who only understands that they want what they want when they want it. All day long, all you’ve thought about was getting away. You’ve thought, “If I could just have one hour alone where I didn’t have to console a child or clean up a mess.” You dream of just getting into the car and driving to Wal-mart or Target and walk through the store without having to be a policeman to two kids or say “no” to the endless “Mommy, I want’s . . .”

In the middle of your daydream, the doorbell rings. Standing on the other side of the door is a nice looking, middle-aged lady. She seems sweet, but she’s unfamiliar. You’ve never seen her before in your life. She hears your two-year-old crying and she says with a smile. “You need a break. Get in your car and take a drive to Target. I’ll watch your kids.”

Would you do it? I don’t care how desperate you are for a break, moms, you would not do that, would you? Why not? Because, even though this lady may seem nice, you don’t trust her! Why don’t you trust her? Because you don’t have a relationship with her! And why is it that you don’t have a relationship with her? Because you’ve never spent time with her, talked to her, and gotten to know her.