Adventures in babysitting

Katja Kloweit

Until the eighth or ninth grade I wasn't interested in children. Then my cousin had a baby, and suddenly it was the thing for me. I started to babysit for different families in our village. It helped me a lot to know that I could pray when there were difficult situations—and that I wasn't helpless with little children. Prayer has helped me to take better care of them, to be more patient, and to deal with them in a gentle, relaxed manner.

Once a little boy I was taking care of got all wet while he was playing. But he refused to take off his wet pants and get dry. I didn't want to force him, though. I didn't think that using force had any part in God. So I gently talked with him, and at the same time I prayed. I tried to see him as God sees him. I knew he was a loving child of God, not a rebellious little boy. I needed a lot of patience. Finally, he let me take off the wet pants and put a dry pair on. But he didn't have to give in just because he was the weaker one. He did it because he wanted to. And we both ended up being happy.

Another time, I helped a family with three little kids. The two babies were twins, and the oldest child was just a little older. At dinnertime their mother had everything organized superbly. The oldest one would sit in her highchair and eat by herself. All I had to do was talk to her. Meanwhile I would sit on the floor and give both babies their bottles at the same time. (They were still too little to hold them.) It was a situation where you couldn't let anything go wrong. The babies would be very unhappy if someone suddenly took away their bottles.

One day I had a terrible stomachache as I was feeding the babies. I thought, “Oh, what am I going to do now? I'm stuck here.” I couldn't even change my position to be more comfortable. But I just naturally started praying, because that's always been a reliable help for me. I thought: “What am I doing here? Of course, I'm feeding children. But, really, I'm giving them my love—love I get from God. This love also comes back to me. And there's no place in it for anything painful.” Immediately the stomachache disappeared and never came back. It was wonderful. No matter how big a job you have to do, God's support is always right there.

I've also often taken care of toddlers during church services. That's sometimes a little harder. These children might not know you so well, and they're sometimes very sad to see their parents leave. But they don't really want to be unhappy or angry. And they respond very quickly when you're gentle and loving with them.

Children are a little like plants that turn naturally toward the light. They turn naturally to God, once they understand that He's always with them — even if their parents aren't there. When they realize this, they feel more independent. Then it's easier for the babysitter. Of course, you take the best care of children that you possibly can. But, ultimately, it's God who watches over them. That's very reassuring to know.

Katja Kloweit
Lübeck, Germany

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