life with a 4 year old

Warning: This is a bit on the unpleasant side, so if you're not in the mood, skip reading this post! ...just can't say I didn't warn you!

So I have to start off by saying I have a great job, for the most part. The kids are decently behaved, the parents are equally as pleasant and the family dynamics are not so bad. The mom is home more often that most and both parents play a larger role in their kids lives than most families with an au pair. Most weeks I feel as though I don't do much and often wonder why I am even here, but I can't really complain because I know it could be the far opposite.

With that being said, there are some days when I feel as though I could use a nap right then and there, when I think I never want kids, when I am glad I get to go to my room and shut the door at the end of the day and when I know I have rightfully earned every penny of the 80 euros a week that I make.

One of those days would be TODAY.

I don't know how to put this softly so I'll just say it, she peed herself! There are two sides to this: "OMGOSH, she's 4, she goes to school all day long, she shouldn't be peeing her pants", the other part is "She's ONLY 4, give her a break". I see both sides and I felt both sides but today I was on the "She's 4, she should not be peeing her pants anymore" side while her mom was on the "oh, its no big deal side". Let me tell you guys, it wasn't a little uncontrolled bladder problem, it was a "she didn't tell me she had to pee because she's too shy to say anything so she went once she couldn't hold it any longer" incident. I know she's only 4 and i was good to hold my emotions and act as if it wasn't a huge deal and then once I could figure out how to explain to her in French and in a nice way that this is not acceptable, thats just waht I did. But standing there in her puddle of pee, she just didn't seem to care a whole lot. Really? I think I was mortified if I ever did that growing up, regardless of wether I was at my house or out in public. How hard is it to tell me that you have to pee? How hard????? So back to the graphics, she had on boots, nice boots, blue suede boots with bows, so cute, FULL of urine. Gross. (WHY MEEEE?!?!?) So i told her to drop her pants right there in the entry way and make her way up to the bathroom to take a bath, i mean, she wasn't clean anymore. Good thing she is an easy going, relatively well behaved child so I could leave her in the bath for a bit while I figured out what I needed to do and in what order to clean up the mess that she had made. I am not an expert on how to get pee out of suede shoes so I had to think that one through. haha.

Long story short, my french was good enough that I was able to explain to her that if she has to pee she NEEDS to tell me so we can hurry up and get home or find a bathroom where ever we are. Simple right? Apparently not! I also reitterated it to her brother, although, thankfully at 6, we haven't had that problem with him. Anyways, she understood, she said it back to me so I knew she understood, and I told her it was not a big deal and i'd clean it up and made sure she cleaned herself in the process. Whew! (whipes hand across forehead)

I guess this isn't as big a deal as it seems in my head, but the most frustrating part of this situation is not that she had an accident, its that her mom doesn't see that her daughter is too shy to say when she is hungry or hurting or has to go to the bathroom. She doesn't encourage her to say what she needs so you are left thinking she is fine until her mom arrives home and she tells her mom she is malnourished or whatever the need is... and it makes me look bad. Whatever on making me look bad, but how am I supposed to help your child if you don't help her first? I am more than happy to run home, I am more than happy to bring more food or accomodate your child in any way I can, but I can't read her mind and she isn't an infant who needs her cries figured out. She is a 4 year old who has a mind of her own, knows her body, and goes to school for 8 hours a day for almost 2 years now... being without her Mom is nothing new.

Anyways, I hope nothing like this happens again. And not because I think this was so gross (because I do!) but becuase I hope this little girl learns to speak up when she needs something, otherwise her future years could be a bit frustrating for all involved!

With that being said, the nice blue suede boots with bows are drying peacefully downstairs after being washed along with the rest of her clothes, Clemence is now clean and in her pajamas (a bit early, but why waste clean clothes this late in the day) and happy as she now has had a bon-bon (piece of candy). That was my afternoon!!!

How was yours?

Kindly, Me