My First Babysitting Job

By Autumn Yoder

One night when I was 12 years, I was watching Full House when the phone rang. On the other line was the older lady up the street who had just moved in.

I saw this woman and her husband before, but it was from a distance, so I was surprised when she called. She said she saw me walking around the block with my friends and she was hoping I could babysit 1 1/2 year-old baby that coming Saturday.

I asked my mother and she said since it was just down the street I could do it, so I told the woman I would. I had never babysat before, except for my little sister. So when I was walking up the street to my first job, I felt like a big shot.

When I got there, I was greeted by the woman and her husband. I looked around and saw the baby toys, blankets and a playpen. They gave me the number where they were going to be and said little Eric was in bed fast asleep.

Of course the first thing I did after they left was go to see the baby. He was fast asleep. I had seen children like that before, who had a large head and that certain look on their face. Right then I knew it meant the baby was retarded. I didn't know until after I left that night and had talked to my mom that children like that are called mongoloid.

After looking at Eric sleeping, I went out to the living room and sat down and I can tell you I was afraid. First of all, I couldn't understand why the parents did not tell me. I then thought surely there must be some kind of special care he would need. I hoped and prayed that he would not wake up until his parents got home.

So there I was there with this problem, not knowing what to do. I thought of calling my mom, but I was afraid any movement I made would wake little Eric up. So I sat there.

About two hours later I heard Eric making moves in his room. I walked in the hall to his room and peeked around the door and he was smiling at me. As I walked closer to the crib he seemed to get happier. I looked down at him and said, "Hi baby." And Eric gave me the biggest smile I ever saw on a baby's face. After singing about six songs and touching his hand, I felt so much that I wanted to hold Eric in my arms, so I picked him up gently and carried him out to the living room and sat on the couch and held him.

I fell in love that day with a baby named Eric. Time went so fast as I held him. Before I knew it, his parents were walking through the door. They paid me $4 and I can tell you for sure, I felt more mature than I ever did in my life.

(Autumn Yoder wrote this story a few years ago as an assignment for school. She was 12. Needless to say, she got an A+.)

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