Oh, and I almost forgot:

WHEN I GOT HOME, THERE WAS A TURD ON THE LANDING. NOT A DOG TURD, A HUGE, HUMAN SIZED GROWLER, A NUT BROWN LOG, WITH SMALL POO-LETS ALONGSIDE.

Seven under 4?? You're a saint. I can't stand watching other people's kids - it's unbelievably stressful. I pretty much can't stand kids, except for my own (which aren't kids anymore anyway).

I love babies because they're cute and you can hand them back to the rightful owner when you get tired of fawning over them, but toddlers...ugh.

Kids love and adore me though. The feeling isn't mutual.

The kids' seven dwarf names would be:

Chirpy
Hitty
Whiny
Silent
Sleepy
Cutesy
Kicky.

Sounds like you got the well behaved bunch o' brats.

One of you and seven of them, including three babies? WTF?

No, there were 2 of us and we were still overwhelmed. ah well, nobody bled, bruised, pissed themselves, puked, pooped, etc.

I would've had them under my power in no time. Little ones love me for some reason.

Also, in New York it's difficult to get through the day without encountering people poop. People in this city will shit anywhere.

The answer is: I have no idea. While I have gotten better at dealing with/taking care of everything from babies to toddlers to pre-teens, there are kids, and there are brats.

I used to help watch the kids in the nursery back in my Church days - usually there'd be 10-12 youngster ranging from 2-10 years old, watched by two teenagers or younger mothers. It was exhausting. Basically, we threw them in a room together with toys and a first aid kit, and let them wear themselves out before a 15 minute nap. Then, their parents would arrive while they're calm and sleepy. Then we'd get good tips!

You got tips working the church nursery?????? I feel so cheated!!!!

/never got a dime

I generally love kids of all ages, even teenagers. But, I am so ready for this school year to end. I'm just a school volunteer and I'm already experiencing burnout. Teachers are saints in my book. I so admire how they can be completely neutral and kind to every single kid, even the ones that grate your last nerve.

How the flurb do you parental types do it?

Fear. My brothers and I (five of us) were afraid of being punished. Yes, physical punishment as well as other types (being grounded, restricted privileges, stuff being taken away - toys, books, tv, etc.).

I don't know how my mother got me so well 'trained' when I was wee. I remember a strange internal dialogue I in the supermarket - I was likely three or four years old - and we passed some marshmellow bags. I loved mashmellows, but also knew that there was no chance in hell I'd get any. I asked politly if we could "please buy home a bag of mashmellows" which my mother declined "So please ut them back". I did. And then I walked in a daze next to the cart for the rest thinking "Man I'm a good kid since I'm not nagging by asking again and again. I should tell her that I am. But if I bring it up, I'm not a good kid because really, being good is it's own reward and shouldn't need to be announced. Though I wish we had marshmellows instead." Before I knew it shopping was finished and I was in the car already.
Weird train of thought - or do all three-four year olds think like that?