Last week, Luke and I made plans for an at home date on Friday night.

Here’s how we planned it.
We would have our meal in our own kitchen while the kids enjoyed a picnic in the floor in their room. After eating, we would have our movie in the living room while the kids watched one in their room (on a laptop). Anna would be named official babysitter and have Luke’s cell phone to call us whenever she had a question. She even requested to change B’s diaper.

Here’s how things really went.
We had a nice peaceful dinner complete with a tablecloth, candle, and china. The kids were too caught up in their own picnic and coke (a special treat) to interrupt many times. We ended up watching our movie in short bursts in between checking on and tending to the kids. We took the phone away because Peter started calling for the fun of it. Anna did change B’s diaper and did a great job! The least interrupted part of the movie was when the older three kids had settled down a bit, and Bethany was in the room with us. Things went quietly from there until toward the end of both movies. We eventually got them settled again and finished our movie. Then Anna did bedtime routine with the boys including prayer and stories, and they all came for bedtime hugs and went to bed.

Conclusion
Some would say that the date was a complete flop, but I have hope for future dates with our 7 year old babysitter. Most of the interruptions were questions she had regarding her very first babysitting experience. That is understandable. I hope that after doing this several times, things will go a little more smoothly. And, hey, maybe by the time she’s 12 or 13, she will be able to babysit with complete confidence.

We are hoping to have dates like this once a month (although maybe not always with table cloth, candle, and china). Stay tuned next month for the results of “The 7 Year Old Babysitter II.”

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