Babysitter Briefings Getting Briefer

For all of the weariness, complaining, and eye-rolling, Amy and I do appreciate the relatively easy stage in life that are kids are at right now. At 6 and 4, Jada and Aaron are fairly independent (no more diapers, can play by themselves when they first wake up in the morning, know how to brush their teeth and put on their pajamas), but we're not yet worrying about hormones or puberty.

One clear indicator of this is the amount of detail we have to go over with a babysitter. When Amy and I went out for dinner yesterday, it took me all of 30 seconds: I covered overall schedule in 15 seconds, dinner in 10 seconds, and bedtime in 5 seconds. Contrast that to say two years ago, when our kids' routines were more convoluted and they were not in a position to tell a babysitter what was expected, where a similar huddle at the beginning of an evening might take a good ten minutes and involve a cheat sheet.

Of course, at some point, babysitters won't be needed at all, and Amy and I will be able to go out whenever we want. Now that's when we'll really have it made.