So, my sis (stepsis) moved down here last year from Maine, yay! I'm so thrilled to have family nearby, & I love my sis & her two boys, ages 5 & 8. They all actually stayed at my place for 3 months until she got her own nearby. I don't see them everyday as we are both busy with our own stuff, but we see each other regularly.

Sometimes she asks me to babysit, & I do whenever I can, of course... I'm helping her out & getting to spend time with my boys, whom I adore. Last weekend they were with me from Saturday afternoon til Sunday afternoon, so she could go have fun with friends. But OMG by the time they left, I was totally exhausted! These boys are INSANE! The 5 yr. old is a bit less, thank heaven, but boy-oh-boy, they are out of control! Screaming, destroying everything in their wake, not respecting me, my house, or each other, not listening to ONE WORD I say, etc. I feel like I'm in one of those awful kid movies, lol.

I try doing stuff like taking them to the pool or playground to burn off some of that energy, but that becomes a nightmare too. At the playground they toss mulch around, play rough, etc. At the pool they almost drown the other kids with their splashing & cannonballs, then run around asking all the other families if they can use their stuff. Argh. The thing is, I *love* kids in general. I love to play with them, talk to them, heck... some of my friends refer to me as a big kid, lol.

My conflict is... I love these kids to death, & my sis too. Of course I want to spend time with them. But afterward I often feel like I've been hit by a train. She knows they are wild; as a single mom she's pulling her hair out dealing with them too. The last time she dropped them off, she even brought her 'spanking spatula' for me to use... yeah right. She sent me an email this morning mentioning babysitting today (news to me), but I have ferocious cramps & am totally not up for much of anything at all, let along chasing after two cyclones.

So any suggestions as to what to do (not just today, but in the future)? Like, is it kosher to just let her know how I feel, & maybe hint that if they were more disciplined, it would be much easier? Or would it be ok to just ask to take one at a time (much simpler)? Any ideas on how to make kids that aren't mine listen to me? This is such new territory for me, & I don't have kids, so I don't know what might be ok. I don't want to alienate my family. Thanks for the room to vent & any advice that might follow.
mlleyeuxbleus Reviewed by mlleyeuxbleus on . nephew advice? (sorry, a bit long) So, my sis (stepsis) moved down here last year from Maine, yay! I'm so thrilled to have family nearby, & I love my sis & her two boys, ages 5 & 8. They all actually stayed at my place for 3 months until she got her own nearby. I don't see them everyday as we are both busy with our own stuff, but we see each other regularly. Sometimes she asks me to babysit, & I do whenever I can, of course... I'm helping her out & getting to spend time with my boys, whom I adore. Last weekend they were Rating: 5