Children

This week I have been watching my cousins from upstate New York. I see them about 2 times a year. They are 9 and 7. They will be here until Saturday, unless I drive them back up to New York (quite a feat since I don't drive on highways) in about 3 minutes. Which brings me to the subject of this post: Brats.
I feel a little guilty for calling family members brats, but...I will.

My mom has been helping me watch them/entertain them, until today and tomorrow when she works. I have about 100 things to do to prepare for school, but I have had kid duty since Sunday.
I loved spending time with my cousins when they were like 3 and 5. Soooo, I have decided that I don't like children ages 6-13. My reasons may be shallow, but here they are:
1. Greed- my mom tells me all children are greedy to some extent, they can't help it. I was not a greedy child. Really, I wasn't. When my mom would offer to buy me a toy at Toys R Us, I would say "No thank you. Maybe another day." These kids are greedy.
2. Whiny.
3. Wasteful- I HATE wasting food. It is one of my pet peeves. I think I got this from my Nannie. I made an entire bowl of Mac n Cheese for Isaac because he wouldn't eat a sandwich. He took a bite, and threw the rest out! They never finish their cereal. They ask for chips and then don't eat them. They play with their food. Moving on...
4. Picky. My mom had to go to 3 different places for lunch, because no one could agree. Isaac hates burger king. McDonald's makes Liz sick, she loves Burger King. Subway for lunch- Liz whines because they don't serve Strawberry Milk. Complains that we use "I can't believe it's not butter spread" and not Brummel and Brown margarine. We are awful for not having Sunny Delight in our fridge.
5. Everything is lame. Our swimming pool is lame because it isn't heated. The prizes at Chuck E. Cheese are lame. (Ungrateful) If my Aunt Karen or someone in my family took me to Chuck E. Cheese I would NEVER DARE have said that the prizes were lame.
6. Sugar binging- At the community pool, I took them up to each pick a snack. Liz wanted Nachos with Cheese, A ring pop, A pack of Swedish Fish, and an orange soda.
7. LOUD. I was woken up this morning -only morning to sleep in this week- by Liz busting in the door and jumping on my head. Seriously. And do we have to bang on the piano during quiet time?


So, while not all kids are all of these things...most are, and it disturbs me. Now give me a moody teenager, and I can have some fun! This is why I don't teach elementary school. Maybe Pop-Pop could raise my kids from ages 6-13. Or, I could find a nice boarding school. Or, I will just try my best not to raise them to be brats.